Source: European Parliament
1. The Commission considers the Rail Baltica project one of the flagship projects on the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) because it would finally allow to connect the Baltic states to the single European railway area. This is crucial for the regions’ economic growth, cohesion and now more than ever, its security and defence. For the Commission, Rail Baltica is the most urgent transport infrastructure project in the Baltic States to be implemented.
2. In the Baltic states, the Rail Baltica project is managed by RB Rail joint venture and Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania authorities. The Baltic states cooperate closely, including through the RB Rail, to ensure the success of Rail Baltica. The project partners monitor the costs and expected benefits. They are also responsible for the respective railway market and ensuring that rail traffic can start as soon as the line is operational. The Commission follows the project implementation and has always encouraged the organisations involved in the implementation to use the most cost-efficient solutions. There are frequent audits, and the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency and the European Coordinator for the North Sea Baltic corridor monitor the project.
3. The c o-legislators identified the infrastructure priorities of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) until 2050 in TEN-T Regulation[1] to ensure consistency and predictability. They identified Rail Baltica as a major cross-border missing link[2]. The applicable regulation also considers financial constraints and the fiscal rules of the EU to safeguard the financial stability and resilience of Member States apply.