5C Corridor: Construction or Upgrading?

06 April 2006

The High Working Group charged with the expansion of TEN-T (Transeuropean Transport Network) published a report in Decembre 2005, in which it identified a total of 78 priority transportation projects with a total value of 45 billion EUR. Zelena Akcija Croatian environmental organization representatives were part of the CEE Bankwatch international NGO network delegation that visited Brussels to take part in the consultations on the EU plans for expansion of TEN-T.
It is important to state that all planned project are located in countries that should enter EU by 2020. For proposed projects, it is of utmost importance to enter the TEN-T framework, having in mind the increased access to European funds.

The introductory address by the representative of the Working Group emphasized the fact that the Group itself faced the problem with lack of information on a number of projects submitted by governments of future EU countries. That lack of information and transparency are the main reason why the report included several suspicious projects that imply a number of questions related to the horisontal measures, such as environmental issues and public participation in their implementation. Such defficiencies will have to be improved prior to those countries� entry into the EU or the approval of proposals for funding.

CEE Bankwatch representatives (Zelena Akcija is associate member to the network) commented, together with the WWF and Transport & Environment, the whole Report and emphasized that it is unacceptible to build big highways in areas where it is unjustified from the point of view of traffic frequency, i.e. where the only justification is the hope that the necessary traffic will be created once the highway is constructed (which has not been confirmed in reality).

One such dubious project, the construcion of a 5C Corridor highway that connects Budapest with the Port of Ploce in Croatia. What makes this project unclear is the fact that it is presented in the Repot as �upgrade� on the existing roads, while Croatia and B&H promote it as a full highway.

The construction of the Bosnia and Herzegovina part of the highway, with its planned 40 tunnels, will cost the exorbitant 2.5 billion EUR. In comparison, the money allocated for upgrading of B&H railways will suffice a single railway tunnel.

Croatian activists worry that the money of the EU tax-payers will be used to destroy a part of Drava Marshes, a home of a number of endangered species, including the White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), the Black Stork (Ciconia Nigra) and the Auk, included in the list of Endangered Birsts of Europe, compiled by the European Union.

Unfortunately, the Croatian infrastructural priorities are way ahead, in terms of progress, compared to the approximation of Croatian environmental legislation, so that this invaluable area on the Drava River could be destroyed just before it is nominated for protection under the EC�s Natura 2000 Directive.

At the end of the consultations, the European Commission will copmile a report on communication which will be submitted, together with the High Working Group Report, to the European Parliament for debate and a vote, which should happen, according to plans, during the Summer of 2006 or immediately after the Summer recess.