The Future of Infrastructure Projects Depends on the Quality of Their Preparation

Preparations of the next Multiannual Financial Framework 2014–2020 in the field of infrastructure reflect the priorities of the Europe 2020 strategy. The Connecting Europe Facility instrument (CEF) will be implemented in the framework of the TEN-T network and it will help to carry out ambitions outlined in the White Paper on Transport. The CEF allocation will be complementary to the structural funds, such as the Cohesion Fund and the European Regional Development Fund.

The main task of this instrument will be more effective use of the budget through systematic efforts to include private investment into the infrastructure financing. Despite a long-lasting hostile approach by the Czech government to the CEF, there is an opportunity to mobilize private investment into the transport infrastructure through Public-Private Partnership. The PPP projects are generally more difficult and more expensive, though examples in Western countries show that they can be successful. The European Commission also claims that money that is being transferred from the Cohesion Fund to the CEF is not a threat to the Czech Republic but an opportunity, as it will allow carrying out numerous projects. However, for the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic, Structural Funds will be the most important source of investment for transport projects and the CEF will be a supplementary tool.

The Czech Republic hasn’t been informed about the exact rules yet: how exactly will be the CEF used, how to prepare projects suitable for this tool and what amount of financial means will be allocated for the Czech Republic under this fund. Nevertheless, future priorities of the Operational Programme Transport will be the rail infrastructure and other sustainable means of transport, roads in the network TEN-T and roads outside the network TEN-T. This concept shall enable the Czech Republic to be flexible in using all available funding. Investment priorities will be defined in Transport Sectorial Strategies, which will be first examined by the Czech Government and then sent to the European Commission for final approval in November/December this year.

These are the conclusions of CEBRE debate on Plans for transport infrastructure investment 2014-2020, held on 5th March in Prague.