Transport is one of the more visible proofs of Europe-wide harmony and unity. Intercity train travel and ferry links are physical reminders of how open borders now are. Conversely, dysfunctional transport networks also highlight any problems that exist.
That is why members of the European Parliament’s transport committee want to make sure that governments are directing enough funding to rail and sail projects, instead of just focusing on traffic-clogged highways.
Big infrastructure projects are governed by the EU’s Trans-European Transport rules (TEN-T), which lay out criteria that determine what is eligible for millions of euros in public money. TEN-T funding normally triggers a big injection of private capital.
Ongoing projects that are underpinned by EU cash include Rail Baltica, which hopes to link Warsaw to Tallinn by high-speed rail, the record-breaking Brenner Base Tunnel and the Madrid-Lisbon railway line.
TEN-T is up for renewal though, and MEPs...