TITLE III - INTERNAL POLICIES AND ACTION
CHAPTER III - POLICIES IN OTHER AREAS
SECTION 8 - TRANS-EUROPEAN NETWORKS
ARTICLE III-246
1. To help achieve the objectives referred to in Articles III-130 and III-220
and to enable citizens of the Union, economic operators and regional and local
communities to derive full benefit from the setting-up of an area without internal
frontiers, the Union shall contribute to the establishment and development of
trans-European networks in the areas of transport, telecommunications and energy
infrastructures.
2. Within the framework of a system of open and competitive markets, action
by the Union shall aim at promoting the interconnection and interoperability
of national networks as well as access to such networks. It shall take account
in particular of the need to link island, landlocked and peripheral regions
with the central regions of the Union.
ARTICLE III-247
1. In order to achieve the objectives referred to in Article III-246, the Union:
(a) shall establish a series of guidelines covering the objectives, priorities
and broad lines of measures envisaged in the sphere of trans-European networks;
these guidelines shall identify projects of common interest;
(b) shall implement any measures that may prove necessary to ensure the interoperability
of the networks, in particular in the field of technical standardisation;
(c) may support projects of common interest supported by Member States, which
are identified in the framework of the guidelines referred to in point (a),
particularly through feasibility studies, loan guarantees or interest-rate subsidies;
the Union may also contribute, through the Cohesion Fund, to the financing of
specific projects in Member States in the area of transport infrastructure.
The Union's activities shall take into account the potential economic viability of the projects.
2. European laws or framework laws shall establish the guidelines and other
measures referred to in paragraph 1. Such laws shall be adopted after consultation
of the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee.
Guidelines and projects of common interest which relate to the territory of
a Member State shall require the agreement of that Member State.
3. Member States shall, in liaison with the Commission, coordinate among themselves the policies pursued at national level which may have a significant impact on the achievement of the objectives referred to in Article III-246. The Commission may, in close cooperation with the Member States, take any useful initiative to promote such coordination.
4. The Union may cooperate with third countries to promote projects of mutual interest and to ensure the interoperability of networks.