European Parliament committee confirms support for Rail Baltic
MEP Wim van de Camp, head of a European Parliament Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) delegation that has visited Estonia, confirmed the Parliament's support for the Rail Baltic project and promised to fight for continued European financial support for it.
The international rail project's feasibility study demonstrated that sustained economic growth and EU support would be required to ensure the project's profitability. Rail Baltic will cost nearly €6 billion to construct and will not be completed during the EU's current budget period, thus the need for additional funding from the next joint budget.
"I can assure that the European Parliament is supporting this initiative and we will fight for enough financial means in the next [Multiannual Financial Framework] — the next 7-year period of the EU budget — so this can't be a reason to stop the project," van de Camp told ERR, adding that the project must go on.
"Countries have to be a little bit faster, I think, in their preparations for the project, but we are fighting for the money," he added.
Editor: Aili Vahtla