The Minister for Transport, Building, and Housing met with Pat Cox

The Minister for Transport, Building, and Housing, Mr Ole Birk Olesen, had earlier today a meeting with the European Coordinator for the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Core Network Corridor, Mr Pat Cox, about the status of the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link. The Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link will create a new and more direct link between Scandinavia and the rest of Europe and enhance connectivity and cohesion. The Minister was pleased to note, that there is full support for the project from the European Coordinator. The Minister and the European Coordinator both look forward to ensuring the further development of the project.

Mr Pat Cox highlighted the Fehmarn Belt project’s significance on the Scandinavian-Mediterranean corridor linking Scandinavia with the Mediterranean thereby contributing to a higher degree of mobility for EU citizens while at the same time providing the business community with better conditions to support a continued commercial and economic growth.

- I am pleased to hear that the EU continues its strong support for the Fehmarn Belt Project and the Danish-German work. The Fehmarn Belt not only has significance for Denmark but is a project of great importance the EU, says transport, building and housing minister Ole Birk Olesen.

The Minister and Pat Cox both agreed that the negotiations on a Connecting Europe Facility for the EU’s next multiannual financial framework were progressing well and that special emphasis should be placed on cross-border links in the transport sector. Securing cross-border projects an increased co-financing rate would support these projects overcome the particular challenges that transnational projects face due to their complexity and very nature.

- The Fehmarn Belt project will get what it is due from the EU. The EU will not be a blockage for the development of this shared strategic project, says European Coordinator Pat Cox.

During his visit, Mr Pat Cox, gave a presentation on current affairs in European transport policy for the members of the transport committee from the Danish Parliament, Folketinget, as well as industry partners and the Ministry's employees.

Facts:
Former president of the European Parliament, Pat Cox, is carrying out a significant task for the mobility in the EU, as the European Coordinator for the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) Core Network Corridor "Scandinavia – Mediterranean ". The corridor is one of nine Core Network Corridors in Europe and starts in Finland, through Scandinavia, through Germany and on to Italy and Malta.

The European Commission has allocated 4.4 billion DKK in financial support to the Fehmarn Belt Project. Moreover, the EU awarded DKK 870 million to the construction work on the Ringsted-Fehmarn railway.