One of the negotiation chapters with which Serbia will certainly have difficulties is chapter 21, which concerns transport networks. This chapter includes both transport networks (roads, railways, airports, sea and river traffic), as well as energy networks, gas and electricity. However, as energy-related issues have already been covered in an earlier continuation of this feature, we will focus on traffic.
There is hardly any need to waste words on how important transport links are for the functioning of the European Union. Not only does the situation in this field affect the life of almost every citizen, but it is directly related to the four basic freedoms (movement of people, goods, money and services) that form the basis of the EU. That is why connecting European roads into a single unit was a priority issue that was intensively worked on even before the EU took its current form, and revisions of plans and rules are done constantly. However, due to a combination of historical circumstances, Serbia and most of the Western Balkans remained on the sidelines.
BYPASSING THE BALKANS: Plans for a common European transport network (Trans European Network, abbr. TEN T) began to be built in the eighties of the last century, during the European Economic Community, and the guidelines were officially adopted in 1996. At that time, nine main corridors were defined, the construction of which is still ongoing, and the core of TEN T is planned to be completed by 2030. year, and additional infrastructure projects only in 2050. However, as Yugoslavia was devastated by war during the planning, that area was simply bypassed. Subsequent revisions prioritized connecting the new EU members with the rest of the Union, first the territory of the former East Germany, then the Baltic states and the former members of the Warsaw Pact, which were admitted to the EU during the "big bang" in 2007. The last revision was done in September 2014, but The Western Balkans were also bypassed on that occasion.
Of the nine corridors that make up the core of the TEN T (Scandinavian-Mediterranean, North Sea-Baltic, North Sea-Mediterranean, Baltic-Adriatic, Rhine-Alpine, Rhine-Danube, Mediterranean, Atlantic and Oriental-Eastern Mediterranean), the last one is the most important for Serbia, because it is the shortest the road from the Middle East to Western Europe leads through the territory of the former Yugoslavia. However, according to the plans, this corridor goes from Greece and Bulgaria through Romania and Hungary, and then Austria and Italy all the way to Hamburg in northern Germany, so that Serbia, but also Croatia, found themselves outside the network. In Brussels, they noticed this problem and are trying to overcome it by developing a regional network, with particular emphasis on the old Corridor 10, which passes through Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia, and ends in Graz, Austria.
VIA MILITARIS: Corridor 10 is really ancient, because it existed back in the time of the Roman Empire, with the purpose of connecting Roman garrisons from Greece to present-day Austria, which is why it was named via militaris - military road. The modern Niš-Belgrade-Zagreb highway along Corridor 10 was built during the time of the SFRY, but the parts towards the Bulgarian and Macedonian borders remained unfinished. Intensive work is currently underway on the section Caričina Dolina - Vladičin Han, which is a challenge due to the extremely difficult terrain. On that section, which is only seven kilometers long, it is necessary to break through several tunnels, including the almost two kilometer long "Manojlo" tunnel, which was supposed to be completed these days, but it turned out that due to the excess concrete, the roof of the tunnel is about 30 centimeters lower than which is necessary. This caused quite a controversy, but Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić announced that all works will be completed by the end of next year. By the way, the construction of this section cost a dizzying 81 million euros, i.e. more than ten million per kilometer, and the funds, apart from the state, were provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the World Bank. .
By the end of 2017, the rest of Corridor 10, which includes branches to Greece, Bulgaria and Macedonia, should be completed. They are also working hard in Bulgaria, where the new Kalotina highway should soon replace the old Sofia-Dimitrovgrad road, and the entire corridor will be completed with the construction of a bypass around the Bulgarian capital.
TRAINS ARE TRAVELING: When he gets old via militaris be modernized and completed, it will finally connect the Western Balkans with the EU. However, highways are only one component of this corridor, while there is still a lot of work to be done on the railway component, not only in Serbia but also in neighboring countries.
Serbia has not yet opened this important negotiation chapter, but bilateral and explanatory screenings were successfully completed in February 2015. The European Commission's report from last year states that Serbia actively participates in the Southeastern European Transport Observatory (SEETO), which monitors the development of the regional transport network. in the region, with the aim of integrating it into the TEN T. The strategic framework for the development of infrastructure in this field was created in 2009, and includes all components - road, rail and river - and is defined as a national project of particular importance.
As Serbia during the SFRY already had a relatively good traffic network, which was damaged or neglected during the wars and sanctions, the plan does not envisage the construction of completely new roads, but rather the modernization of the existing ones, with the expansion of capacity.
The railway network is in a particularly difficult condition because the rails are worn out, and another track needs to be laid on many sections. For example, trains between Belgrade and Niš run slower today than before the Second World War.
On the other hand, the situation will be significantly improved after the completion of the Belgrade-Budapest high-speed railway, which is being built thanks to Chinese investors, and the section to Novi Sad should be operational in two years. The European Commission, however, warns that the railway must comply with European standards on interoperability (which refers to parameters such as expected speed, carrying capacity and electrification).
Finally, it should be said that the EU has assessed that Serbia does not have the financial capacity to bring its transport network fully in line with European standards by the time it joins the Union, so during the negotiations it is likely that the fulfillment of some criteria will be delayed. After all, in 2030, when the TEN T core should be finished, Serbia should already be a member to a large extent.
The project "Accession negotiations with the European Union: 35 steps to the goal" was co-financed from the budget of the Republic of Serbia - Ministry of Culture and Information. The views expressed do not necessarily express the views of the authority that allocated the funds.
