Trans-European Networks (TENs)
The Trans-European Networks (TENs) are large infrastructure networks of transport, energy and telecommunications underpinning the developmental and integration goals of the European Union.
TENs facilitate:
- The economic and social integration of the Union
- Free movement of people and goods
- The development of less favoured EU areas
The trans-European transport, energy and telecommunications networks cover the whole of the Union of 27 Member States.
In the context of the transport corridors in the countries of the wider European neighbourhood, there is also a focus on EU neighbours, specifically:
- Accession Countries (Croatia and Turkey)
- The European Economic Area (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein)
- The Balkans
- The Mediterranean Partner Countries
- Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus
The EIB has decided to provide at least EUR 75bn for trans-European transport projects in the period 2004-2013. In 2011, the EIB lent EUR 9.8bn for transport TENs and major transport axes.
For TENs, the Bank can make large, long-maturity loans available with fixed and variable interest rates, eminently suited for financing large infrastructure investments. In addition, the EIB offers a number of special products:
- Public Private Partnerships (PPP) play an important role in investment in transport TENs. The Bank has built up wide experience and expertise in the field of PPP financing and has been entrusted by the European Commission and EU Member States with establishing the European PPP Expertise Centre, which aims to facilitate the effective sharing of experience and best practice in PPPs and to provide support for project preparation and advisory services to the public sector promoters.
- The Structured Finance Facility aims to match the types of funding to the requirements of large-scale infrastructure projects.
- The Loan Guarantee Instrument for Trans-European Transport Network Projects (LGTT) provides cover for lower than expected revenues that might occur because of lower than anticipated traffic volumes in the critical early phases of project operation. It is a tool specifically designed to allow greater private sector participation in TEN projects that are exposed to traffic risk.
- The Marguerite Infrastructure Fund (together with other leading European financial institutions) is a fund specifically designed to provide direct equity for TEN projects.
