It The European Court of Auditors recently released an alarming report on major projects related to the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The Seine-Nord river connection, whose positive effects will also be felt in Belgium, is particularly criticized for not meeting deadlines and budget overruns.
The Court recognizes that many external factors have led to an explosive increase in the costs of these major infrastructure projects: the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, but also new legal requirements and technical uncertainties. In addition, the explosive increase in the prices of building materials can also be mentioned.
In 2020, the auditors already noted that the eight mega-projects examined showed a total increase in actual costs (excluding inflation) of 47% compared to the original estimates. Five years later the difference is +82%. Two rail projects are mentioned in particular: the Rail Baltica axis (+ 160% in six years) and the Lyon-Turin connection (+ 23% in the same period). The Seine-Nord Europe Canal is doing slightly better (+9% over the last six years, which seems relatively small considering the increase in the prices of building materials), but saw a real explosion in construction costs before 2020, tripling the budget since the start of the project. What also worries the European Court of Auditors is the delay of the project, the first designs of which date from the beginning of the millennium and which was due to be put into operation in 2010. The latest forecasts now assume 2032.
The European Commission has responded to the publication of this report. In particular, it points out that certain projects have been subject to new rules since 2024. This applies in particular to railway infrastructure, for which additional requirements apply, including to enable military mobility. The Commission also expresses its confidence that a large number of TEN-T projects will be completed by 2030 or around that date.
