Minister Sabutis in Brussels: the EU must approve its infrastructure of critical importance

Lithuanian Minister of Transport and Communications Eugenijus Sabutis met with Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, in Brussels on Thursday. During the meeting, Mr Sabutis stressed that, in response to geopolitical and security challenges, the development of transport and military mobility links must be one of the EU's priorities.

According to the Minister, the EU must approve its infrastructure of critical importance for the whole of Europe and plan necessary investments as well as provide for the same minimum standards for the protection of such infrastructure in all EU countries.

“We are talking about the entire transport and telecommunications infrastructure: roads, railways, airports and seaports, communication cables and satellites. All this infrastructure is potentially vulnerable to hybrid threats, as we have experienced recent cable disruptions in the Baltic Sea as well as GPS jamming in our airspace,” noted Minister Sabutis.

Highlighting the EU’s efforts to develop the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), Mr Sabutis underlined the need to focus on a larger EU budget for military mobility, including funding for the protection and monitoring of military mobility infrastructure (bridges, parking lots, crossings).

An increase in the level of European funding for strategic transport projects run in Lithuania is necessary to develop the missing cross-border transport links, to accelerate the Via Baltica and Rail Baltica projects, and to strengthen the integration of the Baltic region into the European transport system. 

“Connecting our country to European transport networks is a priority for Lithuania and the Baltics. The reconstruction of the Via Baltica road and its further extension to the north, the construction of the Rail Baltica European railway line and the implementation of other projects, which would also improve military mobility, are areas where long-term and continuous European support is of paramount importance to us,” said Minister Sabutis.

The need for dual-purpose projects to meet civil and military mobility needs in Lithuania is currently estimated at around €3.5 billion. Lithuania needs €4 billion to complete the Rail Baltica project by 2030.

Lithuania’s Minister of Transport and Communications has also discussed these issues today with Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi, Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism, Virginijus Sinkevičius, Vice-Chair of the Committee, and other MEPs from Lithuania.

In Brussels, Mr Sabutis is also scheduled to meet Mr Alberto Mazzola, Executive Director of the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER), and Ms Reluca Marian, Head of the International Road Transport Union (IRU) Brussels Office.