Transport infrastructures in general, and the Trans European Transport Network (TEN-T) in particular, play an important role in achieving the medium and long-term objectives of the European Union. In view of this, the Commission has recently adopted a revision of the guidelines for the TEN-T. The main consequences of this revision are the need for a better understanding of the investments made by the member states in the TEN-T and the need for ensuring optimal consistency in the reporting by the Members States of such investments. With Regulation number 1108/70 the Council of the European Communities introduced an accounting system for expenditure on infrastructure in respect of transport by rail, road and inland waterways. The purpose of this regulation is to introduce a standard and permanent accounting system for infrastructure expenditures. ECORYS and CE have carried out a study which provides a practical methodology to calculate infrastructure costs step-by-step. For five transport modes recommendations are given regarding the definitions and categories which should be applied, and how data can be collected and processed from official publications. Last, an impact assessment has been made for each mode in terms of the extra efforts that are needed from infrastructure managers to modify their current accounting practices into the cost registration framework proposed in this study. The study was finalised in January 2006.

Client: European Commission – Directorate General for Energy and Transport