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6 years December 14, 2017
Cyprus Look into Furthering Transport Links with Mainland Europe
EU islands such as Cyprus need to step up communication efforts in order to improve connectivity gaps or difficulties with mainland Europe, Violeta Bulc has remarked; a Slovenian politician who is currently serving as European Commissioner for Transport.
Addressing members of the ‘Connecting Europe’ conference she stated: “I think islands need to work together as an attempt to strengthen continuous dialogue to identify what the real problems are because they are very specific, but so far the organisation is going well.”
The Commissioner futhered: “I think Cyprus has done well, they have two ways of connectivity, one by sea, one by air. They use the funds well in the transport sector including improving the modality of the island.”
She added that other Mediterranean islands face similar problems as regards connectivity and that she was recently presented by the Corsica and Sardinia their particular issues.
Transport and energy ministers from the 28 member states discussed the following issues within Europe:
- Disconnected aviation markets in the European Union and beyond.
- Outdated guidelines on regulations regarding enabling a country to subsidise an airport destination, to guarantee adequate networks to the rest of their territory and of Europe.
- Address gaps in connectivity, which in turn will serve the needs of local communities in an enhanced way contributing to their wealth.
Cyprus’ Transport Minister commented that Cyprus had expressed the need for flexibility in the use of PSOs: “we told smaller states that have connectivity problems that they will be able to use such incentive schemes.”
According to the regulations, in case no air carrier wants to fly along the route on which the obligations have been imposed, a member-state can restrict the access to a single air carrier and receive EU compensation it for any operational losses occurring from the PSO scheme. There is a requirement for the operator selection to be made public knowledge at resident level.