Orient/East-Med Corridor in South East Europe Passes through Serbia, Kosovo* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (former so-called Corridor X, now extended and the highway along former Route7 to be constructed between Nis and Pristina) Orient/East-Med Corridor in South East Europe *This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence. The TEN-T Orient-East Med Corridor (see map on the previous page) is the longest corridor of the SEETO Comprehensive and Core Network, which connects Central Europe with the Aegean Ports and Middle East, inter-connecting Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. In terms of traffic, it is one of the region’s most important road and rail axes.   By inclusion of this corridor in the extended TEN-T Network for the Western Balkans, it became part of the TEN-T Core Network, as well as of the Orient–East Med Core Corridor, which means that for the first time, it is legally and practically integrated part of the EU Transport network, enabling equal participation to the corridor’s management mechanisms of the Western Balkans states. However, this also supposes the same level of responsibility towards achieving the EU Transport policy objectives and completing the Core Network in accordance to the EU standards and EU Regulation by 2030, so the EU’s focus on increased climate sensibility within the transport sector, should be adhered to. The current ongoing and committed investments to complete the construction of the 99 km stretch in the southern Serbian part of the former Corridor X, as well as the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonian section Demir Kapija-Smokvica, are due until the end of 2016, after which it is expected that the entire corridor will have a full motorway profile, a significant milestone considering its importance as a regional and international main artery. It is, however, of great importance to raise the awareness among the political stakeholders and transport authorities that a solid plan on the future maintenance and rehabilitation works on this corridor must inevitably be put in place, taking duly into account technology, materials and measures that will assure road resilience to the climate changes projected for this part of Europe, but also that the current vulnerable sections which are in medium and poor conditions should be properly addressed. Further reading … http://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/infrastructure/news/2016-06-30-orient-eastmed-corridor_en.htm

Inland Waterways Network: TEN-T Rhine-Danube Corridor Concerns the Danube and Sava River in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia Sava (left) and Danube (right) The two rivers are the main international waterborne arteries in the region. Low river maintenance by national funds and lack of dredging and riverbed surveying has resulted in an increase of critical shallow waters on certain sections of the Danube and Sava Rivers, impeding safe navigability along the rivers.