– The Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link is of strategic importance to Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Norway and the rest of Europe. We need the link to ensure growth, sustainability and our welfare for generations to come.
– It is with great concern that we learned of the new delay in the process of the approval of the Fixed Link across the Fehmarn Belt.
This is how the STRING Political Forum starts its recently publicised statement, voicing their concern that all types of delays concerning the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link will have a negative effect on growth and development in the STRING corridor from Copenhagen/Malmö to Hamburg.
The politicians from Denmark, Germany and Sweden also believe that whilst the financial support from the EU for the project is undoubtable, Denmark and Germany must show progress in order to obtain financial support from our EU partners to the infrastructure, or the financial contribution already received might be in jeopardy.
The EU has already approved a co-financing of the project for the first half of the construction period up until 2019. New co-financing will have to be applied for to cover the remainder of the period; but the EU has announced that the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link is at the top of their list of prioritised initiatives. Delays in the German authority approvals have however led to disruptions to the original time plans for the construction start.
In their joint statement, which will be sent to the national Ministers of Transport in Sweden, Denmark and Germany, the STRING politicians urge the German and Danish government and parliaments to work for a
