Territorial Impact Assessment for European regions: a methodological proposal and an application to EU transport policy

The need to engage European research and institutions in the new field of Territorial Impact Assessment, from both a methodological and a procedural perspective, was stated some years ago by the European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP). A proposal for a TIA methodology combining logical consistency vis-a`-vis the Union’s present institutional and policy guidelines with operational viability is being developed and applied to Trans- European Networks policy of the EU. Territorial impact is linked to an innovative definition of the objective of ‘‘territorial cohesion’’ of the Treaties in terms of territorial efficiency, quality and identity. Utilising sectoral impact studies developed inside the ESPON programme and developing territorial indicators for impact, vulnerability and desirability (territorial utility functions), a multicriteria model (TEQUILA) is implemented on priority projects as defined by the Commission, and results mapped and described for the 1360 NUTS-3 regions of the Union.