With the new EU infrastructure policy 'Connecting Europe Facility' (CEF), the EU wants to create a core transport network across Europe to support effective and sustainable mobility of goods and people. The new multimodal corridors replace the modal priority projects of the past. The new core trans-European transport network (TEN-T) lays down two North–South corridors, three East–West corridors and four diagonal corridors to be developed in a multimodal way.

The role of the European coordinators is to make the development of the corridors a success. The coordinators will be responsible for coordinating priority transport projects, helping to remove bottlenecks, upgrade infrastructure and streamline cross-border transport operations for passengers and businesses. They report back to the European Commission. The new coordinators are in contact with Member States authorities and ministers to discuss the framework for cooperation and implementation of their tasks. They also consult relevant public and private stakeholders in corridor fora.

Coordinators who work on corridors with inland waterways are:

Pavel Telička for the North Sea - Baltic Corridor including
Studies & works for better navigability, upgrading waterways, locks and multi-modal connections on the sections Berlin - Magdeburg – Hannover, Mittellandkanal, West-German Canals, Rhine, Waal, Noordzeekanaal, IJssel, Twentekanaal, Amsterdam - Rijnkanaal

Laurens Jan Brinkhorst for the Mediterranean Corridor including
Studies, upgrading works and multi-modal connections on the sections Milano – Cremona- Mantova – Porto Levante/Venezia – Ravenna/Trieste

Mathieu Grosch for the Orient/East - Med Corridor including
Studies, works for better navigability and upgrading, multi-modal connections on the sections Hamburg – Dresden – Praha – Pardubice, Elbe and Vltava

Ana Palacio for the Rhine - Alpine Corridor including
Upgrading, works for better navigability, multi-modal connections on the sections Basel – Antwerpen/Rotterdam - Amsterdam

Péter Balázs for the North Sea - Med Corridor including
Studies, upgrading, multi-modal connections on the sections Maas, including Maaswerken, Albertkanaal/ Canal Bocholt-Herentals, Volkerak lock and Kreekrak lock, Krammer lock (and Lock Hansweert), Terneuzen - Ghent, Seine Scheldt, Dunkerque – Lille, Le Havre - Paris, Antwerpen-Brussels-Charleroi, waterways in Wallonia, Mosel locks, Rhône

Karla Peijs for the Rhine - Danube Corridor including
Studies, works and multimodal connections on the sections Komárom – Komárno, Main – Main-Donau-Canal, Danube (Kehlheim - Constanța/Midia/Sulina), Bucharest – Danube Canal

Carlo Secchi for the Atlantic Corridor including 
Upgrading works between Le Havre and Paris

Before starting their work, the coordinators will each draw up a corridor work plan together with the Member States concerned laying down the investment planning, costs estimation, timeline for the identified priority projects. The plans will be ready by the end of 2014.

The strong presence of waterways in the corridors is important as 80-85% of the EU transport infrastructure budget will be allocated to corridor sections identified in Annex I of the CEF regulation.