Interessenbekundungsverfahren Feste Querung Fehmarnbelt 
    Expression of Commercial Interest (ECI) 

Die IVB hat im Auftrag des BMVBW im Jahr 2000 gemeinsam mit PriceWaterhouseCoopersVeltins, Düsseldorf für das deutsche und dänische Verkehrsministerium ein Interessenbekundungsverfahren entwickelt, das heute Grundlage des Fachdialogs ist, den die Ministerien mit möglichen Investoren führen.
Der folgende Text ist aus der Projektpräsentation im Internet entnommen:

Introduction
 
In September 2000 the German Federal Ministry for Transport, Building and Housing engaged the IVB to develop an "Interessenbekundungsverfahren" according to the "Bundeshaushaltsordnung (BHO)" suitable to investigate the private sector´s potential willingness to participate in a large scale infrastructure project as investor and operator for a later toll crossing of the 20 km sea straight between Germany and Denmark. The procedure termed "Expression of Commercial Interest (ECI)" was designed in time and agreed upon by the involved governments on December 6, 2000 and is now being carried out.

• The private sector's willingness and ability to design, plan, construct, finance, operate and transfer a Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link. 

• To optimise technical and financial solutions for project realisation. 

•  To establish a framework, including preconditions and obligations, for a private investor's realisation of the project. 

• To investigate and develop a realistic "model" for the distribution of risks involved between the two states and the private investor. 

The result of the ECI process will be reported by FDJV to the German and Danish Governments through a Steering Committee, representing the Danish and German ministries as well as Schleswig-Holstein. 
 

The ECI will be divided into the following 5 phases: 
 
Phase 1: Announcement in the Official Journal of the European Communities

The announcement in the Official Journal of the European Communities (OJEC) proceeds with the direct invitation of potentially interested parties to return their applications for participation in the ECI with the necessary information. 
  
Phase 2: Selection of participants
A selection of participants who qualify for completing a Questionnaire and for taking part in the subsequent interviews will be made among the received applications. 
Together with the Questionnaire an Information Memorandum describing technical, business and legal aspects will be issued to the selected participants. The memorandum will include the findings of the latest studies. This Information Memorandum shall serve to provide participants in the process with a unified update of the knowledge about the project which will provide the basis for all further discussions and simultaneously serve as a stimulus for the participants. 
The Information Memorandum and the Questionnaire form the foundation for the transparency, usability and comparability of the responses and concepts of the participants' statements.
  
Phase 3: Implementation of market study 
FDJV is available for answering any questions that the participants should have and will analyse the responses to the Questionnaires. Commercial information provided by the participants in confidence will not be publicised. 
  
Phase 4: Interviews
Interviews with the participants will be arranged in order to make more in-depth studies or detailing of particular areas of interest.
  
Phase 5: Preparation of a final report and concluding presentation 
On request by the Steering Committee a podium discussion may be arranged in order to allow for direct contact between the decision-makers and the participants, stimulating the exchange of opinions between participants and providing a clear picture of various themes. The final report and the subsequent concluding presentation serve as a template for decision-making for the transport ministries of Germany and Denmark and contain a summary of the results from the ECI, besides giving a recommendation for a further course of action.
 
For more information consult the official webpage of Fehmarnbelt Development Joint Venture: www.fdjv.com  from which these descriptions are derived.