The European Commission has selected 134 transport projects to receive over €7 billion in EU grants from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), the EU’s instrument for strategic investment in infrastructure. This represents the largest call under the current CEF Transport programme.
Around 83% of the funding will support projects that deliver on the EU’s climate objectives, improving and modernising the EU network of railways, inland waterways and maritime routes along the trans-European transport (TEN-T) network. Rail projects will receive 80% of the €7 billion. Furthermore, the revised TEN-T Regulation will take effect starting tomorrow, July 18.
For road transport, launching cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems and Services (ITS) and creating new, safe and secure parking areas will increase safety for individuals and professionals alike.
Funding will go to major projects to improve cross-border rail connections along the TEN-T core network – in the Baltic Member States (Rail Baltica), between France and Italy (Lyon-Turin), and between Denmark and Germany (Fehmarnbelt tunnel).
Around 20 maritime ports in Ireland, Spain, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Malta, Lithuania, Cyprus, Croatia, Greece, and Poland will receive support for infrastructure upgrades, some of which will enable them to supply shore-side electricity to ships, or transport renewable energy.
Work on inland waterway infrastructure will improvecross-border connections between France and Belgium in theSeine-Scheldt basin, and between Romania and Bulgaria on the Danube. Inland ports in Austria, Germany and the Netherlands will also receive funding, so that they may continue to promote Europe’s network of rivers and canals for sustainable transport.
“This is the largest call under the current CEF Transport programme,” said Wopke Hoekstra, Commissioner For Climate Action and responsible for transport. “The selected projects will help transform Europe’s transport network, making cleaner transport modes more efficient and attractive for “passengers and freight while enhancing safety across the TEN-T. I am especially pleased that several projects supporting the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes have been funded. These new corridors are of key importance to help integrate Ukraine and Moldova into the EU.”
