The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) continues to contribute to delivering the European Green Deal with an additional financial support of EUR 6.2 billion for 107 new projects on the Trans-European Transport Network. Overall, 82% of this funding concerns transport infrastructure that contributes to climate objectives in line with the Union’s commitments. In addition to developing a more efficient, greener, and smarter network of railways, inland waterways and maritime infrastructure within the EU, such support will also enhance the cross-border connections with Ukraine and Moldova along the Solidarity Lanes.
The projects selected for support all lie on the Trans-European Transport Network, the system of roads, railways, inland waterways, short-sea shipping routes, ports and airports that links the EU’s Member States and beyond. The Commission’s objective is to complete the TEN-T core network by 2030 and the comprehensive network by 2050, while also ensuring that its infrastructure helps the EU deliver its climate objectives, as set out in the European Green Deal.
EU Commissioner for Transport Adina-Ioana Vălean said: “Today, we are allocating €6.2 billion to projects across Europe that will take us closer to completing the Trans-European Network for Transport, TEN-T, the backbone of the EU’s economy. I am particularly happy that €250 million will improve cross-border connections between Ukraine, Moldova, and their EU neighbours Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland. These projects will make transporting goods between the EU and Ukraine easier, reinforcing the Solidarity Lanes.”
Her comments were echoed by Acting Director of the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), Paloma Aba Garrote: “By supporting a smart and sustainable transportation system, the European Union delivers on its commitment to improving the future of its citizens. With these new 107 selected projects, spanning various transport modes, we reach almost EUR 29.4 billion of EU support invested since 2014 in projects implementing the EU Green Deal. The selected projects will deliver results contributing to shape a carbon-neutral continent.“
As part of the EU’s solidarity response to Ukraine, following the Russian war of aggression and the blockade of Ukrainian ports, the European Commission set out an Action plan for the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes to facilitate Ukrainian exports and bilateral trade. In this context, nine projects, for a total EU support of almost EUR 250 million, will upgrade the cross-border connections between neighbouring EU Member States (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania) and Ukraine/Moldova.
Important cross-border rail connections of the TEN-T core network will also be supported, like the Brenner Base tunnel (linking Italy and Austria) Rail Baltica (connecting the three Baltic States and Poland with the rest of Europe) and the cross-border section between Germany and Switzerland (Karlsruhe to Basel) and between Germany and The Netherlands (Emmerich-Oberhausen).
Maritime ports in Ireland, Greece, Spain, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Poland will be upgraded with basic infrastructure to develop a wide network for short sea shipping routes within the EU and equipped with on-shore power supply to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from moored vessels.
Inland waterway infrastructure will be enhanced along the Seine-Scheldt cross-border connection between France and Belgium. Some inland ports on the Danube and the Rhine basins will also be upgraded, for instance the ports of Vienna and Andernach.
The European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) will be deployed on trains and railway lines of the TEN-T network in Austria, Germany, France, Denmark, Czech Republic and Slovakia. In the road network, Intelligent Transport Systems and Services (ITS), in particular C-ITS solutions, will be deployed together with Smart Advanced ITS solutions.
European air traffic management projects furthering the concept of a Single European Sky are also supported.
Background
In total, 353 applications were submitted under the CEF Transport calls that closed on 18 January 2023. Following the evaluation, 107 proposals were selected and retained for CEF funding, amounting to around EUR 6.2 billion (the overall requested funding was EUR 16.33 billion).
Under the CEF Transport programme for the 2021-2027 period, EUR 25.8 billion is available for grants to co-fund TEN-T projects in the EU Member States. Since 2014, CEF has supported almost 1,300 projects for a total amount of EUR 29.4 billion in the transport sector (excluding the proposed selection).
The EU contribution will take the form of grants co-financing the total project costs.
Next steps
Following the approval of the list of 107 projects by the EU Member States on 21 June 2023, the European Commission will officially adopt the financing decision and CINEA will then start the preparation of the grant agreements with the beneficiaries.
Further financing opportunities are available in CEF Transport, with the 2023 call for Military Mobility currently open until 21 September 2023 and the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility calls open until 7 November 2023.
The 2023 CEF Transport calls for proposals will be launched towards the end of September 2023.