EU invests record €7 billion in sustainable, safe and smart transport infrastructure

The EU will support the objectives of the European Green Deal and the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy by allocating over EUR 7 billion to 134 projects that will contribute to delivering a sustainable, smart, environmentally friendly and resilient transport infrastructure network. These projects have been selected under a 2023 Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) call for proposals. CEF is the EU funding programme supporting European transport infrastructure.

The new projects will build or upgrade transport infrastructure to enhance railways, inland waterways, roads and short-sea shipping routes. Some projects will also connect to inland or maritime ports, airports and multimodal terminals. Projects in Ukraine and Moldova for the development of the EU Solidarity Lanes and smart traffic management systems for inland waterways, air and road transport will also be supported.

Commissioner for Climate Action and responsible for transport, Wopke Hoekstra, said: “This is the largest call under the current CEF Transport programme. 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.”

Her comments were echoed by the Director of the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), Paloma Aba Garrote, who stated: “The Connecting Europe Facility is a success story that keeps delivering on its commitment to provide new and upgraded transport infrastructure to EU citizens and businesses that is fast, safe, interconnected and sustainable.”

Major cross-border rail connections alongthe TEN-T core network, like Rail Baltica, the Lyon-Turin line (connecting France and Italy) and the Fehmarnbelt tunnel (connecting Denmark and Germany) will be supported. Furthermore, cross-border points between Ukraine and Moldova and EU countries (Romania, Hungary, and Poland) will be improved to allow smoother traffic flows for Ukrainian imports and exports. At the same time, the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) will be largely deployed on trains and railway lines across the EU to improve interoperability and the safety of rail transport.

Around 20 maritime ports in Ireland, Spain, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Malta, Lithuania, Cyprus, Croatia, Greece and Poland will be upgraded; developments will allow them to supply shore-side electricity to vessels and transport offshore renewable energy.

Inland waterway infrastructure interventions will develop cross-border connections between France and Belgium in the Seine-Scheldt basin and between Romania and Bulgaria on the Danube . Inland ports in Austria, Germany and the Netherlands will also be supported so that they may continue to promote modal shift towards the European network of rivers and canals.

For road transport, the deployment of cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems and Services (ITS) and the construction of new safe and secure parking areas will enhance safety and improve journeys across the European road network for private citizens and professionals alike.

Supported Air traffic management projects will continue to develop the Single European Sky to make air transport more efficient and safer, and to boost its environmental performance.

Background

In total, 408 applications were submitted under the CEF Transport calls for proposals that closed on 30January 2024. Following the evaluation, 134 proposals were selected for funding, amounting to around EUR 7.1 billion (the total funding requested was EUR 22.2 billion).

Under the CEF Transport programme for the 2021-2027 period, EUR 25.8 billion has been made available for grants to co-fund TEN-T projects in EU Member States. Since 2014, CEF has supported over 1,500 projects in the transport sector, with a total amount of EUR 37.5 billion (excluding the current selection). The EU contribution will take the form of grants to co-finance the total project costs. 

Next steps

Following the approval of the list of 134 projects by the EU Member States, the European Commission will officially adopt the financing decision and CINEA will then start the preparation of the grant agreements. The results are provisional and will only become definitive once the European Commission adopts the corresponding award decision.

Further financing opportunities are available under the CEF Transport programme via the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility call, which has the next cutoff date for proposals on 24 September 2024, as well as the 2024 CEF Transport calls for proposals, which will be launched towards the end of September.

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