Description
On 17 July, the Commission selected 134 transport projects to receive more than EUR 7 billion in EU grants from the Connecting Europe Facility (MCE or Connecting Europe Facility), the EU's instrument for strategic infrastructure investment. This is the largest call for proposals under the current MCE Transport programme.
Around 83 % of the funding will support projects that achieve the EU's climate objectives by improving and modernising the EU's network of railways, inland waterways and maritime routes along the trans-European transport network (TEN-T). Rail projects will receive 80 % of the EUR 7 billion. In addition, the revised TEN-T regulation entered into force on 18 July.
The funding will go to large projects to improve cross-border rail connections along the core TEN-T network - in the Baltic Member States (Rail Baltica), between France and Italy (Lyon-Turin) and between Denmark and Germany (Fehmarnbelt tunnel).
Around 20 seaports 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 improve 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 receive funding to continue promoting the European network of rivers and canals for sustainable transport.
With regard to road transport, the launch of cooperative intelligent transport systems and services (ITS) and the creation of new safe and secure parking areas will increase safety for both citizens and professionals.
Air traffic management projects will continue to develop a single European sky so that air transport becomes more efficient, safer and more sustainable.
Finally, several projects will enable increased capacity along the EU-Ukraine solidarity corridors, established to facilitate imports and exports between Ukraine and the EU. These projects concern:
- improving road transport infrastructure at border crossings between Ukraine, Moldova and Romania;
- increased capacity at the Hungary-Ukraine rail border crossing;
- a new section of road in Poland extending to the border with Ukraine;
- studies and work to integrate the Ukrainian railway system into the EU.
Next steps
Once the list of 134 projects has been approved by the Member States, the Commission will officially adopt the financing decision and the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) will start preparing the grant agreements. The results are provisional and will only become final once the Commission has adopted the corresponding award decision.
Background
The 134 projects were selected out of a total of 408 applications submitted under this call for proposals, which closed on 18 January 2024.
EU funding will take the form of grants, which will be used to co-finance the overall project costs.
Under the MCE Transport programme for the period 2021-2027, EUR 25.8 billion is available for grants to co-finance TEN-T projects in the Member States. Since 2014, the MCE has supported more than 1,500 projects with EUR 37.5 billion in the transport sector (excluding the projects selected in this round).
Finally, the updated TEN-T regulation, which entered into force as of 18 July, will be responsible for stepping up efforts to create a sustainable and resilient transport network within the EU, encouraging sustainable transport modes, digitisation and multi-modality while addressing climate challenges and military mobility.
Source: European Commission
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