The European Commission has announced the allocation of nearly €2.8 billion in EU grants to 94 transport projects under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). These projects aim to modernize railways, inland waterways, and maritime routes across the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), enhancing connectivity between European regions and cities while boosting the competitiveness and resilience of the EU’s internal market.
Rail transport is set to receive 77% of the funding, focusing on significant infrastructure upgrades within cohesion countries. Notable projects include the construction of Rail Baltica in the Baltic region and Poland, as well as improvements in Greece and Slovakia. High-speed rail lines will also be developed in Czechia and Poland. Furthermore, 32 projects across 11 Member States will implement the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) to enhance rail safety and interoperability.
In maritime and inland waterway transport, investments are directed towards reducing environmental impacts. Ports in Ireland, Cyprus, Malta, Croatia, and Poland will be upgraded with shore-side electricity to cut emissions from ships at berth. The construction and upgrading of multi-purpose icebreakers in Estonia, Finland, and Sweden will bolster submarine cable security and resilience. France and Spain will deploy digital traffic management systems for short-sea shipping efficiency.
For road transport, safe parking areas will be developed or upgraded in 10 Member States. Projects supporting Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) aim to improve road safety and traffic flow. Air traffic management initiatives continue to advance the Single European Sky project for a safer aviation system.
Urban mobility will benefit from funding for multimodal passenger hubs in cities like Leuven (Belgium), Norrköping (Sweden), Nice and Marseille (France), and Bolzano (Italy), facilitating seamless connections between various modes of transport.
Strategic investments focus on strengthening EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes by improving rail connectivity between Slovakia-Ukraine and Romania-Moldova borders. Additionally, one project aims to enhance Arctic region infrastructure resilience against climate change impacts.
The CEF Committee approved these projects on July 2nd, with formal adoption by the Commission pending. Grant agreements are expected by October 2025. The selected projects emerged from a pool of 258 applications submitted earlier this year.
Since its inception in 2014, the Connecting Europe Facility has supported over 1,861 projects with €47.34 billion dedicated to transportation initiatives.
Anna-Kaisa Itkonen serves as spokesperson for further inquiries regarding this announcement.
