(BRUSSELS) – The European Commission selected 135 transport infrastructure projects for EU grants Wednesday from among 399 project proposals submitted under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
“These challenging times have reinforced the importance of our EU transport sector and of having a seamless, well connected infrastructure network,” said Transport Commissioner Adina Valean: “In particular projects such as the upgrade of the rail-road transhipment terminal in Haniska pri Koicich will further facilitate our links with Ukraine.”
Funding from CEF, the EU’s funding instrument for strategic investment in transport infrastructure, will support projects across all EU Member States along the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).
For example, in the context of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, several projects in Slovakia and Poland, will make it easier to transport goods between Europe and Ukraine.
Several projects will boost the EU’s railway network, including the 18km long Fehmarn Belt tunnel that will significantly cut travel times between Denmark and Germany.
Further investment in the deployment of the European Rail Traffic Management System will make rail smarter, interoperable, and safer. Projects also include the creation of secure and safe parking infrastructure for lorries, upgrades of basic port infrastructure, including on-shore power supply to cut emissions from docked ships, improved cross-border inland waterway connections, and a series of pilot Digital European Sky Demonstrators for green aviation and urban air mobility.
The grants represent the bulk of Connecting Europe Facility funding under the September 2021 calls for proposals, and follow EU investments in Military Mobility and alternative fuels projects in April 2022.
Background document on the results of the 2021 CEF Transport calls
2021-2027 Connecting Europe Facility