Capitaling EUR 5.4 Billion to Support Key Projects Across the Continent by EU

While the application for this investment was closed on 19 January 2022, 135 transport infrastructure projects, among the 399 applications submitted under the CEF (Connecting Europe Facility), have been chosen for EU grants totaling EUR 5.4 billion. As the EU’s funding instrument for strategic investment in transport infrastructure, the CEF is going to support post-pandemic economic recovery in all EU Member States, also contributing to the construction of missing transport links across the continent, supporting sustainable transport, improving safety and interoperability, and creating jobs.

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, are the opted projects. While completing the TEN-T core network by 2030 and the comprehensive network by 2050 is the Commission’s intention, it is also ensuring that its infrastructure helps the EU deliver its climate objectives, as set out in the European Green Deal.

Some of the selected projects include tunnels:

• Prelimary planning railway infrastructure on the line Hagen-Siegen-Hanau (Germany)
• Studies for the new Dresden – Prague railway line, section Dresden – D/CR border (Germany)
• Studies and Works for the Brenner Northern Access Line to the Brenner Base Tunnel between Munich (Germany) and Radfeld (Austria)
• Fehmarnbelt Tunnel, which will link Denmark and Germany
• Vosges mountains and Paris – Dijon rail freight routes: loading gauge clearance and bottlenecks removal (France)
• Improving the Budapest rail Node with final studies for the development of the new Nyugati underground station into a multimodal passenger hub (Hungary)
• Lyon-Turin Base Tunnel Access: Preliminary and Final Designs of the Avigliana-Orbassano Line (Italy)
• Construction of a rail line and two tunnels in the Fortezza-Ponte Gardena Section (part of lot 1), Southern Access Route to the Brenner Base Tunnel (Italy)
• Preparatory and design studies for 3 railways tunnels replacing 3 level crossings on the comprehensive rail network north of Amsterdam (Netherland)
• Central station railway tunnel for the West Link in Gothenburg (Sweden)

Once on 21 June 2022, the EU Member States approved the selected projects, the Commission is due to adopt the financing decision. Commencing the preparation of the grant agreements with the beneficiaries of the 135 selected projects will be up to CINEA (European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency).

Under the CEF Transport program for the period 2021-2027, EUR 25.8 billion are available for grants to co-fund TEN-T. Since 2014, CEF has supported over 1030 projects for a total amount of EUR 23 billion in the transport sector. The EU contribution will take the form of grants co-financing the total project costs. For more details please here.