The EU is injecting almost €2.2bn into 140 key transport projects to boost the green recovery by improving sustainable transport links across the continent and creating jobs
The transport projects which will support the EU’s green recovery will receive funding through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), the EU’s grant scheme supporting transport infrastructure.
With this funding towards improving transport projects, the EU will deliver on its climate objectives set out in the European Green Deal.
A strong emphasis will be placed on reinforcing railways, including cross-border links and connections to ports and airports. Inland waterway transport is set to benefit through greater capacity and better connections to road and rail networks.
In the maritime sector, priority will be given to short-sea-shipping projects based on alternative fuels and the installation of on-shore power supply for ports to cut emissions from docked ships.
Commissioner for transport, Adina Vălean, said: “The €2.2bn EU contribution to this crucial transport infrastructure will help kick-start the recovery, and we expect it to generate €5bn in investments.
“The type of projects we invest in ranges from inland waterways transport to multimodal connections, alternative fuels to massive railroad infrastructure.
“The Connecting Europe Facility is one of our key instruments in creating a crisis-proof and resilient transport system – vital now and in the long run.”
The EU will support 55 rail infrastructure projects located on the trans-European transport (TEN-T) core network with a total of €1.6bn. This includes the Rail Baltica project, which integrates the Baltic States in the European rail network, as well as the cross-border section of the railway line between Dresden (Germany) and Prague (Czechia).
Shifting to greener fuels
It will also support 19 projects that embrace the shift to greener fuels for transport with almost €142m. A number of projects involve converting vessels so they may run on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), as well as installing corresponding infrastructure in ports.
Road transport will also see the adoption of alternative fuels infrastructure, namely through the installation of over 17,000 charging points on the road network and the deployment of 355 new buses.
Nine transport projects will contribute to an interoperable railway system in the EU and the seamless operation of trains across the continent through the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS).
Upgrading locomotives and railway tracks to the unified European train control system will boost safety, decrease travel times and optimise track usage. The nine projects will receive over €49.8m funding.
Next steps
Given the EU Member States’ approval of the selected transport projects, the Commission will adopt formal financing decisions in the coming days. The Commission’s Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) will sign the grant agreements with the project beneficiaries at the latest by January 2021.
