The EU aims to build a modern integrated transport system that strengthens the EU's global competitiveness and is able to meet the challenges linked to sustainable, smart and inclusive growth. The first step towards that goal is ensuring a well-functioning infrastructure that can transport people and goods efficiently, safely and sustainably. In 2017, the EU's physical infrastructure counts over 217,000 km of railways, 77,000 km of motorways, 42,000 km of inland waterways, 329 key seaports and 325 airports.
Through the Trans-European Transport Network policy, the EU aims to build an effective EU-wide transport infrastructure network. EU funding programmes and initiatives make available financial support to projects implementing the TEN-T:
- Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) – financial support for strategic investment in transport, energy and digital infrastructure.
- European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI) – supports investment in key sectors through financial guarantees.
- Horizon 2020 - provides funding for research and development projects with the aim of transferring great ideas from the lab to the market.
- European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIFs) , including notably:
- Cohesion Fund (CF) – supports projects reducing economic and social disparities and promoting sustainable development in 15 cohesion Member States.
- European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) – aims to strengthen economic and social cohesion in the European Union by correcting imbalances between its regions.
Connecting Europe Express
As part of the European Year of Rail, a special EU train criss-crossed the continent from 2 September to 7 October 2021, stopping in over 200 towns and cities along the TEN-T network: The Connecting Europe Express! Find out all about it here.
News
The European Green Deal calls for a substantial part of the 75% of inland freight carried today by road to shift to rail and inland waterways.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has increased the urgency of making Europe’s transport infrastructure fit for dual civil and defence use. The European Commission has therefore brought forward the awarding of grants for projects that support military mobility.
A call for proposals launched on 16 September under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for Transport programme makes available €7 billion for...
The EU is supporting 68 studies to prepare the ground for projects that will build missing transport links and eliminate bottlenecks across the...
The evaluation found that the TEN-T planning and decision making process has been largely effective in helping the EU move towards its policy...