(29 June 2015) – Today the Commission unveils a record €13.1 billion investment plan in 276 transport projects, selected under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
This investment will unlock additional public and private co-financing for a combined amount of €28.8 billion.
Selected projects are primarily located in the core trans-European transport network. Among the beneficiaries are flagship initiatives such as Rail Baltica, the Brenner Base Tunnel, the Seine-Escaut waterway, the Caland Bridge and the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link.
Smaller-scale initiatives include cross-border projects between Groningen and Bremen, the Iron Rhine rail line, LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) deployment plans or projects enhancing the navigability of the Danube River.
Launched in September 2014, the CEF calls for proposals generated an unprecedented interest. The Commission received 700 applications totalling €36 billion of requested funding, three times more than the available envelope.
The EU’s financial contribution is made in the form of grants, the co-financing rate of which is between 20% and 85% of a given project, depending on its type.