The European Commission announced on Thursday 16 July that it will distribute almost €2.2 billion to 140 projects under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
The European institution explained that it has focussed on projects that will strengthen the railways, especially cross-border links and connections with ports and airports.
73 of the selected projects are in the rail sector, 23 in the maritime sector, 22 in the road sector, 21 in inland waterways and one in the aviation sector.
Of these 73 rail projects, 55 are situated on the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T); four of these are on the Rail Baltica rail route and together account for more than €600 million in grants.
These four projects should, among other things, complete the missing link in the Baltic States and modernise the Czyżew-Białystok section of the route in Poland. This modernisation project—the most expensive of the 140 selected—has been allocated almost €386 million.
In addition, nine projects, which are due to receive a total allocation of more than €49.8 million, should also “contribute to the establishment of an interoperable rail system in the EU”, stated the Commission.
In addition, the European Commission intends to support a conversion to greener fuels and will subsidise 19 projects in this area totalling €142 million.
“A number of projects involve converting vessels so they may run on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), as well as installing corresponding infrastructure in ports”, they said.
Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean hoped that the €2.2 billion invested “would further generate €5 billion in investment”.
It is worth remembering that last June, the European Court of Auditors specifically indicated with regard to the Rail Baltica route that its economic viability “could be compromised” (see EUROPE 12507/18).
View list of 140 projects here: https://bit.ly/2BbIvti (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)