Joint Press Release: EU TRANSPORT SECTOR: Europe more than ever in need of more EU budget for transport

Joint Press Release

Brussels, April 2nd, 2024

44 European transport organisations, among which FEPORT, representing the key spectrum of Europe's transport network, are again joining forces in a campaign to urge the Council and the European Parliament to increase the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) budget for transport in the upcoming review of the Multi-Annual Financial Framework.

The transport sector is of strategic importance in responding to Europe's geostrategic, environmental and capacity challenges. Recent and ongoing crises have proven once again that only with a strong, adaptable and innovative transport sector at its core, Europe will be able to respond effectively to massive disruptions and safeguard its supply chain sovereignty. If Europe is to strengthen its resilience, be a leader in the shift to net-zero and finally complete the Trans-European Transport Network, it must translate its words into deeds and reflect these ambitions in the new EU budget for transport.

The massive oversubscriptions of the current CEF transport budget underline once again that the ambitions and challenges of the transport sector are high, yet are not met with the necessary EU support. The take-away for European leaders and policymakers should be clear: this is the moment for Europe to reverse the trend of continued underfunding of the transport sector and set the bar high. A strong CEF instrument for transport is the best guarantee to deliver high EU added value, foster a level playing field across Europe and enable no regret investments.

The leaflet of the transport campaign for the review of the next EU budget is attached and available here.

"The EU must be ambitious for its transport sector as for all industries that belong to this fantastic enabler of trade, growth, and resilience. We need significant resources to decarbonize, to adapt the physical and digital transport infrastructure and optimise connectivity and capacity. More EU budget for transport should be a strategic priority. It is vital to safeguard the EU supply chain sovereignty and learn from the recent events we have been going through to prepare the future". says FEPORT Secretary General, Ms Lamia Kerdjoudj

The campaign leaflet will be officially handed over to the Commission during the Connecting Europe Days, on 4th April at 5.30pm (venue: Gold Hall)"