On 6 June, the European Commission published the proposal for the next Connecting Europe Facility (CEF II), setting out the objectives of the financial instrument and the funding modalities. ESPO welcomed this development, but noted that the “cross-border” element should also include the maritime dimension.
In total, the Commission proposed a CEF budget for 2021-2027 of €42.3bn, with a transport envelope of €30.6bn. The CEF II proposal supports three transport objectives:
- The development of projects of common interest relating to efficient and interconnected networks (with a focus on core network, 60% of the budget);
- Infrastructure for smart, sustainable, inclusive, safe and secure mobility (core and comprehensive network, 40% of the budget);
- The adaption of the TEN-T network to military mobility needs.
ESPO welcomes the new proposal, as the budgetary envelope now includes the missing ports in the corridors, efficient and sustainable infrastructure projects, and it focused on climate-proof investment.
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The new CEF proposal makes cross-border projects, a priority. However, ESPO believes that the “cross-border” element should include the cross-border impact of projects, as well as the maritime dimension.
Seaports must be seen as internationally cross-border in nature and thus be placed on an equal priority with other cross-border projects.
The Commission proposal will be discussed by the European Parliament and the Council, with the Commission hoping to finalise the text before the end of the legislative period (mid 2019).
In order to contribute to the preparation of the CEF II and the negotiations to follow, ESPO commissioned a study aiming to:
- Identify the Drivers and Investment needs of European ports;
- Analyse the ports’ ability to make use of EU funding and financing instruments;
- Recommend how CEF can be further improved.
The study shows that the ports’ investment needs amount to 48 billion EUR for the next ten years. The needs are various and mirror the complex role of European ports. Many investments create high societal value, but the low return on investment makes external funding necessary.
You can see the full study in the PDF herebelow
