Infrastructure and Investment

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. 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 329 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.