The European Commission will fund 38 additional military mobility projects to support the transport of troops and equipment along the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), according to a press release from Brussels the other day.
With a budget of EUR 807 million, these projects will upgrade key transport infrastructure in the EU so that it has a dual use – for both civilian and defence transport. This was the third and final call for proposals on military mobility under the CEF Transport 2021-2027. In total, the Commission is supporting 95 military mobility projects with EUR 1.74 billion.
In line with the Military Mobility 2.0 Action Plan, the projects will support Member States and partners to develop a well-connected and secure military mobility network. Examples include the construction and upgrading of rail infrastructure in Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Latvia, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Finland and Sweden. Projects will improve dual-use infrastructure in seaports in Belgium and Sweden, airports in Latvia and Lithuania and inland waterways in France.
Transport Commissioner Adina Vălean said: “The results of the third and final call for military mobility under the CEF Transport show that there is a clear need for Member States to improve the dual use of our transport system. We received 112 proposals, a 4.5-fold oversubscription, and selected projects from 18 Member States. All projects funded will contribute to a better European infrastructure and fill in missing links for both military and civilian use.”
With the three calls in 2021, 2022 and 2023, the EUR 1.69 billion package earmarked for military mobility under the 2021-2027 CEF has been exhausted. Given Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Member States agreed to bring forward the budget of the military mobility envelope to accelerate and maximise support for such dual-use military and civilian transport infrastructure projects. A total of 95 projects have been selected and are currently underway in 21 EU Member States.
Following approval of these 38 projects by EU Member States, the Commission will adopt the financing decision and CINEA will then start preparing the financing agreements. Additional funding opportunities are available through the CEF Transport 2023 call for proposals, open until 30 January 2024.
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