Transport infrastructure: €350 million to fund key TEN-T projects

The European Commission launched today Calls for proposals worth €350 million to finance European transport infrastructure (TEN-T), for projects in all EU Member States and for all transport modes: air, rail, road, maritime and inland waterways. Commission Vice President Siim Kallas, responsible for transport, commented:  “With the 2007-2013 budgetary period coming to an end, we will make the best possible use of these TEN-T Calls for Proposals to make sure European transport infrastructure supports a seamless mobility of goods and people throughout the European Union. I am confident that these calls will elicit great interest throughout the EU, as Member States realise the importance of investing today for tomorrow’s growth and jobs.”

TheTEN-T multi-annual programme traditionally finances the highest priorities of the TEN-T network. This year’s multi-annual calls, the last ones to be held under the 2007-2013 budget, focus on five fields, with €280 million of total indicative budget available:

• The 30 TEN-T Priority Projects (with the exception of MoS): indicative budget €50 million.
• Motorways of the Sea (MoS) providing viable alternatives for congested roads by shifting freight to sea routes: indicative budget €80 million.
• European Rail Traffic Management Systems (ERTMS), enabling interoperability on the European rail network: indicative budget €70 million.
• Air Traffic Management (ATM), implementing the Single European Sky and ATM modernisation objectives: indicative budget €30 million.
• Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), promoting interoperability and continuity of real time traffic and travel information services across Europe towards a safer and more efficient road network: indicative budget €50 million.

The annual programme complements the multi-annual one and for 2013 directs funding to two distinct priorities with a total indicative budget of €70 million:

• Acceleration/facilitation of the implementation of TEN-T projects (studies and works for mature projects for all modes, as part of the projects of common interest): indicative budget €20 million.
• Measures to promote and develop innovative solutions and new technologies in areas such as: alternative fuels infrastructure, sustainability of urban mobility, traffic efficiency, decarbonisation, noise reduction, and safety (e.g. vehicle-infrastructure communication systems): indicative budget €50 million.

The TEN-T Executive Agency (TEN-T EA) manages the technical and financial implementation of the TEN-T programme, under the auspices of Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport. The TEN-T EA will hold an Info Day on Friday 13 December 2013 in Brussels to help potential applicants better understand the call priorities, prepare their proposals and learn about the evaluation process.

The deadline for the submission of proposals is 11 March 2014.