EU invests €2.8 billion in 94 transport projects, including Cyprus ports

The European Commission has selected 94 transport projects that will receive nearly €2.8 billion in EU grants under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), among them ports in Cyprus. 

A Commission press release on 3 July said that by modernising railways, inland waterways and maritime routes across the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), the projects will not only help better connect European regions and cities – north to south, east to west – but also make the EU's internal market more competitive, and more resilient. With 77% of the total funding allocated to rail transport, the EU is prioritising major infrastructure upgrades.

Ports in Ireland, Cyprus, Malta, Croatia, and Poland will be upgraded with shore-side electricity to minimise emissions from ships at berth. The investment will also benefit urban mobility, with funding allocated to prepare for the construction or upgrade of multimodal passenger hubs in cities such as Leuven, Norrköping, Nice, Marseilles, and Bolzano. These hubs will provide seamless connections between different modes of transport, making it easier for people to get around cities.

Other key projects include the construction of Rail Baltica in the Baltic region and Poland. High-speed rail lines will also be developed in Czechia and Poland, reducing travel times and increasing connectivity between European regions.

The EU is also investing in projects that will reduce the environmental impact of maritime and inland waterway transport.

The EU is also building on its efforts to strengthen the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes, with projects to improve rail connectivity and border crossing points between Slovakia and Ukraine, and between Romania and Moldova. Investments will also be made to increase the capacity in Polish ports, while EU support will help Ukraine adopt the standard EU railway gauge, facilitating seamless cross-border rail traffic at the Polish border and boosting regional trade, the press release noted.

(Source: CNA)