According to an EESC opinion adopted at the January plenary, the EU key funding instrument should be reinforced with EUR 20 billion to make the implementation of cross-border investments in energy and transport a reality. This is essential to urgently strengthen the EU’s resilience and increase security.

The opinion, drafted by Mateusz Szymański and Tomas Arvidsson, underlines that the funding planned for energy and transport in the new Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) is insufficient and should be increased to at least EUR 100 billion for the period 2028-2034.

In addition, the EESC points out that the CEF programme should prioritise investments in regions with significant infrastructure gaps both in transport and energy. The objective is to ensure territorial cohesion and full use of the single market.

In order to ensure equal access, transparency and predictability of the CEF programme, the new legislation should clarify which projects will be prioritised. On this matter, the Committee recommends introducing eligibility criteria which highlight projects enabling the urgent development of the EU’s capacity to build resilience and preparedness against threats, including from hostile countries.

CEF funding should be granted to projects which fulfil social and environmental criteria and create added value for the European Union. For geopolitical reasons, the EESC views shorter supply chains as a sensible goal to pursue. (mp)