Connecting Europe Facility - 2028-2034

Background

On 16 July 2025, the Commission adopted a proposal for the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework which includes a financial envelope of EUR 81 428 000 000 for the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). This budget is earmarked for investments in trans-European networks for transport and energy infrastructure, including military mobility and renewable energy projects.

In light of increasing risks linked to natural and technological hazards, evolving security threats, and other disruptions, the EU must ensure that investments under the CEF are risk-informed and disaster resilient, in line with the objectives of the EU Preparedness Union Strategy.

The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) is a key EU funding instrument to promote growth, jobs and competitiveness through targeted infrastructure investment at European level.

The CEF for Energy is the EU funding programme to implement the Trans-European Networks for Energy policy. The objective is to support investments in building new cross-border energy infrastructure in Europe or rehabilitating and upgrading the existing one.

The CEF for Transport is the funding instrument for the European transport infrastructure policy. It aims to support investments in building new transport infrastructure in Europe or rehabilitating and upgrading the existing one.

Key points

The EESC:

• welcomes the recognition of the need for investments, in particular the urgent need to strengthen the EU’s resilience and improve security. The Committee asks for an increase in CEF funding to at least 100 billion euros.
• supports projects aimed at securing critical infrastructure and bottlenecks, in particular in cohesion recipient countries and regions bordering Russia and Belarus, which are openly hostile towards EU countries.

• in order to assure equal access, transparency and predictability, proposes clarifying which projects will be prioritised introducing eligibility criteria, expecting that preference will be given to projects enabling the urgent development of the EU’s capacity to build resilience and preparedness against threats.

   

Additional information

Section: Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society (TEN)

Opinion number: TEN/859

Opinion type: Mandatory

Referral: COM(2025) 547 final 2025/0221 COD COM(2025) 547 final 2025/0221 COD

Rapporteur: Mateusz Szymański (Group II - Poland)

Co-rapporteur: Tomas Arvidsson (Group I - Sweden)

Date of adoption by section: 12 December 2025

Result of the vote: 79 in favour, 0 against, 1 abstention

Date of adoption in plenary: 21-22 January 2026

Result of the vote: 163 in favour, 0 against, 1 abstention

Contact

Marco Pezzani

Press Officer

Tel.: +32 2 546 9793 | Mob: +32 470 881 903

E-mail: marco.pezzani@eesc.europa.eu

Maja Radman

Administrator

Tel.: +32 2 546 9051

E-mail: maja.radman@eesc.europa.eu