The trans-European transport network – state of play in 2016

The European Union's transport infrastructure policy is shifting from the former approach based on priority projects to building an interconnected trans-European transport network (TEN-T) to allow people and goods to move quickly and easily throughout the EU. The development of the network is based on revised TEN-T infrastructure guidelines and the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) funding instrument. It focuses primarily on the most strategic transport connections – the core network, composed of nine transport corridors. Each corridor is multimodal and includes at least three Member States (crossing at least two borders). Priority is given to eliminating missing links (mostly in cross-border sections) and building multimodal connections, removing existing bottlenecks and ensuring interoperability, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transport. Even though the EU budget provides substantial funding for infrastructure in Europe, the largest part of financing for projects comes from the Member States. The EU offers several possibilities for assistance in financing infrastructure projects. Besides grants, different innovative financial instruments have been developed and are increasingly used both under the CEF and the European Fund for Strategic Investments. The European Parliament has been an active promoter of the TEN-T, shaping the legislation and securing sufficient financing. It also follows the TEN-T’s development closely, including in cooperation with the European Coordinators. This briefing is an update of an earlier one, of September 2015.