The European Union is preparing a major increase in transport infrastructure funding, with the European Commission proposing €51.5 billion for transport under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) between 2028 and 2034.
The proposal would significantly expand the financial resources available for developing Europe’s transport network, with a focus on cross-border connections, railways, roads, alternative fuels, digitalisation and infrastructure resilience.
The announcement comes as Connecting Europe Days 2026 takes place in Brussels from September 28 to October 1, bringing together policymakers, transport authorities, industry representatives and infrastructure experts.
More funding for Europe’s transport network
The proposed €51.5 billion would be used through the next Connecting Europe Facility budget, which supports projects considered strategically important for the European transport network.
A major priority is the completion and improvement of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The network connects major European cities, ports, airports, railway terminals and road corridors and is intended to provide a more integrated transport system across national borders.
The European Commission argues that stronger cross-border connections are essential for improving the movement of people and goods while reducing bottlenecks that continue to affect European transport.
The proposed funding is therefore not simply about building new roads and railways. It is also about connecting existing infrastructure more effectively and removing the gaps that prevent the network from functioning as a truly European system.
Railways, zero-emission trucks and digital transport
Rail is expected to remain one of the central priorities.
The EU is continuing to promote cross-border railway projects designed to make rail travel and freight transport faster and more competitive. One example highlighted by the European Commission is the planned improvement of the connection between Lisbon and Madrid, with the journey expected to fall to around five hours by 2030 and around three hours by 2034.
Road transport is also part of the strategy.
The Commission is planning further investment in charging infrastructure for electric trucks and other zero-emission vehicles. According to figures presented by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Europe currently has around 26,000 zero-emission trucks on its roads, while the number could reach 400,000 by 2030.
That would require a much denser network of high-capacity charging stations along major European freight corridors.
Digitalisation and autonomous transport are also becoming increasingly important. European countries are working on cross-border testing environments and common approaches that could make it easier to deploy connected and automated vehicles across national borders.
Western Balkans also part of the wider network
Although the Connecting Europe Facility is primarily an EU funding instrument, the broader development of the European transport network also has implications beyond the EU’s current borders.
The Western Balkans–Eastern Mediterranean corridor connects Central Europe with the Western Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean. It includes countries such as Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia, as well as several EU member states.
The European Commission identifies the corridor as an important part of the wider TEN-T system and highlights the need to improve railway connections, remove cross-border bottlenecks and increase interoperability between national networks.
This is particularly important for freight transport. The Western Balkans sits between major European markets and Mediterranean ports, meaning that improvements in railway and road connections can have effects well beyond individual countries.
The EU is already using instruments such as the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) alongside other funding mechanisms to support transport connectivity in the region.
€17.5 billion earmarked for military mobility
One of the most notable elements of the proposed funding package is the growing importance of infrastructure resilience and military mobility.
Of the proposed €51.5 billion for transport, €17.5 billion would be dedicated to military mobility.
The objective is to ensure that Europe’s transport infrastructure can also support the rapid movement of military personnel and equipment across borders when necessary. This includes roads, railways, bridges, tunnels and other infrastructure where civilian and military requirements overlap.
This reflects a broader shift in how European infrastructure is being viewed. Transport networks are increasingly considered part of Europe’s economic security, resilience and strategic autonomy, rather than simply systems for moving passengers and goods.
Climate resilience becomes a transport priority
Europe’s transport infrastructure is also facing increasing pressure from extreme weather.
Heatwaves can affect railway infrastructure and road surfaces, while flooding can disrupt roads, tunnels and railway lines. Droughts can reduce the capacity of important inland waterways.
As a result, the EU is putting greater emphasis on designing infrastructure that can remain operational under changing climate conditions.
This means that future transport investment is likely to involve not only new capacity, but also the reinforcement and adaptation of existing infrastructure.
The €51.5 billion is not yet approved
It is important to note that €51.5 billion is a proposal, not an already approved budget.
The European Commission has proposed the funding level for the 2028–2034 period, but the EU’s next long-term budget still has to go through the European decision-making process before the final amounts are agreed.
The current CEF Transport programme is nevertheless already financing infrastructure projects. For 2026, the European Commission has opened calls worth approximately €1.1 billion, covering areas including rail, inland waterways, alternative fuels infrastructure, digitalisation, road safety and military mobility.
The proposed increase therefore represents a potential long-term expansion of an existing European transport investment programme.
If approved, the new funding framework would give Europe significantly more resources to address some of its most persistent infrastructure problems: missing cross-border links, railway bottlenecks, charging infrastructure gaps, outdated transport systems and the need for greater resilience.
For passengers, freight operators and cities across Europe, the most important question will ultimately not be the size of the headline figure, but how much of that funding is converted into completed projects on the ground.
