€425 EU FUNDING FOR DUAL USE TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE
On 8 April, the European Commission decided to bring forward the date for awarding grants for transport infrastructure projects supporting military mobility in the European Union, under the Connected Europe Facility (CEF) calls for proposals launched in September 2021.
A total of 37 projects have been selected and will receive €425 million that will help deliver a transport network which is environmentally sustainable and with key infrastructure sections fit for dual civil/defence use. The projects have been selected among those submitted under calls for proposals issued under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme, the funding instrument for strategic investments in transport infrastructure in the European Union.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has increased the urgency and highlighted the importance of making Europe's transport infrastructure versatile, able to serve both civilian and military purposes. The Commission has selected 22 projects that will be supported by €339 million. These projects include upgrading rail infrastructure to allow for larger and heavier trains, as well as work to increase the capacity of ports and airports and to strengthen road bridges.
Additionally, under the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF) call for proposals 15 projects were selected for a total EU support of €86 million. The projects range from the installation of electric recharging stations along the European TEN-T road network to the deployment of hydrogen refuelling stations for cars, trucks and buses and the electrification of ground handling services in airports.
More information is available here.