VON DER LEYEN CALLS FOR A “TRUE TRANSPORT UNION” AT CONNECTING EUROPE DAYS
“It is time to build a true Transport Union,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in her opening speech at Connecting Europe Days 2026. Held in Brussels from 28 September to 1 October, the event brought together policymakers and transport stakeholders to discuss Europe’s competitiveness, connectivity and resilience.
Von der Leyen called for the completion of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), removing cross-border bottlenecks and connecting national systems into a single European network. To support this ambition, the Commission has proposed more than €50 billion for transport under the Connecting Europe Facility in the next long-term EU budget - more than twice the funding available today.
Electrification and automation were also central themes. She stressed that investment in zero-emission trucks depends on reliable charging across borders, supported by European charging corridors. She also highlighted cooperation between 18 Member States on cross-border testing of autonomous vehicles, with coordinated approval and permitting procedures.
On climate adaptation, von der Leyen announced a European framework for climate resilience to be presented in October, addressing growing risks to transport infrastructure from heat, flooding and drought. For freight forwarders and logistics operators, these priorities are directly relevant to improving connectivity and maintaining reliable supply chains.
Alongside these transport priorities, the forthcoming Quality Jobs Act, to be proposed in the coming months, aimed at improving job quality and supporting Europe’s competitiveness.