ESPO welcomes continued CEF funding

The CEF, a centrally managed European funding instrument, supports projects that strengthen connectivity and resilience across the continent.

The Commission’s proposal to increase the CEF budget to €81.4 billion is seen by ESPO as a critical step for maintaining Europe’s competitiveness and achieving its strategic objectives. ESPO had previously called for stronger funding.

“Stepping up transport infrastructure and connectivity is key to realising Europe’s ambitions in terms of competitiveness and resilience,” said Isabelle Ryckbost, ESPO Secretary General.

“We see in the proposal a clear recognition of the important geostrategic role of ports as cross-border multimodal nodes which serve not only as transport hubs, but can also be gateways for trade, industrial clusters, military mobility and energy hubs.”

ESPO described the budget increase as positive but stressed that the proposed funding levels should be regarded as a minimum if the EU wants to deliver on its goals for competitiveness, resilience, and decarbonisation.

“Ports can only fulfil their role if they are able to make the necessary investments and get support to finance the investments which serve the public interest but do not give the needed return to the investing port,” said Ryckbost.

The organisation also welcomed the CEF’s emphasis on the cross-border and dual-use capabilities of European ports, highlighting their essential role in supporting trade, energy transition and military preparedness.

ESPO urged EU institutions to secure a dedicated and coherent CEF budget for port infrastructure, recognising ports’ strategic importance in Europe’s long-term growth and security.