39 organisations sign letter to EU Heads of Government on transport funding in the MFF 2028-34
In response to proposed cuts to the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) in the EU's next long-term budget, 39 European transport organisations have signed a joint open letter urging Member States to restore and strengthen EU investment in transport.
The coalition is calling for stronger investment in transport infrastructure in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028–2034, warning that reduced funding would undermine Europe's competitiveness, connectivity, resilience, and security. The appeal comes at a crucial stage in negotiations on the EU's next long-term budget. While discussions in Brussels are ongoing, the latest proposals suggest transport could face some of the largest reductions across EU spending programmes.
The Irish goodbye to transport funding
The hot topic of debate is the negotiating box presented by the Irish Presidency—though it is not the first time we have seen it, as it builds on texts already prepared by the Danish and Cypriot Presidencies. While the box is not legally binding and no final agreement has been reached, it offers a clear indication of the direction of travel in the current budget negotiations.
Under the Irish Presidency's proposal, the overall EU budget would be reduced by 8% compared with the European Commission's original proposal, bringing it down from €1.763 trillion to €1.622 trillion. Under this proposal, the transport envelope of the Connecting Europe Facility would be hit the hardest, falling by 11% from €45.8 billion to €40.6 billion (in 2025 prices).
For the organisations behind the letter, this sends the wrong signal at a time when Europe is seeking to strengthen its economy, improve cross-border connectivity, and enhance its strategic autonomy. Not only that, but they have been making great strides in accelerating the green transition and promoting a more sustainable future for Europe—and cutting the transport budget, the most relevant sector in this transition, is certainly sending the wrong message.
Do not let politics derail transport investment
The signatories argue that 'investing in transport means investing in the whole European economy and society'. Across the EU, around 1.4 million transport companies employ 10.4 million people, and every sector of the economy depends on efficient transport networks to access markets, workers, and consumers. The approximately 452 million people across the EU likewise depend on transport—buses, trains, boats, and light rail connect people from their homes to work, to friends, and to the wider Europe. Transport infrastructure is also central to the EU's long-term competitiveness agenda. According to European Commission studies, completing the TEN-T core network (the EU's highest-priority layer of transport infrastructure, spanning the most important cross-border rail, road, port, airport, and inland waterway connections) could boost EU GDP by 1.8% and create up to 10 million jobs by 2030.
Beyond its economic benefits, transport plays an increasingly strategic role as reliable railways, roads, ports, airports, and inland waterways strengthen Europe's resilience against supply chain disruptions and contribute directly to energy security. They are also essential for military mobility, enabling the rapid movement of troops, equipment, and critical supplies across Europe when needed.
The organisations warn that, following the proposed cuts, the Connecting Europe Facility would account for just 2.5% of the EU budget. This would leave less than €4 billion per year (in 2025 prices) for civilian transport infrastructure across 27 Member States. Every euro removed from the programme risks delaying critical projects, leaving missing links in Europe's transport network unbuilt, and making it more difficult to meet the TEN-T completion deadlines of 2030 and 2040, which will only negatively impact millions of people.
What the signatories are asking for
In their joint letter, the 39 organisations call on EU Heads of Government to take three key actions:
- Restore the transport envelope of the Connecting Europe Facility to at least the level proposed by the European Commission
- Ring-fence a minimum share for transport within National and Regional Partnership Plans, ensuring that strategic TEN-T projects are not crowded out by short-term spending priorities
- Open the European Competitiveness Fund explicitly to transport investments, as a complement to dedicated infrastructure funding rather than a replacement for it
As negotiations on the 2028–2034 EU budget intensify, the transport sector is sending a clear message: Europe's ambitions for competitiveness, decarbonisation, resilience, security, and the green transition cannot be achieved without sustained investment in infrastructure. For these 39 organisations, the question is not whether Europe can afford to invest in transport, but whether it can afford not to. The decisions taken in the coming months will determine whether the EU can deliver the modern, connected, resilient transport network needed to support its economic and strategic objectives for decades to come.
Read the letter here.
