Northern Cities and Regions Call for a More Balanced CEF Transport Budget

CEF Transport funding for the period 2014-2020 significantly prioritises projects on the Core Network (95% of the budget) over projects on the Comprehensive Network (5% of the budget). The draft position paper states that it is important that in the new EU Multiannual Financial Framework for the period 2021-2027 sufficient budget will be made available to further upgrade the Comprehensive Network in order to facilitate the connections to and from the Core Network.

Therefore, the Cities of Northern Netherlands advocate for a new budgetary ratio between the Core Network and the Comprehensive Network of 70:30 for the period of 2021-2027. Supporting the numerous regional initiatives in the areas of the Comprehensive Network in the field of research, innovation and industry in the transport sector through CEF-T funding will result in a large contribution to the EU economic development and employment of the regions.

To conclude, the position paper calls upon the European Commission to increase the budgetary share in CEF transport funding for projects located on the comprehensive network to 30% of the total available budget for 2021-2027.

It is important that both regions that are part of the Core network and regions that are part of the Comprehensive network raise their voices together for a more balanced CEF-T. Polis Member cities and regions are encouraged to support the draft position paper by signing it. They can do so by contacting Ivo Cré, Deputy Director of Polis, or Pieter Faber, Head of EU Office for the Cities of Northern Netherlands, by Friday 20 April at noon.