Investments to improve military mobility should also benefit regions and civilians.

Regions and cities have called for a stronger role in the next Connecting Europe Facility (2028-2034) to ensure that infrastructure investments are effectively implemented and better aligned with regional needs.

In recommendations adopted at a plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 7 May, they also stressed that increased investment in military mobility must deliver clear benefits for both regional connectivity and citizens.

As part of the debate on the EU's long-term budget (2028-2034), regions and cities adopted an opinion drafted by Juraj Droba (SK/ECR), Chairman of the Bratislava Self-Governing region, welcoming the continuation of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) beyond 2027 and the proposed budget increase. The extra money is, they argued, needed to help complete the trans-European transport (TEN-T) and energy (TEN-E) networks and also to boost cross-border regional development, sustainable mobility, competitiveness and the EU single market. However, they warned that current investment needs in European transport infrastructure far exceed the available funding.

Regions and cities emphasised that most TEN-T and TEN-E projects are implemented at the territorial level and local and regional authorities (LRAs) play a key role in ensuring projects are aligned with local realities. They called for LRAs to be involved throughout the programme cycle, from planning and project selection to implementation, governance and evaluation. The CoR also requested observer status in CEF committees to ensure that multi-level governance and territorial cohesion are fully reflected, noting that permitting, planning and infrastructure coordination are handled locally and that these directly affect project delivery.

CoR members underlined that CEF implementation must not undermine the EU's economic, social and territorial cohesion objectives. To achieve this, infrastructure investments must better reflect territorial characteristics-such as remoteness, population sparsity and accessibility constraints-in award criteria, ensuring fair participation for geographically constrained regions.

Local and regional leaders backed the emphasis on cross-border infrastructure projects but stressed that projects that fill 'missing links' within individual countries should also be recognised as having a European added value. They also strongly regretted the absence of urban nodes as a dedicated objective, as bottlenecks in metropolitan areas prevent TEN-T corridors from functioning effectively.

The CoR supported the increased focus on military mobility. However, it stressed that dual-use investments must deliver clear civilian co-benefits, particularly for regional connectivity and resilience, remain territorially balanced, and not divert resources from cohesion objectives. Given that LRAs have responsibilities for permitting and spatial planning, members stated that they must be involved in the planning of dual-use infrastructure (such as ports, airports, roads, and bridges), to balance security requirements with implementation realities.

The opinion called for a strengthened and well-targeted CEF in the next EU long-term budget (2028-2034), ensuring effective complementarity with National & Regional Partnership Plans and with cohesion policy, rather than competing with it.

Quotes

Rapporteur Juraj Droba (SK/ECR), Chairman of the Bratislava Self-Governing Region: "The substantial reinforcement of CEF budget to EUR 81 billion is a very welcome step forward, helping to complete the TEN-T networks and strengthen our resilience through dual-use infrastructure. By considering territorial specificities and involving regions and cities, we can ensure the programme's successful implementation on the ground, fostering a more connected and competitive Europe"

Antonella Sberna (ECR/IT), Member of the European Parliament, and rapporteur for opinion of the Connecting Europe Facility 2028-2034: "In the REGI Committee, we stressed that a project has European value even when it solves a national bottleneck. It is not enough to finance a major corridor if access to ports remains uncovered. It is not enough to design a TEN-T network if there is no connection to the hinterland. It is not enough to talk about a single market if some regions remain isolated or difficult to reach. As we worked on the opinion of the Committee on Regional Development, we have sought to do one thing: to bring the voice of regions, cities and local communities into the CEF."

Background

• Video and photos from the debate.
• The European Commission adopted, on 16 July 2025, its proposal for a Regulation establishing the Connecting Europe Facility for the period 2028-2034, accompanied by a related proposal on military mobility.

Contact:

Ângela Machado

Tel: +32 475413158

[email protected]