Connecting Europe Facility 2028–2034
PURPOSE: to establish the Connecting Europe Facility for the period 2028-2034.
PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.
ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.
BACKGROUND: on 16 July 2025, the European Commission unveiled its proposal for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034, a EUR 2 trillion budget designed to strengthen Europe's sovereignty, competitiveness, and resilience. This new MFF will significantly enhance the EU's capacity to deliver on core policies while addressing new and emerging priorities.
Based on the positive experience from the implementation of the previous Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programmes, the Commission proposes to continue the implementation of the new programme, for both transport and energy, with direct management by the Commission and an executive agency.
This proposal aims to set the legal basis for CEF for the period 2028-2034.
CONTENT: the proposed regulation establishes the Connecting Europe Facility and lays down the objectives of the Programme, its budget for the period 2028-2034, the forms of Union funding and the rules for providing such funding.
A financial envelope of EUR 81.4 billion is included under this new framework for the Connecting Europe Facility for investments in trans-European networks for transport and energy infrastructure, including military mobility and renewable energy projects.
The distribution of the amount will be as follows:
- EUR 51.5 billion for the specific objectives on transport and military mobility;
- EUR 29.9 billion for the specific objectives on energy.
General objectives
The general objectives of the programme are to build, develop, secure, modernise and complete the trans-European networks in the transport and energy sectors, facilitate military mobility on the trans-European transport networks, facilitate cross-border cooperation in the field of renewable energy, and facilitate the synergies among the transport and energy sectors.
In the transport sector, CEF contributes to the completion of core network of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) by 2030 and the extended core network by 2040 through building and upgrading infrastructure that is required for seamless cross-border transport operations. This will lead to a high-performing network for passengers and goods transportation. CEF also supports the adaptation of relevant parts of the TEN-T network to military mobility requirements.
In the field of military mobility, the Programme aims to contribute to enabling transportation of military equipment and personnel across the EU at speed and scale, taking into account the military expertise at EU level.
In the energy sector, CEF contributes to the development of projects of common interest and projects of mutual interest, with a view to promoting the completion of the Energy Union, the integration of an efficient and competitive internal energy market and the interoperability of networks across borders and sectors, to facilitating decarbonisation of the economy, to promoting energy efficiency and to ensuring security of supply.
Furthermore, CEF facilitates cross-border cooperation in the field of renewable energy, through cross-border renewable energy projects or competitive bidding for new renewable energy projects under the Union renewable energy financing mechanism.
The programme should be operational with the start of the next MFF beginning of 2028.