A deal between Parliament and Portuguese Presidency negotiators on a next generation Connecting Europe Facility was approved by the Transport and Industry Committees on Thursday.
The second edition of Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) will fund major transport, digital and energy projects that run from 2021 to 2027. With an overall budget of about €30 billion (in 2018 constant prices), CEF will focus on projects that seeks to modernise transport infrastructure or promote cross-border links. In the digital sector, CEF will support the development of projects of common interest on safe and secure very high capacity digital networks and 5G systems, as well as the digitalisation of transport and energy networks. The programme will finally aim to make energy networks more interoperable and ensure that projects funded are in line with EU and national climate and energy plans. More details on the outcome of the negotiations between EP and Council, led by EP rapporteurs Marian-Jean Marinescu (EPP, RO), Dominique Riquet (Renew, FR) and Henna Virkkunen (EPP, FI), is available here.
The provisional agreement on Connecting Europe Facility was approved by 94 votes to 21, with 9 abstentions. The deal will now needs to be approved by EU ministers and then by the Parliament as a whole to enter into force.
