Opinion on the proposal for a regulation of the European parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 and (EU) 2021/1056 as regards specific measures to address strategic challenges in the context of the mid-term review.

3.6.2025

Mr Dragoş Benea

Chair

Committee on Regional Development

BRUSSELS

Subject: Opinion on the proposal for a regulation of the European parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 and (EU) 2021/1056 as regards specific measures to address strategic challenges in the context of the mid-term review. (COM(2025)0123 – C100063/2025 – 2025/0084(COD))

Dear Mr Chair,

Under the procedure referred to above, the Committee on Transport and Tourism has been asked to submit an opinion to your committee. On 9 April 2025, TRAN coordinators decided to adopt an opinion. Following REGI request for an urgent procedure under rule 170, granted by a plenary vote on 7 may 2025, TRAN coordinators then decided on 14 May 2025 to draft an opinion in the form of a letter. Work on this opinion was led by the Rapporteur, Mr. Sérgio Humberto. The Committee adopted the opinion at its meeting of 3 June 2025.

TRAN committee generally supports the proposal of the Commission, in particular the following points that should be preserved in the final report:

 The creation of new specific objectives for support from the European Regional Development fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund (CF) to allow for investments in resilient defence or dual-use infrastructure with a view to fostering military mobility, but also in the deployment of charging infrastructure;

 The facilitation of ERDF and CF investments in regions where they facilitate industrial adjustment linked to the decarbonisation and circularity of production processes such as the automotive industry;

 The support mechanisms provided for to help alleviate the economic and social hardship faced by the people of EU’s Eastern borders regions (especially Baltic States, Finland, Poland and Romania) that have been particularly affected by the suspension of cross-border mobility as a consequence of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine;

 The possibilities for simplified selection procedures provided for in the proposal.

Notwithstanding TRAN Committee’s general support to the proposal and to the prioritisation afforded to specific transport objectives therein, it should be noted that the outcome of this process should not prejudge the forthcoming review of cohesion policy under the next financing period, particularly when it comes to strengthening other priorities in the transport sector relevant for cohesion policy, such as investment in public transport.

Taking the above into consideration, the Committee on Transport and Tourism calls on the Committee on Regional Development, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following suggestions into its report:

(1) (...) Those simultaneous transformations demonstrate the urgent need to close the innovation gap, accelerate decarbonisation efforts to reinforce economic competitiveness and reduce external dependencies by diversifying supply chains, scaling-up domestically produced green energy, and investing in critical sectors such as transport, in particular the deployment of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).

(5) (...) Member States are encouraged to use the possibility foreseen in the current legal framework of voluntarily transferring resources allocated to them in shared management to directly managed programmes with defence and security objectives. CEF-T, in particular, has proven its high efficiency for cross-border projects. In this context, transfers to the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) military mobility envelope would ensure coordinated interventions along the military mobility corridors highlighted in the White Paper on Defence. Beyond these corridors, completion of the TEN-T network and the development of a High-Speed Rail EU Plan is key to EU strategic autonomy. Given the 94% overlap between the military mobility corridors and TEN-T dual use infrastructure, funding of military mobility will necessarily also benefit civilian use.

(8) In order to enhance energy security, accelerate the energy transition and clean mobility, the investments under the Connecting Europe Facility, STEP and the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility should be complemented by creating a new specific objective for the ERDF and the Cohesion Fund under policy objective 2 to promote the transmission, and the deployment of charging infrastructure.

(9) Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) result from a State aid instrument requiring cross-European cooperation for innovative technologies or panEuropean infrastructures. IPCEI are projects that support and promote large-scale, cross-border projects that are considered essential for the economic growth, innovation, and competitiveness of the Union. To help accelerate the design of new IPCEI and the implementation of the existing ones, support from the ERDF for investments in projects participating in an IPCEI as approved by the Commission pursuant to Article 107(3), point (b), of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and to Communication C(2021) 8481 should be allowed in all categories of regions. This could for example benefit the achievement of cross-border projects along the military mobility corridors highlighted in the White Paper on Defence. Furthermore, operations contributing to an IPCEI approved by the Commission should benefit from simplified selection procedures.

(15) (...) It should also be possible to apply a maximum co-financing rate of up to 100% to priorities in programmes under the Investment for jobs and growth goal covering one or more NUTS2 regions bordering Russia, Belarus or Ukraine, given the adverse impact on those regions of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. This could for example benefit the improvement of the capacity along the EU-Ukraine solidarity Lanes, encompassing railway upgrades, improved border crossings and the crucial step of integrating relevant lines of Ukraine’s rail system into the EU’s standard gauge to facilitate the uninterrupted movement of goods and services.

Article 1. (1) (a) amending Article 3 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1058

(iv) in point (c), the following point (iii) is added:

(iii) developing resilient defence and dual-use infrastructure to enhance mobility and cross-border connectivity in the Union. All such investments in infrastructure shall contribute to the improvement and acceleration of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), and be designed for interoperability and compatibility with civilian use.

“(vii) The following subparagraph is added in paragraph 1:

Operations supported under the specific objective set out in point (c)(iii) shall primarily focus, where relevant, on one or more of the four EU Priority Military Mobility Corridors identified by Member States in Annex II to the Military Requirements for Military Mobility within and beyond the EU as adopted by the Council on [18 March 2025 and with reference ST 6728/25 ADD1], and in particular on the cross-border sections of these corridors. Priority investments on these corridors, their cross-border sections and the hot spots identified by the Commission shall be led in cooperation with NATO and driven by its requirements.

Article 1. (1) (c) amending Article 3 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1058

(...) By way of derogation from Article 112 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060, the maximum co-financing rate for dedicated priorities established to support the specific objectives referred to in paragraph 1, points (a)(vii), (b)(v), (b)(xi), (b) (xii), (c)(iii), (d)(vii) and (e)(iii), of this Article shall be 100%.’ This maximum co-financing rate may in particular apply to the hot spots identified in the European Commission within the four priority Military Mobility Corridors. When awarding contracts for improving these hot spots, special attention shall be paid to involvement of local enterprises.

Article 1. (5) inserting an Article 7a to regulation (EU) 2021/1058

5. In addition to the assessment for each programme on the outcome of the mid-term review to be submitted in accordance with Article 18(2) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060, Member States may resubmit a complementary assessment as well as related requests for programme amendments, taking into account the specific objectives introduced by Regulation (EU) XXXX/XXXX [this Regulation], within 4 months of the entry into force of Regulation (EU) XXXX/XXXX [this Regulation]. The deadlines set out in Article 18(3) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 shall apply

Yours sincerely,

(Signé) Elissavet VozembergVrionidi Sérgio Humberto the Rapporteur

ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONS FROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR HAS RECEIVED INPUT

The rapporteur for the opinion declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not receive input from any entity or person to be mentioned in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.