Opinion on the General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026- all sections

16.7.2025

Mr Johan Van Overtveldt

Chair

Committee on Budgets

BRUSSELS

Subject: Opinion on the General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026- all sections (2025/0210(BUD))

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 24 June 2025, TRAN Coordinators decided to send the opinion in the form of a letter, which TRAN adopted at its meeting of 16 July 2025.

The committee wishes to reiterate that the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) policy serves as a key strategic instrument in building the EU’s cross-border transport infrastructure, pointing out that the Connecting Europe Facility for Transport (CEF-T) continues supporting this vital network to enhance mobility, competitiveness, market integration, economic growth and jobs, cohesion, safety, security and decarbonisation.

With this in mind, the committee observes that the drop in CEF-T payment appropriations for 2026 reflects the completion of the current funding cycle and that the final call, launched in 2024, signifies the full absorption of the CEF-T envelope with limited reflow calls to be expected. This demonstrates that, despite the programme’s effectiveness and success, evidenced by its high oversubscription, a higher and sustained transport funding is undeniably needed. This is crucial for securing adequate investment in ongoing and planned TEN-T projects that focus on cross-border infrastructure with the highest added value for the EU, on the elimination of bottlenecks and missing links, including within Member States, and on the digitalisation of transport with the aim of enhancing efficiency, security as well as passenger and freight flow throughout Europe. This is also essential to support research, development of cutting-edge technologies and innovation in transport and energy infrastructure, including by stimulating the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure and improving digital connectivity. Additionally, the committee reiterates the importance of smaller-scale projects to improve cross-border connectivity in Europe. Lastly, the committee recalls that, in line with the Draghi report, the TEN-T will require EUR 845 billion in investment by 2040, including EUR 210 billion for cross-border links.

The committee notes with approval that a part of the Cohesion Fund (CF) allocation (EUR 11,2 billion in total, out of which EUR 1,7235 billion in 2026) will be implemented under CEF-T for transport projects offering high European added value. Furthermore, it welcomes the recent Commission proposal for the mid-term review of cohesion policy, which offers several flexibilities and financial incentives for Members States to re-programme their cohesion resources in line with the Union’s new priorities, including the development of dual-use infrastructure to support both civilian and military mobility in the EU. According to the proposal, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and CF resources dedicated to these priorities within the cohesion programmes will receive a one-off additional pre-financing of 30 % and a possibility to apply for up to 100 % Union co-financing. In addition, programmes redirecting at least 15 % of their funds to these new priorities will receive additional one-off pre-financing (4,5 %, or 9,5 % for regions bordering Russia, Belarus or Ukraine).

The committee acknowledges the proposed EUR 1,6 million increase in the contribution from CEF to the European Climate, Environment and Infrastructure Executive Agency (CINEA), which covers the transport and energy strands delegated to CINEA. While recognising the need for adequate resources to enable CINEA’s role in supporting sustainable, safe and smart transport services and infrastructure projects, the committee particularly regrets that this increase comes at the cost of a corresponding reduction in the respective CEF operational lines. The committee notes a similar pattern with the proposed EUR 0,1 million increase in the contribution from Military Mobility to CINEA, noting a corresponding reduction in operational expenditures.

The committee regrets that the support expenditure for CEF-T would increase by a potential 57 % over only five years, from EUR 8,361 million in the 2021 annual budget to EUR 13,056 million in the 2026 draft budget. In this regard, it strongly underlines that the primary goal of all EU infrastructure spending must be to maximise the financing of concrete physical infrastructure projects on the ground rather than expanding the administrative overhead. By the same token, the committee calls for the systematic reduction of EU regulatory burdens across all transport modes, decreasing complexity while safeguarding EU standards, in order to boost the EU’s competitiveness and to free up resources, including EU budgetary means, for increased investment in transport infrastructure. The committee underlines the strong need for prior impact assessments of all new legislative initiatives with respect to their budgetary implications, but also the regulatory or administrative burdens that the proposals would create or resolve.

The committee insists on the restoration of the military mobility budget to the originally proposed EUR 6,5 billion over seven years, reiterating that the drastic cut of 75 % to military mobility funding within the transport pillar considerably weakens this policy, which also aims to reduce our vulnerability to economic and wider geopolitical pressures. The committee recalls that, in response to Russia’s aggression, the EU, by late 2023, allocated the entire EUR 1,7 billion military mobility dual-use infrastructure budget as a political signal, creating a potential funding gap of over four years before the next budgetary period. It deplores the lack of additional EU funding under the current MFF for the development of dual-use TEN-T infrastructure, which is crucial to enable short-notice, large-scale transport of military equipment across the continent, especially given the unprecedented level of threats at the EU’s borders, while also benefiting civilian purposes and humanitarian aid. At the same time, it underscores the critical and urgent need for substantial investment in dual-use transport infrastructure, particularly along designated priority axes, a point also highlighted in the Parliament’s resolution on the general guidelines for the 2026 budget. Therefore, the committee insists on additional funding, beyond the current CEF-T envelope, to address the most critical funding gaps for military mobility until a more long-term solution is found under the next MFF.

The committee emphasizes the importance of bolstering co-financing mechanisms, particularly for strategically important large-scale projects, such as the Clean Aviation, SESAR and Europe’s Rail Joint Undertakings, acknowledging the scarcity of public funding projected to them in 2026 and beyond. It insists on the leveraging of public-private partnerships (PPPs) to mobilise additional resources for these initiatives, which could be achieved by providing guarantees or implementing risk-sharing mechanisms, in order to attract private investments in transport and tourism infrastructure, and stresses that PPPs can also contribute to knowledge sharing, innovation, and support for SMEs and start-ups. Simultaneously, the committee stresses the need to reinforce the budgets of transport agencies, i.e. the EU Aviation Safety Agency, the European Maritime Safety Agency and the EU Agency for Railways, so that they can fulfil the additional tasks assigned to them by the co-legislators in recently adopted EU legislation, and in order to support critical safety, sustainability, interoperability, competitiveness, innovation and modernisation initiatives under the strategic priorities of the EU transport policies.

The committee recalls that, despite their success, the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes grapple with logistical challenges, including capacity constraints, bureaucratic delays and infrastructure limitations, and points out that rail networks, which are critical for large-scale exports, require modernization, which includes a vital 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. In this context, it welcomes targeted investments under the Ukraine Facility (2024–2027), especially those aimed at upgrading rail connections and port facilities.

As a final point, the committee reiterates Parliament’s repeated request to create a specific EU programme and a dedicated budget line for tourism in the current MFF and beyond. This is necessary to implement the upcoming EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy addressing the sector’s needs, in order to increase its resistance to economic shocks, to build destination resilience against climate impacts, and to contribute to further growth and quality jobs across the value chain, bringing significant benefits and long-term well-being to local populations and their businesses. The committee highlights the need to reduce administrative burdens for SMEs operating in the tourism sector by simplifying rules, minimising data collection requirements, where appropriate, and providing tailored financial support. The committee notes that the tourism sector stands to benefit greatly from digital innovations, such as smart tourism platforms and integrated digital ticketing systems for attractions and services, which enhance visitor experiences while driving significant economic growth for local communities. Ultimately, the committee stresses that the further development of sustainable tourism, including through the promotion of regional products to strengthen local value chains or strategies for the management of tourist flows, could foster economic growth in less popular, more remote, and peripheral areas, improve urban-rural and island connectivity, and bolster climate resilience of European territories.

Yours sincerely,

Elissavet VozembergVrionidi Gheorghe Falcă

the Rapporteur

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The rapporteur for opinion declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not include in his opinion input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.