On discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2024; Section III — Commission

OPINION

The Committee on Transport and Tourism calls on the Committee on Budgetary Control, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following suggestions into its motion for a resolution:

1. Acknowledges the strong budget performance by DG MOVE in 2024, having completed all of its commitments and 99 % of payments; welcomes the 2024 budget implementation results of the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), with 98 % of commitments and 96 % of payments executed;

2. Takes notice that in 2024, DG MOVE and CINEA awarded further financial support, with a budget of EUR 7 billion, and launched the last call for proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility Transport (CEF-T) programme, with a budget of EUR 2.55 billion, which will exhaust the entire 2021–2027 budget, for creating sustainable and smart transport infrastructure and fostering interoperability and resilience within the TEN-T network; recognises an overall good progress of the ongoing projects despite some delays due to tendering procedures and the war in Ukraine;

3. Welcomes DG MOVE’s 2024 performance against its strategic goals, notably in the following areas:

 Sustainable transport: groundwork for the implementation of the ReFuelEU Aviation and FuelEU Maritime Regulations as well as the Regulation on Alternative Fuel Infrastructure; conclusion of the negotiations on the reform of the Single European Sky;

 Smart and innovative transport: presentation of the proposal on River Information Services and work on electronic tools for inland waterway vessels; implementation of the package on the revision of the Technical Specifications for Interoperability to support the rail system’s digital transformation; continuous implementation of initiatives aimed at reinforcing the drone ecosystem in line with the Drone Strategy 2.0;

 Fully integrated and connected Trans-European Transport network: effective implementation of the revised TEN-T Regulation, which entered into force in 2024, with the new governance system, including a new mandate for the European Coordinators of the nine European Transport Corridors and the establishment of cooperation structures for the new corridors;

 Efficient and accessible internal market for transport: focus on the transposition and implementation of the key Directives for the rail market;

 Cooperation with key partners and neighbours: continuous support to Ukraine and Moldova through Solidarity Lanes; investment in infrastructure to better anchor the two countries into the European transport network; continuous engagement with the Western Balkan Partners under the Transport Community Treaty for their further alignment with the EU transport policy – stressing the importance of these actions in enhancing regional connectivity, economic resilience, and integration into the Single European Transport Area, propelling the EU’s broader enlargement and neighbourhood policy objectives;

 Transport safety and security: completing negotiations on the maritime safety package and on cross-border exchanges of information on road safety related traffic offences; continuous work on the implementation of the Action Plan on Military Mobility 2.0 to boost military deployment capacity in cooperation with the European Defence Agency, EEAS (including EU Military Staff) and NATO, to improve long-term infrastructure planning and enable short-notice, large-scale troop and equipment movements;

4. Furthermore, welcomes DG MOVE’s continued support for Black Sea connectivity, building on DG NEAR-funded actions and regional cooperation, acknowledging the growing strategic importance of the Black Sea as a vital maritime corridor for trade, energy supply, and transport diversification – particularly in the evolving geopolitical context;

5. Recognises DG MOVE’s active contribution to the implementation of transport-related restrictive measures against the Russian Federation and Belarus, ensuring the full enforcement of EU sanctions and preventing their circumvention; commends DG MOVE’s continued cooperation with Member States, EU institutions, and international partners to maintain consistent and vigilant enforcement of sanctions across all transport modes; further to this, notes DG MOVE’s diplomatic outreach to third countries to promote alignment with EU restrictive measures and foster a coordinated response to Russia’s war of aggression; underlines that these efforts are crucial for protecting the integrity of the EU’s transport system, strengthening its geopolitical resilience, and upholding the credibility of its foreign and security policy.