The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) welcomed the decision by the European Commission to continue the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme, emphasising that ports act as critical multimodal nodes for trade, defence mobility, energy integration and industrial clusters. “Improving transport infrastructure and connectivity is key to Europe’s competitiveness and resilience,” the ESPO stated.
Under the new CEF proposal, the budget would be raised to €81.4 billion—a figure ESPO considers the minimum necessary to meet Europe’s strategic transport and energy infrastructure objectives.
The organisation stressed that many port investments, while crucial for public interest, may not generate immediate financial returns and therefore rely heavily on dedicated funding.
ESPO also noted the proposal’s increased focus on the cross-border dimension of ports, as reflected in the annex and the TEN‑T Regulation of 2024.
The dual-use role of ports – combining commercial, military mobility, and energy hub functions – strengthens their importance in building resilience within the wider logistics and maritime ecosystem.
For ports to fulfil their geostrategic roles and support Europe’s objectives in decarbonisation, supply-chain security and cohesion, ESPO urged EU institutions and member states to allocate a coherent and reliable CEF budget specifically recognising the strategic function of seaports.
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Source: Container News
