On September 11, 2014 the EC published the first Call for Transport under the new Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). The 2014 CEF Transport Calls for Proposals, published on 11 September 2014, are the first calls under the CEF in the area of transport. CEF Transport is the successor of the TEN-T Programme. The main objective of CEF Transport, as set out in the TEN-T Guidelines, is to help complete the TEN-T Core Network and its Corridors by 2030. A total budget of €26.2 billion has been allocated to co-fund TEN-T projects in the EU Member States for the period 2014-2020: more than three times the amount allocated to the predecessor TEN-T Programme (2007–2013). From this budget, €11.3 billion is reserved for projects in Member States eligible for the Cohesion Fund. €11.93 billion has been allocated for the 2014 CEF Transport Call, based on the Multi-Annual and Annual Work Programmes which were adopted on 26 March 2014. Deadline is February 26, 2015.
Key objectives of the annual workprogramme with a total budget of €1 bln are:
1: Removing bottlenecks and bridging missing links, enhancing rail interoperability, and, in particular, improving cross-border sections
2: Ensuring sustainable and efficient transport systems in the long run, with a view to preparing for expected future transport flows, as well as enabling all modes of transport to be decarbonised through transition to innovative low-carbon and energy-efficient transport technologies, while optimising safety
3: Optimising the integration and interconnection of transport modes and enhancing the interoperability of transport services, while ensuring the accessibility of transport infrastructures