On September 11, 2014 the EC published the first Call for Transport under the new Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). 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 work programme 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