The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) supports the development of high-performing, sustainable, and efficiently interconnected trans-European networks in the fields of transport, energy, and digital services.
In addition to grants, the CEF provides financial support to projects through innovative financial instruments such as guarantees and project bonds. These instruments create significant leverage in the use of the EU budget and act as catalysts to attract further funding from the private sector and other public actors.
CEF Energy
The Trans-European Networks for Energy (TEN-E) policy focuses on linking the energy infrastructure of EU countries to address energy infrastructure needs at both regional and European levels. The CEF programme supports the implementation of Projects of Common Interest (PCIs) in nine priority corridors and three thematic areas.
CEF Transport
The Trans-European Networks for Transport (TEN-T) policy aims to:
- Complete the Core Network by 2030, structured around nine multimodal Core Network Corridors.
- Complete the Comprehensive Network by 2050 to facilitate accessibility across all European regions.
CEF Transport also supports innovation in the transport system to improve infrastructure use, reduce the environmental impact of transport, enhance energy efficiency, and increase safety.
CEF Digital
CEF Digital aims to support and catalyse investments in digital connectivity infrastructures of common interest. The programme has a total budget of €2.065 billion, of which €1.7 billion is managed by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA).