2 minute read / September 29, 2026
” […] We need to build the transport system for the decades ahead. It is time to build a true Transport Union. I want to focus on how we get there.
1) the work starts by completing the connections within our Union. Here, we have a clear plan – our Trans-European Transport Network. Many of you are contributing to it. A network of railways, waterways, and roads. Linking our cities, ports and terminals. We need to remove the bottlenecks between Member States. We need to turn 27 national systems into one truly European network. And we are working for that vision becoming reality. All across Europe. […] We have proposed more than €50 billion for transport under Connecting Europe in our next long-term budget. More than twice the funding available today. We must keep that level of ambition. Because if we want a true Single Market, then we need the infrastructure that allows it to work.
2) We need Europe to remain at the forefront of transport innovation. We start from a position of real strength. From high-speed trains to aircraft and electric trucks – Europe has world-leading companies. European companies account for almost half of the global market for rail equipment and services. Transport is changing rapidly with electrification and automation. […] Projects funded by the European Union are rolling out high-power charging infrastructure along our main European transport routes. Not 27 national charging networks – but one European network. The same principle applies to our rules for autonomous vehicles.
3) We need our transport network to be ready for a more volatile world. We already see the effects of climate change across our infrastructure. […] That is why, next month, we will present a new European framework for climate resilience. Because the infrastructure we build today must be ready for the climate of tomorrow. […]”
