UITP and a batch of 43 European transport organizations urge EU to increase CEF budget for public transport

UITP and 43 European transport organisations urge the Council and the European Parliament to increase the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) budget for transport in the upcoming review of the Multi-Annual Financial Framework, in a quest for more funding for public transport.

A quest for more funding for public transport in Europe

UITP, as part of the coalition, insists on the strategic importance of the public transport sector in responding to Europe’s environmental and mobility challenges. It says: “Recent and ongoing crises have proven once again that only with a strong, adaptable, and innovative local public transport sector at its core, Europe will be able to respond effectively to massive disruptions and achieve the Green Deal’s objectives. If Europe is to strengthen its resilience, be a leader in the shift to net-zero and finally complete the Trans-European Transport Network, it must translate its words into deeds and reflect these ambitions in the new EU budget for public transport. The massive oversubscriptions of the current CEF transport budget underline once again that the ambitions and challenges of the transport sector are high, yet are not met with the necessary EU support. A strong CEF instrument for transport is the best guarantee to deliver high EU added value, foster a level playing field across Europe and enable no regret investments”.

“Which other sector has such a positive impact on European citizens, every single day, and contributes so much to the overarching environmental and societal European policy goals?  But public transport is facing structural and long-term issues such as the increase of energy prices, staff shortages, declining fare revenues and new mobility patterns. It is more than ever crucial that the EU continues to support the development of local public transport in the next Multiannual Financial Framework with increased funding and simplified access requirements”, Thomas Avanzata, Spokesperson for the UITP EU Committee.