Call: CEF Transport 2016 - Cohesion Envelope

In the transport sector, the CEF shall support projects of common interest, that pursue the objectives set out below:

• removing bottlenecks, enhancing rail interoperability, bridging missing links and, in particular, improving crossborder sections.
• 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.
• optimising the integration and interconnection of transport modes and enhancing the interoperability of transport services, while ensuring the accessibility of transport infrastructures.

This call for proposals addresses the priority railways, inland waterways and roads projects on the core network including connections to inland and maritime ports and airports. A proposal submitted under this call must address either works or studies. The same proposal cannot combine studies and works.

Only those proposals submitted by one of the following types of applicants are eligible: 

• One or more Member States;
• With the agreement of the Member States concerned, international organisations, joint undertakings, or public or private undertakings or bodies established in Member States. 

Third countries and entities established in third countries may participate in actions contributing to projects of common interest where necessary in order to achieve the objectives of a given project of common interest. They may not receive financial assistance except where it is indispensable to the achievement of the objectives of a given project of common interest. In such cases and pursuant to Article 8(1) of the TEN-T Guidelines, applications may be presented by neighbouring countries or entities established in neighbouring countries, with the agreement of a Member State. Any applicant that cannot provide the agreement of the Member State concerned shall not be eligible. Proposals submitted to this call for proposals under the priority "Motorways of the Sea" must include applicants from (and be supported by) a minimum of two different Member States. 

Projects can be submitted by a single applicant or as a  multi-applicant proposal. The agreement of the Member State(s) concerned by the proposed Action is to be secured in both cases.

This call for proposals cannot exceed the rates referred to in section 10.1 of the multi-annual work programme:

• with regard to grants for studies, 50% of the eligible costs;
• with regard to grants for works:
  • for inland transport, connections to and the development of multimodal logistics platforms including connections to inland and maritime ports and airports, as well as the development of ports: 20% of the eligible costs;
  • for actions supporting new technologies and innovation for all modes of transport: 20% of the eligible costs;
• with regard to grants for telematic applications systems and services:
  • for land-based components of the European Rail Traffic Management Systems (ERTMS), of the  Single European Sky (SESAR) system, of River Information Services (RIS) and of Vessel Traffic Monitoring & Information Systems (VTMIS): 50% of the eligible costs;
  • for land-based components of Intelligent Transport Services for Road (ITS) for the road sector: 20% of the eligible costs;
  • for on-board components of ERTMS: 50% of the eligible costs;
  • for on-board components of the SESAR system, of RIS, of VTMIS and of ITS for the road sector: 20% of the eligible costs, up to a combined ceiling of 5% of the budgetary resources referred to in point (a) of Article 5(1) of the CEF regulation;
  • for actions to support the development of motorways of the sea: 30% of the eligible costs;
  • for secure parking on the road core network: 20% of the eligible costs.

In line with Article 10 (5) of the CEF Regulation, these co-funding rates may be increased by up to 10 percentage points for actions with synergies between transport and at least one other sector covered by the CEF Regulation, which address the priorities of Article 4 of the CEF Regulation. 

In order to ensure efficiency in EU funding interventions, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit applications for actions with a total requested EU contribution to the eligible costs of no less than 500 000 € for studies and no less than 1 000 000 € for works. Where possible, related actions should be grouped and submitted as one proposal.

Proposals must be submitted electronically using the TENtec eSubmission module.