Funding the Single European Rail Area - Can we achieve seamless rail transport across Europe?

Our thanks to all who participated in this event!

About the event

The resources allocated to rail transport in the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework will play a key role in ensuring that Europe's transport system as a whole efficiently supports the EU’s economic growth. In addition to the Connecting Europe Facility, the Cohesion Fund and the European Fund for Regional Development have been essential in ensuring that poorer regions in Europe and cohesion countries invest in rail projects, and that social cohesion and connectivity is strengthened across all parts of the European Union and neighbouring countries.
 
Will the next EU budget be able to support these investment needs despite the risk of budget cuts in a post-Brexit environment? In the face of proposed cuts to the cohesion fund, will poorer regions in Europe be able to continue investing in rail projects in order to enable seamless rail transport across all regions of Europe? How do we ensure that the wider benefits from rail transport will not be forgotten?

On 19 March, CER together with the Romanian Presidency of the EU held an event to look at all these open questions. Dragos Virgil Titea, State Secretary at the Romanian Ministry of Transport, opened the event with a keynote speech, followed by a panel debate with Marian-Jean Marinescu MEP, DG MOVE Land Transport Director Elisabeth Werner and Orient-East Med Coordinator Mathieu Grosch.