Yesterday, the European Commission presented the latest Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Transport 2026 call for proposals, allocating €1.1 billion to strategic investments across the European transport sector.
“We welcome this call with great satisfaction,” stated Charalambos Simantonis, President of both the European Shortsea Network (ESN) and the Hellenic Shortsea Shipowners Association (EENMA). “This initiative marks a new era for the maritime sector, as, for the first time, following many years of continuous advocacy by the shipping community, maritime transport gains direct and meaningful access to European funding instruments dedicated exclusively to green technologies. This clearly demonstrates the European Commission’s firm commitment to supporting the green transition while safeguarding the competitiveness of the sector.”
Mr. Simantonis further underlined that special recognition is also due to the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, who carefully listened to and appropriately assessed the needs of the shipping community, subsequently delivering on long-standing sectoral priorities, as he had previously committed to do. He also commended the Greek Government for its recent initiative in the same direction, having launched last week a public consultation on draft legislation providing for the establishment of a dedicated financing mechanism for the maritime sector, through which revenues generated under the FuelEU Maritime Regulation will be channelled to support the industry’s green transition.
Regarding the conditions set out under the CEF Transport 2026 programme, it was emphasised that clear priority will be given to mature projects demonstrating strong financial readiness and secured sources of co-financing beyond the requested EU contribution. At the same time, particular emphasis was placed on the proper preparation and submission of applications, with lessons learned from previous calls indicating that a considerable number of proposals were rejected due to ambiguities or shortcomings during the application process.
The call provides funding for Onshore Power Supply (OPS) infrastructure, charging infrastructure and alternative fuel facilities at TEN-T network ports, as well as for the retrofit, construction and upgrading of vessels incorporating electric propulsion, hydrogen, ammonia, methanol and biomethane technologies. EU co-financing may cover up to 30% of eligible costs, with a maximum grant of €10 million per project and €5 million per vessel. Investments in renewable energy production, energy storage systems and port electrical interconnections are also eligible for funding.
Of particular importance is the requirement that vessels receiving financial support must fly the flag of an EU Member State and serve at least one TEN-T port for a period of five years following project completion, thereby ensuring that the benefits of the programme remain within the European maritime sector and economy.
It is therefore evident that, for the first time, the programme enables European shipping companies to participate directly in European funding schemes for the adoption and deployment of specific green technologies, effectively covering part of the additional investment costs associated with the implementation of these innovative solutions.