The European Commission has signed new grant agreements to support major transport infrastructure projects in Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine and Moldova, reinforcing the EU’s commitment to improving regional connectivity and advancing integration with the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).
The funding, announced in July 2025, comes under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and supports cross-border transport projects as well as initiatives under the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes, which facilitate trade and logistics between the EU, Ukraine and neighbouring countries.
Over EUR 450 million for key projects in Poland
In Poland, four projects will receive nearly EUR 452 million to expand high-speed rail, enhance interoperability, and improve port capacity:
- EUR 294 million for the Polish section of Rail Baltica, connecting Poland with the Baltic States;
- EUR 18.4 million for the Mikołów–Czechia border rail section;
- EUR 94.9 million for the deployment of ERTMS on the core TEN-T network across seven voivodships;
- EUR 44.3 million for widening the fairway to the ports of Świnoujście, Szczecin and Police.
Strengthening cross-border rail in Slovakia
Four projects in Slovakia will receive a combined EUR 135 million to modernise rail lines and enhance cross-border connections with Ukraine and Czechia. These include:
- EUR 96.7 million for the Žilina–Košice line modernisation;
- EUR 27.3 million for upgrades to the Košice–Čierna nad Tisou cross-border route;
- EUR 11 million for two projects to improve rail safety and interoperability on the TEN-T network.
Connecting Romania, Ukraine and Moldova
Three key rail projects in Romania, Ukraine and Moldova will receive EU support totalling more than EUR 150 million to boost regional integration and connectivity:
- EUR 73.5 million to develop a European standard-gauge line connecting Poland to Lviv in Ukraine;
- EUR 45 million for a major north-south rail axis in Romania, linking the Port of Constanța and Bucharest to Ukraine and Moldova;
- EUR 33 million for a Romania–Moldova cross-border project, upgrading the Iași–Ungheni railway, including the first-ever electrified rail section in Moldova.
EU–Ukraine Transport Dialogue in Uzhhorod
On 6 November, the EU and Ukraine held the 4th EU–Ukraine Transport Dialogue in Uzhhorod, chaired by Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba and the European Commission’s Director-General for Transport Magda Kopczyńska.
The meeting reviewed progress on transport reforms, alignment with the EU transport acquis, and joint priorities for cooperation across all modes of transport. Representatives from the European Commission, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine also met in Uzhhorod to discuss ways to strengthen regional links through the Solidarity Lanes initiative.
The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) remains the EU’s primary funding instrument for developing the TEN-T network. For the upcoming financial period (2028–2034), the Commission has proposed doubling the CEF budget to over EUR 51 billion, supporting cross-border infrastructure, high-speed rail, and military mobility.
Launched in 2018, the EU–Ukraine Transport Dialogue serves as a strategic platform to deepen cooperation, promote interoperability, and enhance transport resilience. Since the onset of Russia’s war of aggression, the EU has prioritised strengthening alternative logistics routes and integrating Ukraine more closely into the European transport system through the Solidarity Lanes.
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