Yesterday, the presentation of the latest Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Transport 2026 call was held, announcing a budget of €1.1 billion for strategic investments in European transport.
“We welcome this call with great satisfaction,” stated Charalampos Simantonis, President of the European Shortsea Network and the Hellenic Shortsea Shipowners Association (EENMA). “This initiative marks a new era for the shipping sector, as, for the first time after many years of efforts by the maritime community, shipping companies will have direct and meaningful access to European funding instruments dedicated exclusively to green technologies. This clearly demonstrates the European Commission’s commitment to supporting the green transition while safeguarding the competitiveness of the sector.”
Mr. Simantonis also praised the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, for carefully considering the needs of the maritime community and delivering on long-standing industry priorities, as he had committed to do. He also commended the Greek Government for its recent initiative to launch a public consultation on draft legislation introducing a dedicated financing mechanism for shipping, funded through revenues generated by the FuelEU Maritime Regulation.
Regarding the requirements of the European Commission’s CEF Transport 2026 programme, it was emphasized that priority will be given to mature projects demonstrating strong financial readiness and secured funding sources beyond the requested CEF contribution. Particular emphasis was also placed on the quality and completeness of applications, as experience from previous calls showed that several proposals were rejected due to ambiguities or shortcomings during the submission process.
The call provides funding for Onshore Power Supply (OPS) installations, charging infrastructure and alternative fuel facilities at TEN-T ports, as well as the retrofit, construction and upgrading of vessels using electric propulsion, hydrogen, ammonia, methanol and biomethane technologies. European 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 generation, energy storage systems and port electrical grid connections are also eligible.
An important eligibility requirement is that funded vessels 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, ensuring that the benefits of the funding remain within the European maritime sector and economy.
The programme therefore represents a landmark development, as it enables all European shipping companies to participate directly for the first time by applying for financial support to cover the additional costs associated with the adoption and implementation of innovative green technologies on board their vessels.
