Conference: Investment Plan for European Transport

On 23 and 24 March, Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc is meeting with private and public institutions at a conference in Sofia, Bulgaria, to discuss how to boost investment in the transport sector.

The conference is to focus on investment opportunities in the Cohesion Member States and will also address cooperation with the Western Balkans and Eastern Partners, gathering together high-level representatives involved in the planning and financing of European transport infrastructure projects, financial institutions and public and private project promoters. Together, they will discuss how to make the best use of the opportunities under the European Commission’s Investment Plan for Europe, including the Cleaner Transport Facility, and exchange experience and lessons learned in successful transport projects.

“Public grants are not enough to deliver on our vision for seamless, intelligent and sustainable mobility,” Commissioner Bulc said prior to the start of the conference. “With the Commission’s Investment Plan for Europe, we want to offer innovative solutions such as blending funds to mobilize additional private financing. This is particularly important in the cohesion countries where we still need to work to bridge the infrastructure investment gap with other parts of Europe. Boosting investment is also vital to strengthen the region’s competitiveness and stimulate the recent economic recovery”.

The conference in Sofia follows the recent launch by the Commission of a call for proposals combining EUR 1 billion of grants with financing from the European Fund for Strategic Investments, public financial institutions and from the private sector wherever possible.

The call will complement the EUR 19.4 billion in EU grants already announced under the Connecting Europe Facility and the 36 transport-related projects under the European Fund for Strategic Investments that will trigger a total EUR 15.2 billion of investments.

Conference participants include the Maltese Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Joe Mizzi, Bulgarian Prime Minister Ognyan Gerdzhikov and Transport Minister Hristo Alexiev, Pim Van Ballekom, the Vice President of the European Investment Bank, members of the European Parliament, as well as ministers from other Cohesion Member States and ministers of the Eastern Partners and Western Balkans countries.

More on this story in Tuesday’s GEORGIA TODAY Business issue.