Major transport projects aimed at increasing the connectivity of people and goods across the European Union by 2030 are far behind schedule, despite €15.3 billion invested in EU funds since 2020, the latest report from the European Court of Auditors (ECA) revealed on Monday.
The Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), a European Union bill aimed at improving transport networks, was adopted in 2013 but suffered major setbacks, first with the coronavirus pandemic and then with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, leading to a significant rise in energy and construction prices.
EU auditors wrote that for eight megaprojects previously assessed in 2020 and reassessed in the latest report, overall real costs increased by 47% compared to original estimates.
Data for 2025 shows costs have increased further by more than 82%, with two of the audited projects contributing the most to the significant cost gap. rail balticaThe aim is to integrate the Baltic states into the European railway network. Rail link between Lyon and Turinwhich aims to connect the high-speed rail networks of Italy and France.
The audit report said the EU executive’s oversight of member states’ completion of core network corridors “remained far away” and argued that the Commission should have been more proactive, given the 2020 ECA report, which identified significant delays, increased costs and weaknesses in the Commission’s oversight.
“We also provided the European Commission with a series of recommendations aimed at improving the financial management of joint EU funds for megaprojects,” the ECA report said.
fragmented continent
Failure to realize TEN-T would seriously undermine the EU’s 2030 targets. transportation is at the heart of Europe’s economic and climate goals. Delays in rail, waterways and clean infrastructure have kept emissions high, threatening the bloc’s goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050.
Moreover, fragmented and inefficient transport inevitably leads to higher costs for businesses and consumers, and reduces trade opportunities across the EU.
The cost of building the Seine North Europe Canal has tripled in total since the project began, EU auditors say, although the upward trend has slowed in recent years.
“The EU’s transport infrastructure should reshape Europe, bring people closer together and boost economic activity,” said ECA member Annemie Tertelboom, who led the report.
“However, 30 years after most of them were designed, we are still far from cutting the ribbon on these projects and achieving the intended improvements in passenger and freight flows across Europe.”
EU auditors assessed eight major projects in their latest report. There are four railways within it. rail baltica, Lyon-TurinBrenner Base Tunnel and Basque Y. One waterway, Seine-Scheldt. One motorway, A1 in Romania. There are two intermodal transport connections: the Fehmarnbelt road/rail link and the E59 rail link to Polish ports.
Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia and 13 EU countries are directly involved in these mega-projects. SpainFrance, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Austria, Poland, Romania, and Finland.
“The conclusion is clear: the 2030 target of completing the EU TEN-T core network will definitely not be achieved,” the EU auditors said.
repeated delays
ECA’s 2020 report on the implementation of TEN-T notes an average delay of 11 years against the original deadline. The 2025 report found that the situation is worsening, with five of the projects assessed having an average delay of 17 years.
The Basque Y Railway, originally scheduled to open by 2010 and revised from 2020 by 2023, is now expected to be completed by 2030 at the earliest.
The Lyon-Turin rail link is now expected to open in 2033, rather than the original target of 2015 or a revised 2030. The Brenner Base Tunnel is currently expected to open in 2032 at the earliest, rather than 2016 or 2028.
Meanwhile, the European Canal Nord Seine was originally scheduled to begin operation in 2010, but was postponed to 2028. 2032 is now considered more likely.
timeline of failure
TEN-T was proposed in the early 1990s as part of the EU’s efforts to strengthen its internal market and improve connectivity between member states. Its first guidelines were adopted in 1996 and focused primarily on a list of priority projects related to major cross-border infrastructure.
Over time, this policy has evolved to address gaps, bottlenecks and technological fragmentation, particularly in railways, inland waterways, ports and intelligent transport systems. A major reform in 2013 introduced a two-tier structure, with routes to be completed by 2030 and more comprehensive routes to be completed by 2050.
The latest revision in 2024 was designed to align TEN-T with the bloc’s policies. european green deal And a defensive goal.
After the last TEN-T revision, former MEP Barbara Thaler (European People’s Party/Austria) said: “This agreement falls short of our expectations and raises concerns about Member States’ genuine commitment to building a functioning European transport network,” pointing out that national priorities were putting Europe’s common goals at risk.
“The unrealistic measures imposed on freight trains create further disparities between rail and other transport modes. This goes against the EU’s commitment to shift traffic from road to rail,” said the former Austrian lawmaker.
Back in 2024, the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) said that completing TEN-T would require “huge investments” of €500 billion by 2030 and €1.5 trillion by 2050.
“The EU-specific financing instrument, the New European Connectivity Facility, should be increased to at least €100 billion under the next EU long-term budget plan (2028-2035) and complemented with other funds to meet the new TEN-T targets and completion deadlines,” the CER statement said.
