Montenegro and nine EU counterparts ask Von der Leyen for high-speed funding

The Portuguese Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, and nine other counterparts from the European Union (EU) today asked the European Commission for funding from the long-term community budget for the European high-speed rail network and reduction of administrative burdens.
The request was sent today in a letter to the leader of the community executive, Ursula von der Leyen, and is signed by the heads of Government of Portugal, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, and the Czech Republic.
“The financing of high-speed rail links connecting the capitals and main cities of the EU, especially between different Member States, and the development of transport infrastructures as such, is one of our priorities for the next Multiannual Financial Framework,” they write.
On the day when the European Commission presents its work program for 2025 and a proposal on the path for the next Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034, the 10 EU leaders insist that the next long-term community budget be “solid, centrally managed, and with greater financial ambition.”
This is so that it “serves as a catalyst for the development of a full-fledged trans-European transport network, including the missing high-speed rail links and the completion of major cross-border projects,” they emphasize.
They also call for strengthening “synergies between the transport, energy, digital, and defense sectors,” noting that in the latter case, they point out the “resilience of the EU, particularly for the needs of military mobility.”
In the letter to Von der Leyen, the 10 EU Heads of State Government urge the community executive to “reduce administrative burdens and, in any case, avoid imposing excessive conditions for the execution of these projects, such as those used under the Recovery and Resilience Fund.”
“The development of large-scale and cross-border projects requires significant procedural demands and reforms and requires effective coordination and synchronized schedules among participating Member States, ensuring the uninterrupted operation of the single market,” so any “additional conditionalities could result in delays in connections and hinder the completion of the trans-European transport network within the agreed deadlines,” they conclude.
The trans-European transport network includes railways, inland waterways, short sea shipping routes, and roads that connect urban nodes, maritime and inland ports, airports, and terminals.
It promotes the efficient transportation of people and goods, ensures access to jobs and services, and enables trade through seamless cross-border transport systems without discontinuities, gaps, bottlenecks, or missing links.
The position arises as discussions on the next Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034 begin and billions of euros are needed to invest in community priorities, such as in the field of defense.