Cyprus receives funding for Nicosia motorway

The European Commission has announced a significant investment of €6.2 billion to co-finance 107 infrastructure projects aimed at promoting sustainable, safe, and efficient transport throughout the EU. These projects encompass various aspects, including major cross-border links and port development. In the case of Cyprus, two funded projects have been identified: the construction of the southern section of the Nicosia peripheral motorway (€32.9 million) and Cyprus' participation in a Eurocontrol project to enhance air traffic management interoperability and efficiency.

According to the Commission, the grants originate from the Connecting Europe Facility, with over 80% of the funding allocated to projects focused on developing a more efficient, greener, and technologically advanced rail network, as well as inland waterways and maritime routes along the trans-European transport network (TEN-T). Additionally, these projects aim to strengthen solidarity lanes between the EU and Ukraine, facilitating exports and imports from the country.

Out of the 353 proposals received during the call for proposals in 2022, the Commission selected 107 projects to receive EU funding in the form of grants, covering the total project costs. The next call for proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility in the transport sector is anticipated around the end of September 2023.

Regarding Cyprus, the Commission has allocated €32.9 million for the construction of the southern section of the Nicosia peripheral motorway. This funding will primarily contribute to reducing travel time, alleviating traffic congestion, and mitigating environmental impacts in the Greater Nicosia area. Additionally, Cyprus is collaborating with 22 other EU Member States in a Eurocontrol-managed project to enhance air traffic management interoperability and efficiency, receiving a total of €71.3 million. The project's objectives include reducing congestion, delays, carbon emissions, and noise at major European hubs, implementing operational designs for more direct flight routes to reduce time and emissions, and developing common standards and digital services for the seamless exchange of aeronautical and flight information among aviation operators.

The selection of projects places emphasis on funding major cross-border rail connections within the TEN-T core network. Notably, these include the Brenner core tunnel (linking Italy and Austria), Rail Baltica (connecting the Baltic States and Poland with the rest of Europe), and the cross-border section between Germany and the Netherlands (Emmerich-Oberhausen). Furthermore, support will be provided to seaports in Ireland, Greece, Spain, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Poland to develop shore-based electricity supply, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from docked vessels. The package also encompasses initiatives such as modernizing waterway infrastructure between France and Belgium (Seine-Scaldes), as well as upgrading inland waterway ports in the Danube and Rhine basins, including Vienna and Andernach.

Promoting safety and interoperability in rail transport, the deployment of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) will be encouraged in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, France, Austria, and Slovakia. Additionally, several EU Member States will implement Intelligent Transport Systems and Services (ITS), particularly Cooperative ITS (C-ITS), to enhance safety and efficiency in transport. Moreover, ongoing support for European air traffic management projects will continue to advance the Single European Sky policy.

[This article was translated from its Greek original]