The Commission has received 67 applications for cross-border energy infrastructure projects requesting €2.88 billion in EU co-funding under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Energy programme. This represents nearly 5 times the €600 million budget available under the 2026 PCI/PMI calls for proposals. The submitted proposals cover more than 20 countries.
Following the closure of the call on 30 September 2026, the proposals are being checked for admissibility and eligibility and the eligible proposals will then be evaluated by independent external experts, the European Commission and CINEA. Applicants are expected to be informed of the evaluation results in January 2027, with grant agreements for successful projects expected to be signed by July 2027.
The selected projects will contribute to the development and implementation of the relevant PCI/PMI projects included in the second Union PCI/PMI list.
Background
PCIs are key infrastructure projects aimed at completing the European internal energy market and helping the EU to achieve its energy and climate objectives: delivering affordable, secure and sustainable energy for all Europeans while pursuing a climate-neutral economy by 2050.
PMIs are key cross-border energy infrastructure projects between the EU and neighbouring non-EU countries that contribute to the Union’s energy and climate policy objectives.
Projects selected as PCIs and PMIs benefit from many advantages stemming from the TEN-E Regulation, including accelerated permit-granting and improved regulatory treatment. Projects on the list can also apply for financial support under the CEF Energy programme.
Since 2014, CEF Energy has supported 221 PCI/PMI actions, representing a total EU contribution of €8.87 billion and contributing to 168 PCI/PMI projects.
Related links
Key cross border infrastructure projects
PCI and PMI selection process
