—
Connecting Europe Facility - Streamlining measures for the realisation of the TEN-T - Railway safety and signalling: Assessing the state of play of the ERTMS deployment (debate)
Europe has ambitious plans for its energy and transport markets. We want to set the pace, achieving our cohesion, digital and environmental objectives. The new Connecting Europe Facility for 2021-2027 will be an enabler, a driver of this revolution. The CEF is one of the strongest tools we have to help us bring Europe together, allowing us to achieve unity by ending transport and energy isolation. I here stress the paramount role CEF funds have in connecting islands, including my country Malta, to the continental platform. No one should ever pay the price of insularity. The EU must continue modernizing its cross-border infrastructure, with a particular focus on the rollout of 5G, which will be of paramount importance for the implementation of AI and new technologies. I am glad the new CEF is accompanied by an agreement that will speed up TEN-T project implementation by harmonising authorisation and public procurement procedures and simplifying the administrative processes. We need less red tape to conclude the TEN-T networks as soon as possible. As we move forward in a sustainable manner, we must avoid at all costs energy and transport poverty. Prices must remain affordable and never impact the everyday lives of citizens.