Connecting Europe Facility (CEF)

Connecting Europe Facility (CEF)

Summary: The CEF is an infrastructure fund, with strands covering Energy, Telecoms, and Transport. The Transport strand has already been tapped to apply a military aspect to the EU’s planning and financing of cross- border transport network, and the paperwork on logistical movements.

At stake: This scheme is developing into a backdoor route for defence-relevant expenditure, and partially undermine the NATO lead in areas such as travel orders encouraging EU Military Staff primacy in cross-border moves.

CEF programme

What they say: “Action Plan on military mobility: EU takes steps towards a Defence Union” – Commission’s 2018 headline to introducing the programme.

Exposure: NATO has allowed the EU to take the lead on this as an ‘internal’ issue.

Action: UK input should only be to ensure compatibility with UK needs and equipment, since the UK forces will be transiting rather than transited. UK infrastructure and the Euro tunnel should be kept out.

Deep dive:

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