The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Commission have launched a technical training programme to help small and medium-sized EU ports develop investment projects, using EIB Advisory support under the JASPERS mandate.
The programme is designed for ports on the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), the EU’s main system of designated road, rail, inland waterway and maritime routes intended to connect the bloc, the Commission informed in a statement on Thursday.
It will focus on helping ports prepare “high-quality” projects that are technically robust and economically viable, and aligned with EU goals including sustainability, resilience, digitalisation and improved connectivity.
Financial backing will come through an EC–EIB Joint Contribution Agreement supported by the Connecting Europe Facility and Cohesion Policy Funds.
Ports handle more than 400 million passengers and up to 3.5 billion tonnes of cargo each year across Europe.
Webinars and workshops for smaller ports
EIB Advisory specialists will provide support through live webinars and interactive workshops on a range of topics, alongside tailored assistance for individual ports, the Commission said.
The aim is to help ports turn strategic priorities into “mature investment pipelines” — a ready-to-fund list of developed projects — and strengthen local administrative capacity.
The EIB noted that its advisory work under JASPERS and other mandates has previously supported ports with climate resilience and adaptation, alternative fuels, new vessel capacity and connectivity.
