The "Trans-European Transport Networks" (TEN-T) are the priority projects of the European Union, which aims to promote the large-scale expansion of European infrastructure. The Brenner Base Tunnel is considered a European showcase project of these transport axes and is being realized as an international project by the two states of Austria and Italy.
Within the framework of the new EU funding program "Connecting Europe Facility" (CEF), BBT SE recently participated in a tender for European co-financing in order to apply for EU funds.
After a positive evaluation of the application, the cross-border Brenner Base Tunnel project was granted 700 million euros in EU funding as a priority project.
The two board members of the binational project company BBT SE, Martin Gradnitzer and Gilberto Cardola, see it as a great sign of confidence that the EU will once again provide a high funding contribution.
To date, the European Union has provided the BBT project with a total of 1.6 billion euros in co-funding. The EU funds covered 50 percent of the planning and exploration costs and 40 percent of the construction costs.
The newly approved EU funds will now finance 50 percent of the costs incurred for the construction measures, rather than 40 percent as before. This means that the new funds will now cover 50 percent of all project costs. The remaining costs are shared equally between Italy and Austria.