Key points
- The Irish presidency’s draft compromise on the 2028–2034 EU budget cuts the Commission’s proposed total by 8%.
- According to the IRU, the transport part of the CEF would lose around €5 billion.
- The Commission proposed €51.5 billion for CEF transport and military mobility. The transport industry asked for at least €100 billion.
- CEF money pays for cross-border corridors, safe and secure truck parking and zero-emission vehicle infrastructure.
The IRU revealed the plan on 14 October. According to the organisation, the presidency’s draft compromise on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) reduces the Commission’s proposed total budget by 8%, and the CEF transport envelope by around €5 billion.
“We regret this intention,” said Raluca Marian, IRU EU director. She added that Europe needs sustained investment that national budgets alone cannot deliver.
What is at stake for road transport?
The CEF is the EU’s main fund for transport infrastructure of European importance. For road transport, the IRU says it finances:
- cross-border corridors,
- infrastructure for zero-emission vehicles, including truck charging,
- safe and secure parking areas,
- digital and smart infrastructure.
These are exactly the areas where hauliers see the biggest gaps. Europe is short of secure truck parking, and operators considering electric trucks still struggle to find high-power chargers along their routes.
The IRU says demand for CEF funding already exceeds what is available, so a smaller budget would widen the gap.
€51.5bn proposed, €100bn requested
In July 2025, the European Commission proposed a CEF of €81.4 billion for 2028–2034, including €51.5 billion for transport and military mobility and €29.9 billion for energy.
That was not enough for the transport sector. In February 2026, 45 European transport organisations, including the IRU, signed a joint open letter asking member states for at least €100 billion. They argued that the core TEN-T network alone needs about €500 billion of investment up to 2030.
A €5 billion cut would move the budget further away from that demand, not closer.
Fuel, late payments and drivers also on the table
The budget is not the only issue the IRU is raising with Ireland. On 15 October, the IRU and the Irish Road Haulage Association met Ireland’s Minister of State for Transport, Sean Canney. They discussed:
- high fuel costs after the disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, with many operators working on margins of only 1–2%,
- a proposed EU rule requiring payment within 30 calendar days, with no exceptions,
- weights and dimensions, combined transport and emissions trading,
- driver recruitment and a modernised Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC).
What happens next
The MFF must be agreed unanimously by member states and approved by the European Parliament, so the numbers can still change. The IRU says it will keep working with EU institutions and national governments during the negotiations.
For hauliers, the outcome will decide how many new secure truck parks and truck charging hubs can be co-financed by the EU after 2028.
