Almost a quarter of the financing from European funds for the Czech Republic was used by the state in transport

Commercial presentation Update: 04/01/2024 06:22
Issued by: 04/01/2024, 06:22

Prague – At least 23 percent of the funding from European funds intended for the Czech Republic over the 20 years of EU membership was used by the state in transport. In individual operational programs focused on transport, the state drew approximately 467.3 billion crowns. This follows from data provided to ČTK by the Ministry of Finance (MF), the Ministry of Transport (MD) and the Ministry of Regional Development (MMR). According to the ministries, the EU also supports transport from funds for regional development, the ministry did not provide the resulting amount drawn on transport in other sectors.

According to Petr Zahradník, an economist and member of the Government’s National Economic Council, a significant part of the money earmarked for regional development was paid to projects related to transport. “In the development of regions, at least 30 percent of the funds are now earmarked for transport projects for the renovation of first and second class roads, railway stations and stops and transfer points of combined transport,” said Zahradník to ČTK. According to him, all projects in road and rail transport were initially supported from the transport funds. Currently, it is only the backbone road and rail network and selected regional projects.

The transport financing from funds for regional development of ČTK was also confirmed by the spokesperson of MD František Jemelka. According to information from the MMR, the highest amount from European funds of 317 billion crowns was invested precisely in the development of regions from May 2004 to the end of 2023. According to Zahradník, an additional approximately 95 billion crowns could have been sent to transport from European regional funds. The regional development program can finance, for example, the renovation and construction of first- and second-class roads, railway stations, train and bus stops or stations connecting several modes of transport in one place.

The amount of 467 billion crowns registered by the Ministry of Transport includes finances from the Cohesion Fund, the Infrastructure operational program, the Transport 2007-2013, 2014-2020 and 2021-2027 operational program, the subsidy instrument for connecting Europe, the Connecting Europe Facility CEF, and the follow-up program CEF 2. The highest amounts, more than 100 billion crowns, the Czech Republic drew on the Transport program three times. This was followed by the CEF 2 and CEF programs with amounts of 35.4 billion and 27.8 billion crowns.

From the Transport and Infrastructure operational programs and the Cohesion Fund, approximately 143.2 billion crowns went to railways, 180.3 billion crowns to roads. The state drew 15.5 billion crowns from the Cohesion Fund for transport and at least 2.5 billion crowns from the operational program Infrastructure. Thanks to European funding from these sources, the state purchased 2,196 public transport vehicles and built or reconstructed more than 5,624 kilometers of roads and highways, approximately 1,115 kilometers of railway lines, almost 1,543 kilometers of cycle routes, as well as 247 public transport stations.

In railways, European finances most often helped with the acquisition of new vehicles, reconstruction, electrification and modernization of tracks, possibly increasing track capacities, and in recent years also with the installation of European railway security equipment ETCS. In road transport, in addition to the reconstruction and construction of sections of roads and highways, the money was also directed to the construction of city bypasses, the construction of charging stations, parking or traffic management. European finance also supported tram and trolleybus public transport or several regional airports, for example in Brno, Ostrava or Karlovy Vary.

According to data provided to ČTK by the Ministry of Finance, from its accession to the EU in May 2004 until the end of last year, the Czech Republic received two trillion crowns from European sources. During the same period, it paid 876.6 billion crowns into the EU budget.

EU CR transport finance