On 28 September to 1 October 2026, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, hosted the Connecting Europe Days 2026 in Brussels, Belgium. The conference was a flagship event for Europe’s mobility and brought together ministers, politicians, financial institutions, industry representatives and transport stakeholders. The event was opened by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and focused on improving the competitiveness, resilience and global connectivity of Europe’s transport system. The event highlighted the importance of future infrastructure funding and financing. Conference sessions examined how transport and connectivity could strengthen links across borders, contributing to trade, strategic autonomy, military mobility and essential supply chains. This video shows the opening speech delivered by Ursula von der Leyen.