This transcript was automatically generated and may contain errors.

Thank you, let us get stuck into this first bit, which has a little bit of sparkle.

I need to invite two special guests to the stage. I need to invite Catherine.

Trautmann, Mayor Strasbourg and former coordinator of the North Sea Baltic Corridor,

and Pat Cox, European coordinator for the Scandinavian Mediterranean corridor. Welcome, welcome.

Now, I need to equip you, I think we have to stand, are you all right, I have been told, I'm obeying, but if we stand. You need a microphone, do you not?

So are you happy to share a microphone?

All right, because I'm not going to ask you to talk together.

So I'd like to have a moment with you both, because this is an important moment.

OK, so I'm actually going to start with you, so you might need to grab the mic, that's very rude.

We are going to be calling up 9 coordinators in a little bit to come to the stage on this side, but I have to have this moment.

You are the most senior of the European coordinators. I hope you feel proud about that.

We heard and we have heard throughout the event that there are some major investment needs.

They are required to finalize the TEN-T network, which, and I hasten to add, was another scribble, as our MEP.

I said that will also bring a lot of jobs, but there is major investment needed.

But other challenges were raised the military mobility, the decarbonisation, climate change.

So just be concrete, very briefly on how your work, and particularly the work plans as coordinator,

helped to overcome these challenges in relation to the implementation.

Thank you, it's a good question and a quick answer.

We have a new TEN-T regulation came into force in summer 24.

1 of the jobs given to Olof the coordinators is to produce a first work plan, and that is what is going to be published today.

Each of us is the tip of an iceberg of work.

We are visible, but we have fantastic colleagues assisting from DG Move.

We have a whole consultancy system of great expertise helping.

There are many people from ministries of every Member State who have worked on the granular detail, which is what we know by state,

by mode of transport, KPI by key performance indicator,

what is delivered and where is the gap.

That is a fantastic granular insight, the sort of which normally policymaking at this scale doesn't have.

Second, we have all this information to justify all the points being made about money. We didn't invent these figures.

These figures have grown from the bottom up, informed by evidence led policy, and that's a critical issue.

And finally, it gives us as coordinators, the task to take our key policies, our key projects which are there,

and to turn them into implementing acts in order to oblige our colleagues,

our partners, the stakeholders, and in particular, Member States.

To deliver on Olof the kinds of things we've been discussing here this afternoon.

Thank you very much, and I think you are somebody who embodies Olof that passion and professionalism,

I would say that this particular sector displays, so thank you for that.

I will come to you, if I may, Catherine.

So TENT coordinator for 10 years, now elected mayor of Strasbourg. What job do you like better? I shouldn't ask you that, should I?

That's, I know, I'm putting you on the spot, both, both.

Again, what advice would you give to your successor as European coordinator for the North Sea, the Baltic corridor?

First, I, I will say to my successor that there is a need to listen,

to know and respect all the diversity of territories and situations in this specific corridor, which is very big.

Which is transversal, goes to the Arctic era and goes also through Ukraine, so it's a very geopolitical one.

And of course listening to governments, to regions, to European parliaments, national parliaments,

but also to companies and also to organizers of these new services with digitalization with new challenges,

it's the first task.

The second task is to is to use the work plan. As Pat says, we have a tool. It, it is very useful. There is a list of projects. There are priorities.

There is one I worked a lot on it and I regret to stop before it's finished.

It's rail Batika because we spoke about a very high speed rail,

and for years it was blocked.

And for years we worked on it and when I began my job I said first we need to have trust between countries to go cross border and this was very difficult and to have the same agenda,

the same calendar, the same vision to give also the property of the project when it is financed by European budget but also used by the citizens in countries,

so it's a common project.

And this is sometimes like the Brunner tunnel that worked on it. It's long, it's difficult, but unique. Third recommendation, patience.

There is a bit of resilience, but it was a passion to work on these topics.

I was lucky to have a very big and good team of consultants and working on one of the,

I think one of the most important and successful.

Public policy in Europe was a pleasure, was a duty, that was totally useful and you see,

we see the usefulness of our job and we can keep on the collective intelligence and we can keep also on the the dedication. The competence of the Dejamouve.

It was a pleasure to work with the Deja Move.

Good, that's a good thing to hear, and thank you, because I think you used the words their trust, and of course going back to what you said at the beginning,

you don't get the trust unless you do the listening, and the listening requires patience, so it's all part of the same mix. So thank you, thank you very much. Now, Pat.

You mentioned the work plans, and I'm very happy,

hopefully we're going to get all coordinators to come this side of the stage so.

This is the very first additional work plans adopted by member states under you referred to the 2024 TEN-T regulation. They have been published.

They will be officially presented to the public in tomorrow morning's corridor sessions,

but what is now required is that they are handed over officially to the European Commission to the European Parliament, so.

I need to invite you to come to the stage, come here.

Let me not block you, please, you are far more important than I.

Please ascend the stage,

Commissioner Tzitzikostas and also the Chairwoman of the Transport Committee of the European Parliament,

Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi. Welcome to you as well. Roniddi, come to the stage.

Now, I tell you what, my bossiness will reach its peak now because I'm trying to get the best photo possible,

you've got to be in it, but how do you want this?

Do you want to have a handing over, do we not think that would be a good thing?

So, well, I know this is stressful for me, I'm not a wedding planner, I'm going to bring you two into the middle.

I feel, I feel that you should be either side of this. I feel it's, do we agree?

Thank God, yes, we should be either side, but don't be hidden, come here, come here,

I'm gonna leave you, you be this side, you look incredibly beautifully glamorous, go there.

Does she not look incredibly beautifully glamorous, right, now I have to check with a photographer,

scoot up, scoot up, scoot up, so you're all in the photo.

Hold that up, I would say, are we good?

All right, please smile, do your biggest, brightest smiles and please applaud, thank you.

You can keep, don't, I'm not letting you off, keep going or they won't smile.

OK, hang on, I just want to check that everybody's happy. Are you all happy?

OK, now normally at this point, nobody says anything, the Commissioner will in a bit,

and you will shortly, so with your blessing, when he has shaken everybody's hand. Would you like to come this side? Yeah, don't leave them out, it's rude. There you go. We'll have a bit of that. Thank you very much.

I hope you all feel like that has been my word of the event, rock stars, now you have shaken the Commissioner's hand.

All right, you, sir, and the coordinators can take your seats, and I just need to give the floor to Mr.

Ms Rosenberg, because you are going to say a few words,

I think a few words I would say officially in response to this.

So if you want to use the lectern, I think it's better, so please come over here,

it needs to be used, and you are the person to use it. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Olof you. The floor is yours. I can see Mr. Letter is here. Yes, Mr. Letter, good evening, pleasure to meet you. Dear Commissioner, where is Mr?

Coordinators, ladies and gentlemen, in my capacity as Chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Transport and Tourism,

I am delighted to participate in this closing ceremony of the Connecting Europe Days 2026.

It is crystal clear that Olof us here today share a common goal creating a sustainable,

smart, and resilient transport network across Europe.

The free movement of people and goods is not merely desirable,

it is a precondition for the success of the European political project.

For me,

it is of utmost importance that citizens and businesses in all Member States and regions have the same opportunities to benefit from enhanced connectivity.

In this regard,

it is my conviction that the best way to achieve this goal is to ensure a timely completion of this crucial network.

We all know that the TEN-T is a key instrument for planning and developing a coherent,

multimodal and high quality transport infrastructure across the EU.

It strengthens the EU economic, social,

and territorial cohesion and ensures seamless transport across borders without gaps,

bottlenecks, or missile links.

In 2024, the European Parliament, together with the Council, delivered a new TEN-T regulation.

With the ambition of building a more sustainable and resilient European transport network,

while improving its efficiency, safety and connectivity.

In this context,

expanding and strengthening rail transport and deploying the ERTMS across the EU is a key priority.

This will, without a doubt, enhance interoperability, efficiency and safety and ensure multimodality at key transport nodes,

such as ports, airports and urban nodes.

As you know, dear coordinators, in the revised TEN-T regulation,

we reinforced the TEN-T governance by entrusting you with a broader mandate and greater responsibilities within your respective corridors and horizontal priorities.

Therefore,

I am satisfied to learn that all your work plans are ready to be submitted to the European Parliament and the Council in the coming days.

You managed to secure the approval of all Member States concerned, a task we all know is not so easy,

so, dear coordinators, I would like to take this brief moment to sincerely thank you all for your efforts. These work plans strengthen the governance.

Between national and European plans and represent a very important step forward in the implementation of the TEN-T network.

Of course, it is no secret that many challenges still lie ahead.

Major infrastructure projects such as the Brunner Tunnel, Rail Baltica,

or the Lyon-Tunic link require many years to complete.

The time has now come to ensure through the Connecting Europe Facility for 2028-2034 that adequate funding is available for their timely completion.

Completing this network requires sustained investment across Europe and an EU level approach to allow us to identify where investment is most needed.

This is why the European Parliament has consistently supported a strong CEF that is centrally managed at EU level.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Parliament aims to adopt the self negotiated mandate by late November during the plenary session.

I can already assure you that we will fight hard to preserve its increased budget,

building on its proven track record and its strong multiplying effect for our economies and citizens.

Completing the TEN-T network also requires Strong and effective governance.

On this note, I would like to highlight that, at the current stage of internal negotiations on CEF,

there is a strong consensus within our committee to further strengthen the link between your work plans and the CEF programming.

Dear coordinators, You can count on Parliament's full support in carrying out your important role.

For us, completing the TNTI network is a shared responsibility.

The European Commission, the European coordinators, Member States,

local and regional authorities and private and public stakeholders alike all have a key role to play.

European integration may at times seem like a difficult path.

Nevertheless, I truly believe that the TENT and the CEF offer a unique opportunity to bring Europe closer together,

one kilometer at a time.

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to conclude by emphasizing a message of utmost importance when we stand together,

we stand stronger. When we work together, we work harder.

So let's join our efforts and turn our common European ambitions into a reality and deliver tangible results for all our citizens.

Together we can build a stronger transport network and promote mobility for everyone,

fully in line with this year's priority of the EU Mobility Week.

That is our duty, that is our commitment. Thank you for your attention. May I, because this shouldn't stain it.

I was going to, I, OK, fine, take it away. I was actually.

I was actually going to give you that.

Thank you so very much and thank you for being here and thank you for those warm words,

so I hope that the coordinators are happy to hear that,

and I think the thanks there were very, very genuine.

Thank you so much for being with us, Ms. Rosenberg.

All right, we are coming into the twilight moments of this utter extravaganza of an event. We've got two topical big hitters.

I need to invite now back the Commissioner with the former Prime Minister of Italy, Enrico Letta,

and we're going to have a little pow so warm applause as they come to the stage. Hello. Hi, thank you for coming. Thank you for being with us. Come take a seat. Take a mic, take water.

I finally get to actually have a chat as opposed to just wandering around the stage. It's quite a nice privilege.

So we have this sort of 2025 minutes for a chat and I have some questions and the questions are kind of grouped so we can keep a nice narrative in there and they harness some of these key topics and points and themes that have been.

On display and discussed over the course of Connecting Europe Day. So let me start with you, Enrico Letta.

Let's focus in on the single market and this cross border connectivity.

So everybody knows, they should know if they are working in this sector,

that your report argues that Europe needs the 5th freedom to complete the single market.

You just said in your last speech there that the single market is the greatest economic asset,

and you also point out that high speed rail stops at the borders, but the single market. It should have no borders.

So why is Europe still struggling to make that work, and there are in 1000 priorities.

What priorities do you think should come first in terms of making that work better? Thank you very much for the invitation.

First of all, congratulations to the Commissioner and the team. I join Ms. Strotmann. Congratulations to DG Move for what you.

I done, what you're doing, and also for, the contribution to my report.

I have to say I'm very grateful to what, you did, because I have to say that the reason why I decided to put at the very beginning of the report,

this reference to high-speed trains was exactly because of what Jacques Delors always said about the single market.

And what he told me last time we met before he passed away,

and he told me you have to travel to write the report.

Do not lock yourself in a building in Brussels.

I think he was right for many reasons,

but he was right because he's told me the single market is the people.

It's not rules or at the end of the day, the people are at the center,

and what we are missing today on the single market is the capacity to link all these benefits to the people's life.

We are here in front of something that is truly the people life because train is the most popular way to travel,

so it's a daily connection with daily life of people.

If we are able to show that Europe can be at the avant-garde of what we can do on that, I think that is great for Europe,

that is great for people,

and I would say train is the most democratic way to travel, if I may say.

It is the perfect way to say we are inclusive Europe,

and inclusive Europe means high-speed train, means trains, means connectivity. The capacity to travel.

So I insist on that and I insisted in the report on this point.

And for me, it was very important to see how strong was the leadership of Commissioner Tzitzikostas on,

on that, the fact that you had von der Leyen yesterday is the demonstration of a great commitment.

We know very well that it takes time.

It's not something that we can do in a, a minute, but I see,

you, you mentioned before about Trump, European of the Year, and so on.

I don't know if it is because of Trump,

but I know that this year 26 is a year in which there is a momentum on Europe. There's clearly momentum. Things are happening. The plan 11 market is there. 42 measures.

The 28 regime is today in discussion in the Parliament with the possibility to be approved soon. 6.

6 Trade agreements with one third of the world.

You put together India, Indonesia, Australia, Mexico, Mercosur, and Philippines. One third of the world. We did it together in 3 months.

We did more in 3 months than in 15 years before. So there is a momentum.

This is why I think also the enthusiasm and the determination that is here in this room for me is a fantastic signal to be sure that.

The dreams that you have can become a reality.

Indeed, there is a sense of urgency and as we say, I did not mention Trump,

it was mentioned, but also in the way that, yes, it has really.

Galvanized Europe, and we must not lose that impetus to be galvanized.

But let me turn to the Commissioner this cross border connectivity,

so I am asking a question that I think everybody in this room would want me to ask. There are lots of funding. We instruments in place. They have been there for 3 decades.

Now I will again just revert to your speech from the podium the last time.

You did say, let's not forget that there are some really great projects that have been operational, and the guiding principles that were there at the start are still here, and The Union has grown, that brings its own complexity,

but major projects have faced delays, there are disagreements around national governments, so if you had to address that in particular,

how are you going to make stuff happen that maybe hasn't been happening thus far?

Yeah, well, let me first start by saying, how happy I am,

how proud I am that we have for our closing ceremony Prime Minister Letta with us. It is great.

Prime Minister Letta has been an inspiration to me and to the entire Commission, this Commission.

Because his report was actually a report, as he said, that was a product of visiting on the ground cities,

regions, states, member states, talking to people, talking to businesses.

He realized that without infrastructure, without transport,

you cannot have a single market, you cannot have security in Europe.

You can basically have nothing in your economy and your society to flourish.

And so in this respect, Today You see,

and, and yesterday, all these people here.

You know that this year's Connecting Europe Days are the most successful ever.

Because of the speakers, because of the attendees, and because of the substance.

And so I fully agree with you that we have a momentum now. And it is exactly, Katrina, this momentum. That makes me believe.

That no matter what the bottlenecks or the difficulties or the obstacles that we might have in some projects,

No matter these obstacles, we will keep up and continue. Finishing with our 10T core network. 2030 is the first stop.

Then we have the comprehensive network, the extended network, and we are going to work already now.

We are working vis a vis the next decade,

but the major projects that we have for the completion of the core network. Are working well.

I actually had the opportunity to visit most of these projects across Europe.

Today I was in the basement where we have a fantastic exhibition.

Those of you who haven't visited, it's worth going there.

And I visited, the, Brunner Tunnel, Brunner Bay tunnel.

I visited the Lyon Tyrol, I visited the,

very important, Rail Baltica project and many others.

There are many projects happening today in Europe.

Yes, sometimes Member States cannot find agreements together.

But that's why we are here, the European Commission.

Myself personally, but also my services, Digim Move, which is one of the most active and successful DGs.

Believe me, and I want to congratulate our Director General Magda, who has done an amazing work with Olof the team. We are here to make sure.

That these bottlenecks are suppressed and that we are able to jump over the obstacles and finish these very important infrastructure projects.

You know,

There are 2 different challenges in completing the trans-European transport network.

The first challenge is, as I said earlier,

the issue of coordination of disagreements sometimes between member states.

But again, with the work that we do, I think that we can resolve most of these issues, and we are already.

The other challenge is the financing is the investing. You heard my speech earlier we need. €52 billion in the next MFF.

In the current MFF, CEF has €26 billion. And they were all absorbed.

Now with all this geopolitical situation around us and having realized what it means if we want to boost our competitiveness and if we want to maintain our security,

to have a proper infrastructure, we need to understand that we need this investment to happen.

I hear many countries, not many,

some countries in these past weeks saying that we need to cut the European budget. But I want to remind them.

That when we have a crisis in Europe, the first question they ask is how can the EU help us?

How are we able to help if we don't have adequate funding?

How are we able to complete the infrastructure network if we don't have adequate funding?

How will we be able to address the military mobility?

To move troops from east to west, from north to south in a matter of days.

Today it's a matter of months to move them if there is a crisis, if we don't have adequate funding.

So these are the questions that we need to answer.

What you do say again reflects what I heard in the very first panel yesterday when we had the military personnel who were saying,

yes, I mean there is not every Member State has grasped that urgency necessarily to the same extent.

So, doing the big sell, how do we convince Member States that this isn't just, you know, money, money, money going. Down the drain. It's an investment.

One of those actually, interestingly, I will say it again, what came out from MEP Novakov in the last panel.

He says it will create millions of jobs to complete it. There's one argument. What other argument must we use?

The other argument for me is,

and once again the Commission and Commissioner Tzitzikostas was very good in catching immediately the hook.

The other argument is the link with private capital that is really very important on all these topics because the way to convince member states,

the reluctant member states, is also to be very,

very concrete in clearly saying that we have today a tool and we didn't have this tool before. The name of the tool is.

We all know today is the savings and investments union is the pillar of the integration of the single market on the financial side,

and this idea is the only idea that can change the destiny of Europe in terms of investments because today we have a lack of investments.

The comparison between Europe and the US is incredible on that.

I'm not among those thinking that the US is The best and we are the worst.

It's not like that,

but there are some figures because they are united and we are fragmented where the difference is there. I give you one number.

I would like this number to stay in this room and makes us reflecting on the cost of fragmentation.

We are when we play in the championship of real economy,

we play in the same championship with the US. We are 17%. 17. They are 25%. 1725 is the same championship. GDP. When it comes to finance. We are fragmented. I use market cap as a number. We are 11%.

So our 17 of the real economy becomes 11%. They are one market.

The 25% becomes 660% of the world market cap.

It makes the difference and it is for us the demonstration of what we have to do because all the big investments today,

the big investments are coming also from private capital. Take AI.

AI is the first big tech disruption coming and driven by private capital,

and they are winning because they have private capital, and we don't.

So the key point is to understand that savings and investments union and the idea is of course not to substitute public money,

it's to add to public money. The possibility to use European savings. We are the world champions in savings.

We are the world champions, but we send our savings to the US or we put our savings under the bed.

And Frankly speaking, it doesn't work like that,

so we have to transform our savings into investments for public goods,

and trains are public goods.

So the possibility to have a winning savings and investment union for me is one of the crucial achievements of this legislature.

I'm very happy because the Commission took this idea of having the 42 measures.

The One Europe One market plan means 42 measures with deadlines. Deadlines are fundamental in politics. Deadlines are fundamental in life.

If you don't put deadlines, we have fantastic academic debates but no delivery.

So in all these measures you have deadlines.

We can realize the savings and investments union soon, and for me that can be another game changer of this entire. And the other one.

Is the simplifying and harmonizing regulation that is fundamental. I am against any deregulation.

I'm in favor of simplification because it is absolutely fundamental.

Among these 42 measures you have the 28 regime.

The 28 regime is the way to give one simplified system that can help everyone.

Optional is the way to attract investments from abroad.

It's a fantastic way to simplify, to avoid the mill failure, and to work in a different direction.

In a nutshell, when I say the momentum, I say that we have the tools and the potential tools to be more simple in terms of rules and at the same time to attract money and to have public money,

private money, to have the investments that are absolutely necessary.

What is very important is to say our governments, our national governments,

if they don't understand that this is the moment to raise Europe ambition.

Next time, in 5 years' time when we will have another, gathering like this one,

we will be here discussing if we want to be more a Chinese colony or an American colony.

And when I discuss about this point, I will say that we have to be able today to deliver it.

And this delivery is fundamental to decide to be Europe.

It's not a question to be China or America or to choose the one or the other one. We are Europe. We want to be Europe. Mr.

Let me just, let me just turn to another area, just in the interest of time and the energy of these good people in the room.

Can I just stick with Enrico letter and then come back to you? Is that all right?

So, I'm just asking permission, you see, I'm, you know, I'm a very polite moderator.

Just again going back because obviously the Commissioner was part of that conversation yesterday, but about security,

about resilience, you published the report,

but the geopolitical situation has radically changed since then.

So that must have strengthened your view that transport isn't just about competitiveness, but it is about security and resilience,

and maybe just link it to the last question if that's the sell you need to make at Member State level,

how would you be doing it?

I am trying to convince people of one fundamental trimma today, and the fundamental trilemma is the following one.

Some years ago, You were able to be a competitive country,

even being a small country. Competitive and small. Was a potential positive link. What is today?

The big change is that it doesn't work to be small, competitive, and sovereign.

If we want to be sovereign, if we want to be autonomous,

if we want to be independent, if we want to have our future in our hands. Being small, it doesn't work.

I say that not because I don't like small countries.

I adore small countries, and I, you know very well the famous proverb that in Europe there are two groups of countries,

the small countries and the countries that don't know they are small.

We are all small countries in Europe, so we are all small countries.

We like to be small and we are all small, but the key point is the following one to be sovereign today, we have to be big.

And if we are not big as a country, we have to be integrated with other countries,

and this is the crucial point for security and resilience, for autonomy.

Look at what happened in the last period. We are all suffering inflation.

Inflation is changing the political landscape in all our countries. Who is responsible for the inflation? Hormuts first, are we responsible for hormuts? Frankly speaking, no.

The supply chain security is the next level of security today.

Security and defense is not weapons, it's also weapons,

but it is first of all to have the guarantee of a security chain that is totally secure.

To have energy, totally secure, to be independent on finance, to be independent on tech.

If we are not able to be independent on these points, even if we are full of weapons, it's very complicated.

So my key point, and I end up on this,

is that Integration today means this capacity to be together and to scale up.

So scale up is absolutely fundamental, and scale up means that we have to pass borders.

This is the role of commissioner at Tzitzikostas.

Passing borders,

and I conclude on this sense of the Delor idea that passing borders means people. I traveled by train.

Even if it was complicated because of the lack of capitals by capitals,

high-speed trains, but I traveled a lot by train to write the report.

I can tell you that the train was for me fundamental to understand one fundamental point.

You pass a border by train, you think that you are passing a border.

And you don't have to show a passport today in Europe. It's great.

But once you are passing the border, you know you are passing the border.

You don't know that in this meter you are passing the border,

but you can think that in this border.

There is no more, the frontier, the Le Douani,

but you have, hundreds of thousands of coffin there.

Of young men They didn't see their twenties.

They didn't see their twenties because our grandfathers told us and grandmothers told us the story of our families, and the story of our families was that in each family there was 123 males,

young males, and the habit, the behavior, the rule, they were sent to kill and to be killed,

to move a border 20 kilometers east, 30 kilometers west.

Brene 30 kilometers north,

20 kilometers south to move this border that you passed today and you are not aware you are passing this border and this is not rhetoric.

Europe was born to eliminate this and Russians and Ukrainian families, I put them together even if Our heart is for the Ukrainians, but both Russian and Ukrainian families are again in this story that our grandfather told us,

the story in which it is natural that in a family the young males are going there to kill and to be killed.

Today we have this strength and we have the strength of our borders that we pass, and these borders are borders of cooperation.

I say that because when you build up all this strategy of connectivity and,

passing the borders, I think if we start by this, it makes the difference.

Very beautifully expressed, very sobering, and I think just going back to the beginning when you talked about moves and logistics,

I think national governments are missing a trick big time,

because if they don't use this moment when it is so clear to the average joe, to the general public.

Quite what we mean by the importance of connectivity for logistics.

This is the moment, because it is very high up in the public's agenda, let alone the political agenda.

A last brief question for both of you, if I may, Commissioner, I think it is always good to conclude, I know you are going to say some concluding remarks afterwards,

but to conclude with pride, because Europe does often get a lot of bashing, so I would say, looking ahead to the rest of your mandate.

What accomplishment for you, do you look at and think, I am really proud of that one?

Well, my main objective here for the 3.5 coming years because I'm very realistic, the target,

is to have the basic core network,

of the trans-European transport network completed by 2030.

My term ends 2029, so I know that I will not be present to see.

The completion of, one of these big projects that I mentioned, whether it is Leon Turin or whether it is the Brunner Bay tunnel and so on,

or rail Baltica, but, but I will consider a success if we manage to move these projects forward,

and we are moving them forward.

I have visited most of them so far.

I see people working hard on the ground day in, day out.

And believe me when I say this,

these people are dedicated because they realize what it means to complete these projects,

what it means to bring.

Countries and people closer one to the other.

And what it means for our security as well and our competitiveness.

And you know, it is not only about the infrastructure on roads. But it's also our ports.

The upgrades of ports, the fact that we are now giving them funding in order to digitalize,

in order to do the transition towards clean energy,

towards safety and security both internal and external.

The fact that we are Giving substantial funds to extend critical airports.

Or the fact that we're investing heavily to promote this vision that is actually getting into practice to conclude with the high-speed rail in Europe.

These are all projects that are moving forward.

I'm really happy because I see that on a weekly,

monthly basis when we meet with my services in Digi Move we see the progress that is happening and this is why I told you that. It will be a real pity.

And it will be a big danger as well.

If we decided To cut the investments on infrastructure and transport projects. I visited earlier before coming here. The exhibition downstairs.

And I saw Most of the big projects that are funded through CEF are here present.

Olof them are moving quickly in their deliverables. They are on time, on schedule.

And you know what they were telling me? Please don't stop the funding now.

The main problem is that we need to secure these funds.

The letter report spoke of €500 billion that would be needed in the next decade to complete these projects.

We cannot miss this opportunity,

and this is why I've been traveling from Member State to Member State endlessly this year.

To support this idea to present the case.

And to explain to everyone that's not a matter of the single market only it's a matter of survival for us in many respects.

So this is what I want to reiterate, and I will do it again in Parliament.

I want to thank the president of the trunk Committee of the Parliament, Ms.

Rosenberg, who is doing a great job along with all the members of the Parliament belonging to all political groups, because you should know transport is one of the sectors that is not political,

it is based on pragmatism and, and I want to congratulate her because she has done a fantastic job,

and they are fighting together with us to make sure.

That transport and infrastructure projects are going to have adequate funding in the next MFF.

So what I want to see, and I end with this, is number one,

the projects to continue and some of them to be delivered of course by 2029.

The big ones to continue and get very close to the finish line.

And also I would like to see and make sure that in 2028 we will have seven years in front of us of adequate funding to make sure that this sector will thrive and that people will feel finally that we are all Europeans as Prime Minister Neta said. That's the message. And I.

I would underline there something I think again was said on the first panel,

perhaps I miss I haven't got the phrasing right, but you said progress, and I, I think that's very important. Progress is good.

You know, we live in a world where perfection is expected or things to be done like that, and like you say, if there is progress, because progress is,

of course, and I think that was the quote, the foundation of hope, and then I was thinking, you never know, if you kind of try and do what Trump. You could be around in 2030.

I was just, that was, you know, that was it.

Somebody mentioned Trump before, you could try and do a Trump, you might be around.

You know, we are doing a lot of legislation, but I don't think we will change any of this.

A last question for you, if I may, just for the briefest answer, let's look ahead, let's have a forward look.

In 10 years' time, really, what would you? Hope would have changed.

What will it look like in 10 years' time, assuming that we haven't all been done away with by AI?

Just to bring that one up, which was 2 weeks ago's a big story.

So we're here in 10 years for you. What is that success story?

Are we going to have those connections without borders? Are we going to have that connectivity? Where will we be at? What does it look like? I resume everything in a slogan.

I hope in the next decade, in the next 10 years,

we can refer to trains. European trains as a new Erasmus.

Erasmus has been a fantastic drive for European connectivity.

Erasmus has been a fantastic drive for a fantastic flagship for what is positive for Europe.

If European trains, if we transform European trains.

And we make European trains becoming for the next 10 years something similar to what was Erasmus in the last 30 years.

I think we make something that is great for the people.

Because at the end of the day, Erasmus was great, but for a small group of people, university students with mobility, trains are for all European citizens,

and if we are able to go in that direction, that can be, in my view,

fantastic, knowing that it is also a topic of competitiveness because we are good. And building trains, by the way.

And we have to insist and to stress this capacity and to invest in this because this is another way to be very good.

And my dream is also to be able to be all united and together,

also in the way in which we work and the way in which we live every day.

I am optimistic on that because one,

One day someone told me someone very pessimistic told me for trains it would be impossible, and I said why?

Because trains means that people working the trains,

they speak their own language and having European trains is impossible because you have to train people speaking all the different languages.

And I thought many times to this argument that was saying that we are pessimistic,

it doesn't work.

And I see the difference of what happened in the last 10 years in the European institutions,

and I become optimistic because if it happened in the European institutions, it will happen in the trains too. In the European institutions after Brexit.

We all decided to apply a lingua franca, a common language.

And we have to thank the Britons for that because we all decided to have one common language,

and the common language is the bad English. We are all speaking bad English.

Of course we have the Irish part,

but So we are all speaking bad English and it's a fantastic improvement in politics in Europe.

Before it was complicated,

I was in a European Council with the British Prime Minister negotiating with someone trained in Eton in his own language was a little bit complicated.

I lost way, but negotiating with the Prime Minister of Estonia in English,

it is easy for me. It's feasible. And the other fundamental point on this.

Is that, you know, politicians They speak long.

If they have to speak in a language that is not their language, they speak 2 minutes and that's it. So at the end of the day.

We transformed Waterloo, that was the Brexit, in a great victory for European integration.

So today you go in all European meetings, we all speak the same language. It works very well.

I think it can be also a way to have all workers in the trains speaking the same bad English and all the.

Consumers in the trains speaking and listening the same bad English and having fantastic European trains arriving on time. Katrina, I wanna say I.

Can I just As a Brit, as an English woman, and now Belgian, since a long time, obviously,

since the deed was done, I feel you your next report has to be the bad English report. Europe's bad English report, we need it. I think that's a good point.

Yes, you know, having, having, having heard the Prime Minister letter,

I want to tell you something.

Out of the huge amount of work that we delivered in this 1.5 years. Both strategy.

Maritime and industrial strategy,

the sustainable transport investment plan to boost alternative fuels.

The industrial plan for the automotive sector that we presented. The first ever legislation for military mobility.

The aviation strategy that we're preparing and the first ever tourism strategy that we're preparing. And I will present next month.

The ones That I consider the most important. Are the high speed rail plan. And the passenger package.

We basically after what I presented last month, we're giving the possibility to all Europeans to book and buy one ticket,

one journey, and be covered as one trip with their passenger rights,

meaning that they want to travel.

Through different operators cross border today it's a headache. You have to buy different tickets.

You have, if you lose the one train, the other train doesn't recognize anything.

Today this changes with one click you will be able to book it,

to buy it, and be covered for it as one trip intermodal.

This is a game changer for transport and especially for trains, and this is the most important thing in my view.

And as you said, that is kind of the Erasmus of high speed rail.

Well, on that note, thank you so very much.

I could have asked plenty more questions, but these good people can, after your last closing words, they are allowed to get their hands on some.

Networking drinks, let me put it like that.

So I'm going to bring this to a close, but it is such a pleasure. Thank you so much.

It's the 2nd time I've met you this year.

I think I met you at the circular Economy conference, that's right, earlier this year, an absolute pleasure.

So we can stand, you may make your way to the lectern in momentarily, and I will say thank you,

I'm coming off the stage with you, and the lectern is yours, I think, yes.

All right, so please, a warm round of applause to you and to you.

So I guess, ladies and gentlemen, that's it. What a week that was. A wonderful two days.

More than 4500 people registered for this 12th edition of Connecting Europe Days,

the best Connecting Europe Days ever, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

And of course, the numbers are great,

but even more important is the quality of exchanges that we had these two days, the substance.

We have discussed many of the issues shaping transport today and in the future connectivity and infrastructure,

digitalization and innovation.

Sustainability and competitiveness, security, resilience, and so much more.

And the common thread running through Olof our discussions has been the need to prepare our transport network for a rapidly changing world.

Dear Friends The future of transport will not be defined.

By one technology, one company, or even one institution. It will be built through cooperation.

Cooperation across borders, cooperation between the public and the private sectors.

Between different transport modes, between established industries and innovators.

And increasingly, as this edition of the Connecting Europe Days has shown,

cooperation between the civilian and the defense communities as well.

In these volatile and challenging times, civilian military cooperation matters more than ever.

Connecting Europe Days has brought together the people who design policy. The people who finance and build infrastructure.

The people who operate our networks, the people who develop new technologies,

and the people who use our transport systems every day.

This does not happen often, and it makes Connecting Europe Day very special. Now allow me To use this opportunity.

To say a very big thank you to my team.

To DG Move and CIA for organizing this truly impressive 2-day event.

An event of this scale takes an enormous amount of work,

of dedication and coordination behind the scenes.

So to everyone who contributed, from the organizers and speakers to the moderators, the exhibitors,

the technical teams, and all our partners, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

You created a place where Europe's transport community could meet,

talk, challenge, and connect.

But fortunately This edition is not over quite yet.

The discussions will continue tomorrow in the corridor meetings, so while there is still plenty of time for discussion and networking,

it is time to close, unfortunately, the formal part of Connecting Europe Day.

Let me leave you With one thought, my dear friends.

Europe's transport network is one of our greatest assets.

But its strength Does not come only from kilometers of rail,

of road, waterways, and air routes that connect us.

Its strength comes from the people who make these connections work.

And looking around this room today,

I am confident that we have an extraordinary community capable of meeting the challenges that we have ahead of us.

So let's take the ideas, let's take the partnerships and the energy from this week. Let's carry them forward.

Let's continue to connect Europe more closely, more sustainably, more resiliently and more competitively, because when we connect Europe,

we do more than move people and goods, we strengthen our economies,

we bring our regions closer and we make Europe stronger.

That is the task ahead of us, and I am confident that together, We are ready. To do this task.

Thank you very much and have a wonderful evening today. Thank you.

You may stay with me while I do final thanks, because I then need to organize another family photo, which, as you know, is clearly my main skill, so may I echo from my side as the MC,

huge thanks to you, very inspiring person and a good PR for the EU,

wouldn't you say, so I think we can have warm applause for the Commissioner.

Just stay in your seats momentarily, please, if you don't mind, just for the thanks, I promise you I'm not gonna prevail upon you much longer,

thank you to DG Move, Magda, you've been a star, I think the hardest working moderator in the room, so please warm applause for Magda.

Of course, the absolutely impressive Enrico Letta, what a treat to have him here, come on.

Apart from all the fabulous moderators, the technicians, the photographers,

can I just do a shout out to support agency MCI Europe, that's very important for Olof those.

We have to of course thank Olof the audiences here and for those of you who are still with us online.

This room has been to every single one of these plenaries over the last two days.

Raise your hands, and you are very proud of it, aren't you? I love that.

You were the first to shoot your arm in the air. Well, I salute you.

Now, those of you on site, and I'm really sorry for those of you who are not here, you do get a celebratory dinner,

so you may slowly make your way there, but everybody who He needs to be on the stage for a family photo.

Pretty much everybody I just mentioned, the coordinators, the moderators, the works, you need to come here. Please post #CED 2026. Thank you for having me.

It's a moderator's privilege to learn so much. Thank you so much.

So for those of you in the photo, thank you. Come forward.

And everybody else enjoy, enjoy, so thank you very much.