On 7 and 8 February 2023, a progress meeting of the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) and the management representatives of Rail Baltica delivery organizations was held in Riga to revisit the Global Project’s implementation progress.
Representatives of Rail Baltica joint venture RB Rail AS gave an overview of the mainline design works, analysing the maturity of individual design stages and the commitment to complete the designs by the end of 2024, while the national implementing bodies and beneficiaries of the three Baltic States informed about the construction works progress, construction works procurement readiness, and the concluded contract amounts to start the mainline construction.
The representatives of Latvia, together with their Estonian and Lithuanian Rail Baltica project partners, discussed the absorption of the funding received during the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) calls under Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) of the European Union for the years 2014-2020 and Multiannual Financial Framework for the years 2021-2027 (MFF II). The period of absorption of funds under grant agreements in force ends in December 2024 and in December 2026.
Among other topics, Grant Agreement relating to the adaptation of the transport infrastructure to civilian-defence dual-use was discussed with a particular focus on the largest infrastructure objects and their implementation progress e.g., dual road and railway bridge over the Daugava River, construction progress of RIX (Riga International Airport) cargo yard and the Salaspils intermodal freight terminal, and others.
The meeting continued with the construction site visits of the Rail Baltica railway line in Riga Central Station and Riga international airport areas.
The implementation of the Rail Baltica project is financed from the Connecting Europe Facility, with European Union co-financing up to 85%, as well as the national financing from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
The CEF Transport programme implements the European Union’s transport infrastructure policy by supporting investments in building or upgrading transport infrastructure across Europe.