The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Commission will launch a new technical training programme designed to serve numerous small and medium-sized ports on the TEN-T trans-European transport network, with the aim of improving their ability to prepare high-quality, technically and economically sound investment projects. The programme falls within the framework of the JASPERS technical advisory mandate created by the Commission and the EIB and is supported by a joint contribution agreement of the two parties providing financial support from the Mechanism to connect Europe and the Cohesion Policy Funds.

In particular, the initiative aims specifically to ensure that projects are prepared in line with EU policy objectives such as sustainability, resilience, digitization and improved connectivity. EIB Advisory experts will provide personalized assistance and share their expertise through a structured series of webinars in live and interactive workshops on various topics, allowing small and medium-sized ports across the EU to transform strategic priorities into concrete and mature investment channels. Strengthening the administrative capacity at local level, access to EU and EIB financing will also be facilitated and priority port investments will be accelerated both for the current and for the next programming periods.