The European Commission (EC) has announced it will invest €26 billion (£22 billion) into transport projects providing previously-unavailable links between country borders.

It will be officially published tomorrow (October 17th) by the commission's vice president for transport Sim Kallas, during the Trans-European Transport Networks' (TEN-T) 'days in Tallinn' conference in Estonia. This is a major event for transport in the EU and runs between October 16th and 18th.

In an aim to encourage the European Union's (EU's) single market act - which strives to encourage jobs and lift the economy - nine infrastructure routes will look to improve connections between the east and west.

Mr Kallas said: "Transport is fundamental to an efficient EU economy, but vital connections are currently missing. We need to connect east with west and transform the current transport patchwork into a real network."

The EC's newest policy will focus on applying funding on a smaller number of developments, where it argues the EU can gain added value. It states the nine corridors will cover a minimum of three member states, three modes of transport and involve at least two cross-border areas - helping to connect the countries on either side.