Polish MEP Arkadiusz Mularczyk (ECR) has asked the European Commission whether it plans to create a dedicated financial mechanism under the next EU budget to support municipalities neighbouring large TEN-T network airports, arguing that local authorities bear disproportionate costs from noise, infrastructure, and environmental pressures.
In a written parliamentary question submitted on 16 June 2026, Mularczyk highlighted the case of Kraków-Balice Airport, Poland's second-largest and one of Central Europe's fastest growing. He noted that the municipalities of Zabierzów, Liszki, and the city of Kraków face rising costs from aircraft noise, road and public transport expansions, environmental protection, and spatial planning constraints caused by infrastructure of national and European importance.
first, whether it has analysed the impact of large airports on the financial situation and quality of life of neighbouring municipalities; second, whether it intends to propose a dedicated financial mechanism or programme under the future Multiannual Financial Framework 2028–2034 to support such municipalities. The proposed mechanism would finance investments to reduce noise, improve public transport, develop road infrastructure, and protect the environment, aiming for a fairer distribution of costs and benefits and to strengthen public acceptance for further airport development.
The question does not specify numerical targets or deadlines but calls for a structural EU response. It reflects a tension between the EU's transport connectivity goals and the local burdens imposed on host communities. If the Commission replies positively, it could signal a shift toward compensating local governments for hosting strategic infrastructure. The Commission typically responds to written questions within six weeks, and its answer will indicate whether it is considering such a mechanism.
Stakeholders most affected include municipalities near major airports, which would gain potential EU co-financing for mitigation measures; airport operators, who could face fewer local objections to expansion; EU taxpayers, who would fund the new mechanism; and national governments, which would need to coordinate with the EU on eligibility criteria.