FinMobility’s team travelled to Strasbourg during the European Parliament’s November plenary week to meet with MEPs and discuss several EU initiatives that play a key role for Finland’s road transport sector. The visit offered us the valuable opportunity to follow parliamentary discussions firsthand and to engage in in-depth conversations with both Finnish and European policymakers.
Our programme began at the joint TRAN–SEDE committee meeting, where a topic of particular relevance for Finland was at the top of the agenda: the Military Mobility package. Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas and Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius presented the new proposal, published on 19 November, to Members of the European Parliament. Their presentations sparked an active debate on Europe’s strategic needs, highlighting the importance of strengthening Military Mobility and developing resilient, modern critical infrastructure across the Union.
The committees also adopted their own-initiative report – unusually, after the Commission had presented its proposal. We were pleased to see broad support for the report, which underlines the EU’s need to improve its capacity to move quickly and safely across the continent, highlighting also the strategic importance of Eastern borders of the EU. This emphasis is particularly important for outer-border countries such as Finland, where long distances and the geopolitical position at the EU’s eastern frontier place unique demands on infrastructure.
During the visit, we met with the report’s rapporteur Roberts Zīle, several Finnish MEPs, and their teams. Our discussions touched on both the challenges and opportunities linked to increasing Europe’s Military Mobility, and we highlighted the specific characteristics of Finland’s road transport system that deserve attention in the EU policy process. We also exchanged views on other current transport and mobility topics shaping the sector’s operating environment.
Our key messages to policymakers
Throughout our meetings, we emphasised the need for investment decisions that support the EU’s overall security interests while recognising national and regional realities. Our main messages included:
- Dual-use infrastructure must be prioritised. Military Mobility and CEF funding should support both cross-border projects and nationally critical investments that help safeguard the EU’s external borders.
- Predictable and adequate CEF resources should be reserved exclusively for Military Mobility, enabling long-term planning and implementation.
- Co-funding rates should be increased to 75%, in line with the rate applied under CEF Energy.
- Funding must be accessible to all nationally critical projects, including lower-tier and private roads as well as Arctic corridors, which are essential in countries with long distances and challenging climate conditions such as Finland.
- Allocation criteria must go beyond GDP and population. Strategic location – particularly in sparsely populated frontier regions – must be properly recognised. Finland’s eastern border and Arctic connectivity are clear examples of regions whose importance for European security continues to grow.
Our visit to Strasbourg reaffirmed the importance of ensuring that Finland’s specific needs and conditions are reflected in EU-level decision-making. We extend our thanks to all MEPs and advisers for their time and constructive discussions. FinMobility will continue its work on strengthening Military Mobility and improving the conditions for road transport in the months ahead.
Below you will find our latest and updated position paper on Military Mobility.
