Winter conditions in the North are exposing serious shortcomings in EU vehicle and emissions regulation. At the Northern Corridors Under Pressure event held at the European Parliament on 3 February, participants discussed how EU regulation should be developed to function also in Arctic conditions and to safeguard transport, economic activity and security of supply in Northern Europe.
The event was hosted by Members of the European Parliament Merja Kyllönen and Katri Kulmuni, in cooperation with FinMobility and its member organisations – the Finnish Transport and Logistics Association SKAL, Infra Contractors’ Association in Finland INFRA, and the Finnish Bus and Coach Association, as well as the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners MTK. The discussion brought together EU decision-makers, officials from both Brussels and Finland, as well as representatives from industry and key sectors of the economy.
Current regulation does not take Arctic conditions into account
EU vehicle and emissions regulation has largely been designed for Central and Southern European conditions. In the North, this has led to concrete and recurring problems. Emissions control systems – particularly diesel vehicles’ SCR systems and the AdBlue reagent they rely on – do not function reliably in extreme cold. The reagent freezes at around –11 °C, which can lead to system malfunctions, reduced engine power or even complete vehicle immobilisation. In the worst cases, freezing causes mechanical damage and results in significant repair costs.
During the past winter, temperatures in parts of Lapland dropped as low as –40 °C. Under such conditions, technical failures have imposed substantial costs on transport operators, contractors and other businesses, while also disrupting transport flows, tourism, food supply and other critical supply chains.
“EU vehicle regulation does not recognise Arctic conditions. Those paying the price are entrepreneurs, transport chains and ultimately the competitiveness of the entire region and society’s security of supply,” said MEP Merja Kyllönen in her opening remarks.
Impacts extend far beyond transport
The discussions highlighted that the issue is not limited to the transport sector alone. Malfunctions of vehicles and machinery in extreme cold affect agriculture, forestry, mining, construction, public transport and essential public services, including rescue operations and energy supply.
“The failure of a single heavy vehicle or machine can easily result in costs exceeding €10,000. When disruptions recur throughout the winter, the impacts accumulate across the entire supply chain,”
noted Paavo Syrjö, CEO of INFRA.
Solutions exist – but require EU-level action
Participants emphasised that more cold-resistant technical solutions already exist. However, their wider deployment is currently prevented by regulatory barriers related to type approval, standardisation and liability.
“Cold-resistant solutions have been developed, but without EU-level approval they cannot be used. Otherwise, vehicles no longer comply with type approval and liability shifts to entrepreneurs,” said Katriina Korhonen, Advisor at FinMobility and moderator of the panel discussion.
The central message of the event was clear: EU regulations should ensure they work under all conditions to deliver cleaner transport. Northern transport corridors cannot be strategic for Europe’s security and security of supply if the vehicles operating on them are unable to function reliably in the conditions that are normal for those regions.
Representatives of the European Commission from DG GROW and DG MOVE participated in the discussion and expressed their readiness to continue dialogue with Member States, authorities and industry to identify solutions. Advocacy work on the issue will continue through close cooperation with key stakeholders to advance EU-level solutions.
Watch the video shown at the event, which concretely illustrates Finland’s Arctic conditions and the challenges they pose to the functioning of vehicle emission control systems. The video was jointly produced by SKAL and INFRA.
