Effective and advocacy-oriented transport system work
The Regional Assembly of Oulu Region Influencings the work of the transport system on an international, national, supra-regional, regional and urban level.
The Regional Assembly of Oulu Region together in cooperation in cooperation with the Regional Assemblys of Lapland, Kainuu and Central Ostrobothnia and the state transport authorities form the Transport and Logistics Working Group of Northern Finland. The working group brings Northern Finland's common voice to national transport system planning. Completed in 2024 Northern Transport Strategy. The strategy brings together common and
the most important strategic development needs of the transport system at the supra-regional level. In practice, this means that the strategy emphasises issues that are of common importance to the North and that require trans-regional cooperation in order to be realised. The Northern Finland Transport and Logistics Working Group monitors the implementation of the strategy and is responsible for promoting its measures.
The Regional Assembly of Oulu Region leads the regional transport system work. It brings together the transport system working group of the county, which includes representatives of transport experts from both business and the public sector. Each year, a regional transport forum open to all is organised, where topical themes and projects are discussed in the regional transport system work.
The Regional Assembly of Oulu Region actively participates in transport system work in urban areas. In the Oulu region, cooperation between the municipalities of the region, the Regional Assembly of Northern Ostrobothnia, the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Northern Ostrobothnia and agencies under the Ministry of Transport and Communications has led to long-term transport system planning. Oulu Region Transport System Plan 2040 completed in 2024. The Oulu region is one of Finland's seven MAL regions, i.e. areas where the state, in cooperation in cooperation in cooperation with urban regions, develops growth through agreements on land use, housing and transport. Preparations for a new MAL for 2024-2035 have been ongoing in 2024. Read more about the Oulu City Region MAL Agreement here.
Northern Ostrobothnia Transport System Plan
At its meeting on 14 October 2024, the Regional Board of Northern Ostrobothnia approved a new, updated transport system plan for Northern Ostrobothnia. The aim of the plan has been to update the region's previous transport system plan, completed in 2019, to reflect the changed business environment. The new transport system plan includes an essential part of the challenges brought about by the changed geopolitical situation and the transport policy business environment, as well as enabling the significant investment potential of the Northern Ostrobothnia economy.
The regional transport system plan includes a shared vision and willingness of the stakeholders in the region to develop the regional transport system. The plan presents the vision, objectives and policies, as well as the measures to be taken to make the region's transport system more efficient, safe and sustainable. The transport system plan is used to support the interests of the region. Regional plans play an important role in communicating the needs of the region, both in national planning and decision-making. In addition, the plan aims to guide the development of individual municipalities based on their own decision-making.
Read the updated regional transport system plan for Northern Ostrobothnia here.
International cooperation
The Regional Assembly of Oulu Region is active in international cooperation. The The Regional Assembly is a member CPMRWorking Group on Transport and Transport Cooperation in the Western Barents Region. In the autumn of 2023, the New North project for transport cooperation in the Western Barents region was launched, to which the European Union has awarded almost Funding of EUR 2 million. The aim of the project is to develop a sustainable transport system in the northern region and to take into account the possibilities of future transport. In Finland, the Regional Assemblys of Northern Ostrobothnia, Kainuu, Lapland and North Karelia coserve as in the project. The Kvarken Regional Assembly, the regions of Västerbotten and Norrbotten in Sweden and the regions of Tromsø, Finnmark and Nordland in Norway are also involved. In addition, the project receives support from a large cooperation group, which ensures the flow of information and smooth interaction.
The changed global situation has strengthened the importance of cross-border cooperation between Finland and Sweden. In autumn 2021, the borderless and sustainable future of the development zone of the Gulf of Bothnia was launched, which focused on the development of cross-border traffic between Finland and Sweden in the Gulf of Bothnia region. The project brought together stakeholders from Northern Finland and Northern Sweden to develop a common vision. The project ended in late 2023 and you can consult the final report and the cross-border traffic vision of the project here.
