18.01.2022
City of Oulu and Regional Assembly of Oulu Region: Oulu airport and port must be integrated into the TEN-T network
The City of Oulu and the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region have commented on Parliament's letter to the European Commission. According to the comments, Oulu airport and port should be included in the TEN-T core network.
On 14 December 2021, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a new TEN-T Regulation, which includes the definition of the TEN-T network and the requirements to be met by the TEN-T network. The Ministry of Transport and Communications is currently preparing a U-Letter to Parliament on the proposal.
According to the views of the City of Oulu and the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region, the proposal for the TEN-T Regulation and the draft U-letter prepared by the Ministry of Transport and Communications do not take Oulu and Northern Finland into account in accordance in cooperation with the position of the Government and the decision of the Grand Committee and the Transport and Communications Committee.
On 5 May 2021, Parliament’s Transport and Communications Committee emphasised that ‘Finland should present Oulu airport on the TEN-T core network and thus as part of the core network corridor. This would also support the possibilities to designate the Port of Oulu as a northern port and Oulu as an urban node as part of the TENT-T core network and the core network corridor.’
The City of Oulu and the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region propose that Parliament's draft U-Letter should be amended to clearly present Oulu Airport and Port as part of the TEN-T core network, in accordance in cooperation with the decisions of the Transport and Communications Committee and Parliament. It is also proposed that a proposal for an urban node for the TEN-T core network from Oulu will be included in the letter.
The integration of Oulu airport and port into the TEN-T core network is of strategic importance for the northern transport connections between Finland and the EU.
Additional information:
Mayor of Oulu Päivi Laajalla, tel. 040 180 1168
Pauli Harju, Regional Director of the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region, tel. 0400 389 152
