Europaforum Northern Sweden (EFNS) is a network for politicians at the local and regional levels from Norrbotten, Västerbotten, Jämtland Härjedalen and Västernorrland. EFNS is a meeting place and a knowledge arena for discussion and analysis of the impacts of EU policy on northern Sweden. EFNS monitors European issues to influence EU legislation, EU strategies and action programmes and EU budget. The objective of EFNS is to safeguard the interests of northern Sweden both in the European arena and in relation to the national level in matters with a clear European perspective.
EFNS position in brief
- EFNS welcomes the proposal for a new CEF Regulation for the period 2028–2034 and the proposed significant increase in the CEF budget to meet the major investment needs within the TEN-T network.
- EFNS supports the proposal to maintain central management of the CEF in order to ensure implementation of infrastructure projects of high European value.
- EFNS welcomes the proposal to classify the Umeå–Luleå–Oulu (Bothnian Corridor) route as a Project of Common Interest (PCI), but proposes that the entire Bothnian Corridor is included:
- Hallsberg/Stockholm–Sundsvall–Umeå–Luleå–Oulu (Bothnian Corridor)
- Luleå–Kiruna–Narvik (Iron Ore Line/Ofoten Line) (Bothnian Corridor)
- EFNS welcomes the focus on cross-border projects but emphasises the importance of also prioritising national infrastructure projects that deliver significant European added value.
- EFNS underlines the importance of developing transport infrastructure in northern Sweden with regard to both civilian and military mobility – the
so-called dual use approach. - EFNS stresses that a sufficient share of the CEF should be allocated to projects that enhance accessibility to peripheral regions within the comprehensive network, including at border crossings to third countries, and proposes that the following routes are added to the PCI annex:
- Sundsvall–Östersund–Trondheim (Mittbanan/Meråkerbanen/E14)
- Vasa–Umeå–Storuman–Mo i Rana (E12)
- EFNS believes that the Northern Sparsely Populated Areas (NSPA) should benefit from broad eligibility criteria for investment support in airport infrastructure.
- EFNS emphasises the importance of enabling investments in transport infrastructure in northern Sweden through the ERDF and Sweden’s National and Regional Partnership Plan (NRPP).
The Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) forms the backbone of the EU transport system, and its completion is crucial to move from a patchwork of national networks to a fully interconnected European transport network. The changing geopolitical situation, following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as the need to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, have demonstrated the importance of seamless transport connections both within the EU and to third countries.
EFNS welcomes the proposal for a new Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) regulation for the period 2028–2034, as well as the proposed significant increase in the CEF budget to meet the major investment needs within the TEN-T network. The CEF aims to contribute to the completion of the TEN-T, with the core network to be finalised by 2030, the extended core network by 2040, and the comprehensive network by 2050. The CEF is already a powerful instrument for promoting key investments in the TEN-T networks, but the EU is now facing both new geopolitical and economic challenges. To meet the substantial investment needs, the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) must be completed swiftly, which requires a reinforced EU-level budget matched by corresponding investments in national transport plans.
EFNS emphasises the importance of central management of the CEF to ensure the implementation of infrastructure projects of high European value.
A centrally managed CEF is a guarantee for the realisation of infrastructure projects that may be of low priority for an individual Member State but are of significant European interest. The next CEF should therefore operate according to the same principles and conditions as the current one, following a project-based approach in which the European Commission selects the best projects that contribute to the priorities set at EU level.
Central management, together with the use-it-or-lose-it principle – which allows for the reallocation and recovery of unused EU funds – optimises the efficiency of the EU budget. The European Coordinators for the corridors play an important role in the completion of the TEN-T network and should continue to guide its implementation in close cooperation with national, regional, and local stakeholders.
EFNS welcomes the proposal to classify the Umeå–Luleå–Oulu (Bothnian Corridor) route as a Project of Common Interest (PCI), but proposes that the entire Bothnian Corridor is included.
The Umeå–Luleå–Oulu route is an important cross-border corridor linking Sweden and Finland, connecting the Scandinavian–Mediterranean and North Sea–Baltic European transport corridors. Within this route, the construction of the Norrbotnia Line between Umeå and Luleå is planned. Once completed, it will eliminate a missing link in the TEN-T core network, thereby creating redundancy in the transport system and strengthening the competitiveness of northern Sweden. The corridor also includes a border crossing between Sweden and Finland, where the issue of differing track gauges should be addressed.
To fully realise the benefits of investments in transport infrastructure, a system-wide perspective is required. Just south of Umeå lies Sweden’s longest bottleneck – The East Coast Line. This is a 270-kilometre-long, single-track railway that is over a hundred years old and currently hampers development across Sweden, and by extension, in Europe.
Another key route within the TEN-T core network and the Bothnian Corridor is Luleå–Kiruna–Narvik (Malmbanan/Ofotenbanan). It is one of Sweden’s most important railway routes – an artery for both Swedish and European industry. However, capacity is severely restrained, and bottlenecks along the line risk slowing down development, not only in northern Sweden but across the country and beyond into Europe. To ensure that investments in new mines, industries, and ports deliver to their full potential, the entire transport chain must function effectively, and complete transport corridors must be established. EFNS therefore proposes that the entire Bothnian Corridor be included in the annex for Projects of Common Interest (PCI):
- Hallsberg/Stockholm–Sundsvall–Umeå–Luleå–Oulu (Bothnian Corridor)
- Luleå–Kiruna–Narvik (Malmbanan/Ofotenbanan) (Bothnian Corridor)
EFNS welcomes the focus on cross-border projects but emphasises the importance of also prioritising domestic infrastructure projects with significant European added value.
The European Commission’s proposal for the new CEF places strong emphasis on cross-border projects, which is positive since such projects have historically received low priority from Member States, despite being crucial for security of supply and competitiveness. That said, there are also many important national projects that constitute bottlenecks, creating major challenges in the transport system and threatening European competitiveness. Large parts of the national infrastructure were built in another era, when the need for capacity and efficiency was not as critical as it is today, resulting in long single-track railway lines with few opportunities to overtake. These bottlenecks severely limit the potential for increased and faster rail traffic, which in turn affects competitiveness.
The same applies to missing links, which must be addressed to create a robust and resilient European transport system. It is therefore important that domestic bottlenecks and other shortcomings are also eliminated, in order to generate European added value through the completion of fully connected transport corridors.
EFNS underlines the importance of developing transport infrastructure in northern Sweden based on both civilian and military mobility – so-called “dual use”.
The current security situation has placed northern Sweden’s military significance, as a central part of NATO and the Arctic region, in sharp focus. Northern Sweden is also of strategic importance in relation to the green industrial transition and the extraction of critical raw materials. This new perspective requires rapid development of transport infrastructure in the north to strengthen both European competitiveness and resilience, as well as to achieve EU climate objectives. A seamless transport network also promotes cohesion by making remote areas more accessible, allowing citizens and local businesses to experience the benefits of a common transport market.
The importance of strengthening routes and nodes in northern Sweden to create redundancy and robustness in the transport system during times of crisis has increased, for example with regard to:
- The Inland Line (Inlandsbanan) together with its connecting transversal routes
- The ports along the Northern coast and the Norwegian Atlantic ports
- The state-owned, regional, and municipal airports in northern Sweden
- The road network in northern Sweden
EFNS underlines that a sufficient share of the successor to the CEF should be allocated to projects that support accessibility in peripheral regions, including at border crossings to third countries.
Due to the geopolitical situation in Europe – with Finland’s long border with Russia closed and likely to remain closed for a considerable period – transport patterns are changing. Future transport solutions must be based on this new reality. The development of the Scandinavian–Mediterranean Corridor will become even more important, but it is equally essential to ensure access to the Norwegian ice-free Atlantic ports along the east–west connections, some of which are part of the comprehensive network in northern Sweden. All ports and nodes along Sweden’s east coast, as well as their counterparts on Finland’s west coast, occupy a position of great strategic importance, and this should also be reflected in the allocation of CEF funding. EFNS therefore proposes that the following routes be included in the annex for Projects of Common Interest (PCI):
- Sundsvall–Östersund–Trondheim (Mittbanan/Meråkerbanan/E14)
- Vasa–Umeå–Storuman–Mo i Rana (E12)
EFNS considers that the Northern Sparsely Populated Areas (NSPA) should be granted broader eligibility criteria for investment aid in airport infrastructure.
Aviation plays a central role in Sweden’s regional development, accessibility, and competitiveness – particularly in parts of the country where distances are great and alternative modes of transport are limited. Air transport contributes to business development, residents’ mobility, and the ability to quickly reach other parts of the country and the world.
The transition towards sustainable aviation is progressing rapidly, with several important initiatives in northern Sweden already under way, including projects related to electric aviation and the production of sustainable aviation fuels. The lack of infrastructure in northern Sweden makes the transport system vulnerable, for example during extreme weather events. When both road and rail traffic are affected simultaneously, air transport becomes the only realistic option to maintain travel, freight flows, and essential public services. The role of aviation within the transport and logistics network is therefore of strategic importance and must be taken into account.
For this reason, EFNS considers that the Northern Sparsely Populated Areas should be subject to broader criteria for investment in airport infrastructure than more densely populated parts of Europe, where alternative modes of transport are available.
EFNS emphasises the importance of enabling investments in transport infrastructure in northern Sweden through the ERDF and Sweden’s National and Regional Partnership Plan (NRPP).
In northern Sweden, EU has contributed to building infrastructure that creates new conditions for innovation and growth — not only through TEN-T and CEF funding, but also through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). This includes the development of intermodal terminals, port infrastructure, the expansion of infrastructure for alternative fuels, and targeted measures for parts of the railway network, all of which are highly important from a regional perspective.
These are types of investments that often struggle to compete at national or European level, or where insufficient funding is allocated within the framework of the county transport plans to achieve tangible improvements. One example is Mittstråket, Sweden’s largest regional fund project, which aims to strengthen the Sundsvall–Östersund–Trondheim route. Mittstråket is a cross-border corridor to Norway — a third country within the TEN-T framework. Similarly, there is great potential for cross-border cooperation between Norway, Sweden, and Finland if the E12 route between Mo i Rana and Umeå, and further across the Gulf of Bothnia to Vasa, is developed. This would facilitate the flow of goods and strengthen redundancy, and should therefore be eligible for ERDF support.
Synergy between EU transport policy and cohesion policy is crucial for developing infrastructure in northern Sweden. EFNS therefore stresses the importance of enabling transport infrastructure investments in northern Sweden through the ERDF and Sweden’s National and Regional Partnership Plan (NRPP) during the next programming period.
Adopted by Europaforum Northern Sweden on 8 October 2025.
| Jonas Andersson (S), Chair, EFNS Region Jämtland Härjedalen | Åsa Ågren Wikström (M) Vice chair EFNS Region Västerbotten | Anders Öberg (S) Region Norrbotten | Jonny Lundin (C) Region Västernorrland |
| Johan Loock (M) Region Jämtland Härjedalen | Rickard Carstedt (S) Region Västerbotten | Carina Sammeli (S) Municipalities of Norrbotten | Erik Lövgren (S) Association of Municipalities Västernorrland |
| Daniel Danielsson (C) Association of Municipalities Jämtland Härjedalen | Ann Åström (S) Region Västerbotten | Isak Utsi (S) Municipalities of Norrbotten | Dan Rasmusson (SD) Region Västernorrland |
| Lars-Gunnar Nordlander (S) Association of Municipalities Jämtland Härjedalen |