On 8 October 2025, Europaforum Northern Sweden (EFNS) adopted a position paper on the European Commission’s proposal for a Regulation on the Connecting Europe Facility (Transport) (CEF). Europaforum Northern Sweden welcomes the proposed increase in the CEF budget and the designation of the Umeå–Luleå–Oulu corridor as a project of common interest. At the same time, EFNS emphasises that a sufficient share of the successor to the CEF should be allocated to projects that enhance accessibility to peripheral regions within the comprehensive network, including at border crossings to third countries. In addition to the focus on cross-border projects in the budget proposal, which EFNS welcomes, national infrastructure projects with significant European added value should also be prioritised.
Given northern Sweden’s strategic importance for civil preparedness, the green transition and access to critical raw materials, a well-developed infrastructure is essential. The changing geopolitical situation, following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, together with the need to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, has demonstrated the importance of seamless transport connections within the EU, as well as to third countries.
The Bothnian Corridor – Central to Swedish and European Industrial Development
The Bothnian Corridor and its connecting routes are central to Swedish and European industrial development and competitiveness. However, bottlenecks in northern Sweden threaten to undermine the full European added value of these transport corridors and risk slowing progress — not only in northern Sweden, but across the entire country and beyond into Europe. To ensure that investments in new mines, forestry, industries and ports deliver their full potential, the entire transport chain must function effectively, and complete transport corridors must be established.
“To fully realise the benefits of investments in transport infrastructure, a system-wide perspective is required. We welcome that the Umeå–Luleå–Oulu route has been included as a Project of Common Interest (PCI) in the European Commission’s proposal, but we propose that the entire Bothnian Corridor be included in the PCI annex. Otherwise, we risk creating a lasting bottleneck along the East Coast Line and the Ådalen Line — right in the middle of the Scandinavian–Mediterranean Corridor,” notes Erik Lövgren, coordinating rapporteur of EFNS’s working group on infrastructure and spatial planning.
New Transport Needs in the New Security Context
Changing geopolitical circumstances are creating new cross-border transport needs and increasing the importance of well-functioning transport routes. The altered security situation has also highlighted northern Sweden’s military and strategic role as a key part of NATO and the European Arctic. EFNS emphasises that these new conditions require a rapid expansion of transport infrastructure in the north to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, preparedness and cohesion, as well as to achieve the EU’s climate objectives.
In this context, ports and nodes along Sweden’s east coast and Finland’s west coast hold particularly important positions. EFNS stresses that this should be reflected in the priorities for CEF funding.
Northern Sweden Needs Broader Investment Criteria for Airport Infrastructure
EFNS underlines the central role of aviation in Sweden’s regional development. In northern Sweden, where transport infrastructure is limited, air travel is crucial for ensuring passenger mobility, freight flows and essential public services. EFNS therefore argues that broader investment criteria are needed for airport infrastructure in sparsely populated northern regions than in more densely populated parts of Europe. Without broader criteria for airport investments, transport connectivity in the northern sparsely populated areas is at risk.
Synergy Between EU Transport and Cohesion Policies
The EU has contributed to building infrastructure that creates new conditions for innovation and growth in northern Sweden. This has been made possible through both TEN-T and the CEF funding, as well as resources from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). EFNS stresses the importance of enabling continued investment in transport infrastructure in northern Sweden through these EU funding instruments also in the next budget period. Without synergy between EU’s transport and cohesion policies, the development of infrastructure in northern Sweden is at risk.