The negotiations between the EU member states and the European Parliament have now reached their goal, which means that the EU will decide that the entire Oslo-Stockholm route will be included in the so-called Scan-Med transport corridor.
This also means that the Oslo-Stockholm route will receive top priority when funds for improving infrastructure within the EU are allocated. Negotiations between the member states in the Council and the Parliament were completed on 18 December.
– This is a very important announcement and an early Christmas present for all of us who want to get a better railway between Oslo and Stockholm. This means that the opportunities for EU funding increase significantly and that there are requirements for the route to maintain a higher standard. It is a logical change. The route should have been designated earlier, but with the changed security situation in Europe and Sweden's application for membership in NATO, the route has become even more important, says Jonas Karlsson, CEO Oslo-Sthlm 2.55.
The Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) aims to develop a priority cross-border European infrastructure network. In the current TEN-T regulation, almost all Nordic capitals are directly connected to each other through the Scandinavia-Mediterranean transport corridor. However, the entire stretch between Oslo and Stockholm has not been included – but EU member states and the Parliament have now agreed to add the stretch.
– It also fits well because we are currently making final adjustments to a CEF application to the EU's Connecting Europe Facility. Precisely to move forward with the investigation work both regarding the section between Örebro and Kristinehamn and to deepen the proposal for how a new railway across the border between Sweden and Norway could be financed and paid for, says Jonas Karlsson.
The work to revise the TEN-T Regulation has been ongoing for a long time. The support of the governments has been absolutely crucial in this work. Both the Swedish and Norwegian governments have stressed the importance of including the entire route between Oslo and Stockholm. The TEN-T Regulation also prioritizes cross-border connections to third countries – that is, even to Norway, which is not a member of the EU.
– The fact that Oslo-Stockholm is now designated as a European transport corridor in TEN-T means that the route will be included as one of the highest priority transport routes in the EU. Formally, decisions will be hammered out in both the Council and the European Parliament during the spring, but the news that everyone agrees on the new TEN-T means that it is practically complete, concludes Jonas Karlsson.
According to the press release.
