BackCPMR Baltic Sea Commission: “Need for EU support for transport in the Baltic Sea Region to Connect the Region”
In line with the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region objective to “Connect the Baltic Sea”, Member Regions of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) Baltic Sea Commission are calling on the European Commission for a “Strong EU support for transport in the Baltic Sea Region in the next EU budget post 2027 to boost EU competitiveness, resilience and security”.
Improving transport connections within the Baltic Sea Region, and together with the rest of Europe is essential for the social, economic and territorial development of the Baltic Sea Region and ensuring security, as pointed out by the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region and its objective to Connect the Region. However, there are still major missing links and bottlenecks that require further work, according the CPMR Baltic Sea Commission regions.
As the European Commission is preparing its proposal for a long-term EU budget post 2027 expected to be published in July 2025, the CPMR Baltic Sea Commission regions urge the European Commission to consider the Baltic Sea Region transport needs and challenges when designing future transport funding instrument.
The current geopolitical unrest has significantly affected transport, logistics, and supply chain security in the Baltic Sea Region. Several regions have experienced a reduction in air, sea, and land connectivity, undermining their economic and socio-economic development.
For the CPMR Baltic Sea Commission regions, the geopolitical unrest combined with the new EU objectives of boosting EU’s competitiveness, security and decarbonisation, require efficient, resilient and sustainable transport infrastructures and connections. Therefore, as the European Commission is entering the last phase of the elaboration of the proposal for a long term EU budget for 2027, the CPMR Baltic Sea Commission regions call on the European Commission to pay due attention to the changed geopolitical realities in the Baltic Sea Region when designing future transport, as well as the financial means behind them.
As the future of the Connecting Europe Facility – Key instrument for financing the Transeuropean Networks (TEN) in transport, energy and digital – is uncertain, the CPMR Baltic Sea Commission regions are calling a standalone transport fund to ensure that projects of high European value are undertaken.
In their position paper, the regions point out the growing strategic importance of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean and North-Sea Baltic Corridors – as well as the connections between them – to contribute to the EU objectives of boosting competitiveness, security, resilience and decarbonisation.
The Baltic Sea Commission regions are also stressing the importance of EU support to military mobility infrastructure in the Baltic Sea Region in a way that strengthens Europe’s resilience and security and reaching the goals stated in the White Paper for European Defence – Readiness 2030 and ensures rapid and secure movement of forces across the Baltic Sea Region. You can read more points in the BSC position paper.
