Uusimaa and Brandenburg push for EU funds to boost Helsinki–Central Europe transport links

Uusimaa Regional Council will deepen cooperation with Germany’s Brandenburg to strengthen transport links between Finland and Central Europe, focusing on EU core network corridors that connect Helsinki and Uusimaa to Sweden, the Baltics, Poland and Germany.

The Helsinki region occupies a strategic position where three Trans-European Transport Network corridors meet. One axis, Stockholm–Turku–Helsinki, offers a Scandinavian route to Germany and Italy. Another, Tampere–Helsinki–Tallinn–Warsaw, ties Finland into Baltic and Central European markets. A Helsinki–Tallinn link, including a proposed tunnel, is expected to gain importance once Rail Baltica is completed.

Helsinki Deputy Mayor Johanna Laisaari called a Helsinki–Tallinn tunnel a project that would "strengthen Finland’s connection to Europe in an entirely new way," saying it would complement Rail Baltica and create a direct rail link through Tallinn, the Baltic states and Poland. Uusimaa’s regional director Tuija Telén warned that changes in the security environment make tighter ties to Central Europe both an economic and security priority.

There is a rare funding window in the EU’s proposed 2028–2034 budget. The Commission would raise transport funding from €25.8 billion to €51.5 billion, with €17.65 billion earmarked for military mobility and dual-use infrastructure. Telén called the increase "an important opportunity for Finland" but stressed the region must be ready to direct money to projects that boost cross-border connectivity. The emphasis on EU transport funding is significant for Tampere, which has recently lobbied Brussels to fast‑track the Helsinki–Tampere rail link a lobbying effort reported earlier.

Brandenburg is seen as a natural partner for EU-level advocacy because the German state acts as a gateway to Central European markets. "Germany’s large market and good links to Poland and the Baltics create mutual interest in improving north–south and east–west connections," said Brandenburg’s infrastructure minister Robert Crumbach. Uusimaa and Brandenburg also cooperate within the Scandria Alliance, where Telén serves as vice-chair; the network promotes development of the Scandinavian–Mediterranean corridor.