For Europaforum Northern Sweden, it is important to participate in the shaping of the corridors and maps and the parts eligible for funding. Europaforum Northern Sweden therefore stresses on the importance to extend the TEN-T Core Network Corridor Scandinavian-Mediterranean (Scan-Med) to northern Sweden. Europaforum Northern Sweden wishes to establish the concept of "The Artic Triangle" as an extension of the Core Network Corridor Scandinavian-Mediterranean (Scan-Med) and as a priority along other priorities witihn Scan-Med.

In brief - The view of Europaforum Northern Sweden (EFNS)  on shaping the future of the CEF

- The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) is an important tool for extending the Core Network Corridor Scandinavian-Mediterranean (Scan-Med) to include the Bothnian Gulf in northern Sweden (and the North Sea Baltic corridor, to include the Bothnian Gulf in northern Finland) to be implemented in the next CEF Regulation as of post 2020, as the concerned infrastructures are identified on the core TEN-T network. In addition, the Scan-Med Corridor could also include a connection to the port of Narvik in Norway.

- The extension could define and introduce the “Arctic Triangle” as an additional priority to the Scan-Med, along other priorites like the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link and the Brenner Base Tunnel.

- The Arctic Triangle in the Scan-Med corridor would consolidate the engagement of the EU and its role as a key player in the development of the Arctic region.

- The extension of the Core Network Corridors to the northern parts of Sweden (and northern Finland and Norway) includes, in addition, an important measure to promote territorial cohesion and growth, strengthening the relevance of EU on local and regional level.

The adopted position will be submitted to and communicated with the Swedish government, Members of the European Parliament, the European Commission and other relevant bodies at EU level.

Read the adopted position with concrete proposals here:

Europaforum Northern Sweden Postion paper on mid-term evaluation of CEF

The Position process at Europaforum Northern Sweden (EFNS)

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 knowledge arena where EU policies are analysed and discussed as regards how they affect northern Sweden. EFNS monitors European issues to influence EU legislation, the EU’s strategies and action programmes and the EU’s budget. The objective of EFNS is to safeguard the interests of northern Sweden both in the European arena and in relations to the national level in matters with a clear European perspective.

At each European Forum adopted a number of position papers, political declarations of intent related to a particular area of ​​expertise in European policy affecting northern Sweden. The position papers are common political positions of the four northernmost counties and used to influence political processes in EU policy. For each European Forum prepared a number of positions adopted at the conference.

Background 

EFNS views are adopted on the basis of in-depth dialogue held with the  European Commission regarding the extension of Core Network Corridors and more specifically Scan-Med to Northern Sweden and European Arctic. It is also based on our previously adopted position paper on mid-term evaluation of the White paper for transport policy in which we argue for extension and inclusion of our sections pre-identified in "Other parts of the Core Network" Annex 1 of CEF, in the structure and work of the Core Network Corridors and more specifically Scan-Med. 

Read more on relevant undertaken activities:

High-level meeting Pat Cox and representatives for Norrbotten and Västerbotten in Cophenahgen (July 2015)

High-level visit of Pat Cox to Luleå and Kiruna (May-June 2016)

EFNS Posion Paper on mid-term evaluation of the White Paper on Transport: "Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area – Towards a competitive and resource efficient transport system"

/Mona Mansour