Position of Parliament: Appropriations required for implementing the Transport12 plan must be included in the General Government Fiscal Plan and central government budget proposals

Parliament has submitted a position statement to the Government concerning the Government report on the National Transport System Plan for 2021-2032. The Government submitted the plan as a report to Parliament on 15 April 2021.

The Government considered the statement from Parliament on 2 September 2021.

Parliament approved the following position statement in accordance with a report of its Transport and Communications Committee:

1. Parliament requires the Government to commit to the guidelines of the National Transport System Plan, and to ensure that the appropriations necessary for implementing the plan are included in the General Government Fiscal Plan and central government budget proposals.

2. In order to benefit from the competitive and environmental advantages of digitalisation, transport information and new transport services, Parliament requires the Government to assess the prospects for additional investment in further developing the transport system to promote and apply digitalisation and new transport services.

3. Parliament requires the Government to study the prospects for using electric air transport, especially to cater for shorter journeys, when preparing the next national transport system plan.

4. Parliament requires the Government to ensure that the co-financing model does not modify the basic principles of financial responsibility for transport projects.

The Government will take measures arising from the position of Parliament.

The National Transport System Plan will influence future general government fiscal planning and central government budget proposals.

The budget proposal of the Ministry of Transport and Communications for 2022 includes an appropriation to the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) for operating expenses arising from implementing the National Transport System Plan.

Plan implementation progressing at pace

The National Transport System Plan for 2021-2032 has been published in the Government publication series in Finnish, Swedish and English. Implementation of the plan is already well under way.

The first progress report on measures in the National Transport System Plan will be completed during the autumn.

The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) is working with stakeholders to compile a transport system analysis. The first such analysis for the entire transport system will be completed in September.

The draft transport infrastructure investment programme for 2022-2029 prepared by the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency has been circulated for comments to be submitted by no later than 15 September 2021. The investment programme will be applied when drafting future budget proposals. It is based on a description of transport networks in the transport system analysis, i.e. on the strategic transport network scenario.

Inquiries:

Hanna Perälä, Senior Ministerial Adviser on Transport, tel. +358 50 305 0037, Twitter @PeralaHanna

Kaisa Kuukasjärvi, Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 50 414 0330, Twitter @KuuKaisa