Transport, Urban Policies and Entrepreneurship: Brandenburg and Helsinki-Uusimaa call the EU Commission for a regional approach
In June 2024, the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region and the State of Brandenburg took a significant step forward in their collaborative efforts by signing a Joint Declaration, in which both parties committed to cooperate in areas such as innovation, transport, and research policies. In addition to university and research partnerships, coordinating and discussing possibilities to encourage start-ups, and possible joint applications for EU-funded projects, both partners also agreed to coordinate their advocacy work at the European level. Recently, the partnership was acknowledged by the newly formed government coalition in their coalition agreement.
Building on this framework, representatives from Brandenburg’s Ministry of Finance and for European Affairs were hosted at the Helsinki EU Office. The discussions focused around the topics of transport, cohesion, and urban policies, as well as promoting entrepreneurship.
In regard to enhancing transport links, both parties identified the improvement of European rail infrastructure as a key cooperation point. Both regions look towards the Baltics and Poland. Poland, which borders to Brandenburg, is also a key transport knot in the Rail Baltica project, which connect Tallinn via Warsaw to Berlin. Brandenburg is also the host organisation of Scandria Alliance, a network of regions working on climate-smart multimodal transport connectivity. Helsinki-Uusimaa’s Regional Mayor Tuija Telén is the vice-chair of the Scandria Alliance.
In the field of regional and urban policies Brandenburg and Helsinki-Uusimaa see eye to eye on several issues. These include the importance of designing the EU’s next cohesion and urban policies together with regions. Both will advocate this on a European level.
Furthermore, building on the fact that Helsinki-Uusimaa is Europe’s second most innovative region, both Brandenburg and Helsinki-Uusimaa encourage European decision-makers to develop policies which support entrepreneurship in order to develop new European frontrunners.
For Brandenburg it is important to work with likeminded regions on the European level in advocacy work, commented Reiner Kneifel-Haverkamp, Director General for European Affairs, Brandenburg Ministry of Finance and European Affairs. Janne Leino, Director of Helsinki EU Office, added that this is especially important now, as the new European Commission has just started its work on formulating the next EU budget for the period after 2027.
This partnership underscores the commitment of both regions to work together towards shared goals and enhance their contributions at the European level.