Rail transport agreement between Finland and Russia submitted to Parliament

On 30 December 2015 the Finnish Government submitted to Parliament a proposal to adopt an agreement concerning direct international rail transport services between Finland and Russia. The agreement was signed in St. Petersburg on 28 April 2015, and the European Commission approved it on 5 August 2015.

The new agreement clarifies the rules and operability of rail transport services. It allows all rail transport undertakings located in Finland or elsewhere in the European Economic Area to operate in the Finnish rail network in rail transport services between Finland and Russia.

The agreement will not open up Russia's internal railway markets to undertakings operating in the EU, nor will it open Finnish markets to Russian railway operators.

The new agreement replaces the agreement, and its appendices, of 1997 on connecting railway transport. Both the new agreement and its technical appendices are meant to enter into force at the same time in 2016. The agreement must be ratified and it will come into force in 30 days after the exchange of the ratification documents. It is concluded for an unlimited period of time.

About the Ministry of Transport and Communications

The Ministry of Transport and Communications is responsible for two broad sectors: transport policy and communications policy.

The Ministry's responsibilities include transport systems and networks, transport of people and goods, traffic safety, and issues relating to climate and the environment.
In the communications sector, the Ministry takes care of issues relating to communications networks, information security and data protection, information society policy, the mass media, and postal services.