Finland Supports EU Passenger Package to Improve Rail Travel and Passenger Rights
The Finnish Government has submitted a Union communication to Parliament regarding the European Commission’s proposals for a Passenger Package, expressing broad support for its objectives while emphasising the need for proportionate regulation. The package, presented by the Commission on 13 May 2026, aims to simplify cross-border and multi-operator rail travel, strengthen passenger rights, and improve digital ticketing systems.
The Government views the proposals positively, stating that they could enhance travel convenience, ensure fairer competition among service providers, and provide stronger protections for passengers (Finnish Ministry of Justice). However, it stresses that the regulations must not impose excessive administrative burdens on businesses or public authorities.
Key Proposals and Finland’s Position
The Passenger Package consists of three main proposals:
- Rail Ticketing – The regulation would require railway operators to make tickets available in a way that allows them to be combined into a single ticket for journeys involving multiple operators. Companies with significant market power would also be required to open their ticketing channels to competitors, improving price transparency and market access (Finnish Ministry of Justice).The Government supports this goal but calls for further assessment of its impact on regional and local rail services. It insists that national exemptions for local services must be preserved to avoid unnecessary disruptions (Daily Finland).
- Passenger Rights – The proposal seeks to ensure consistent passenger protections, even for journeys involving multiple railway operators. Under the new rules, passengers would have clearer rights to reimbursement, rerouting, compensation, and assistance in case of disruptions (Finnish Ministry of Justice).
- Multimodal Booking Services – The regulation aims to improve ticket availability and fairness in digital mobility services by setting rules for commercial agreements between transport operators and booking platforms. Small and medium-sized providers, which dominate Finland’s market, would be exempt from certain obligations (Daily Finland).While supporting the objectives, the Government argues that the scope and definitions of the proposal need clarification to ensure that obligations are necessary, proportionate, and fair (Finnish Ministry of Justice).
Next Steps in the EU Process
The Union communication will now be debated in Parliament. At the EU level, negotiations on the Passenger Package will begin in July, with Member States and the European Parliament set to define their positions on the Commission’s proposals (Finnish Ministry of Justice).
