Mobility Conference: Managing opposition to major projects is in its infancy in Estonia

31.05.2024

Yesterday's Rail Baltica mobility conference discussed how to create dialogue with communities and prevent opposition to major projects, whether it's building a new factory, nuclear power plant, or highway.

"The war in Ukraine has shown that railways can be a lifeline. They are an important basis for a sense of security and connecting people," said the European Commission's Director-General for Mobility at the conference. Magda Kopczynska"10 years ago, the Rail Baltica project seemed like a crazy idea to many, but now people see that it is starting to come true. There must be visions and they must be implemented, even in the face of challenges," added Kopczynska.

The conference panel discussion attempted to find an answer on how to alleviate people's fears and opposition to new developments, especially large-scale projects. Rõuge Rural Municipality Mayor Britt Vahter and Professor of Urban Studies at Tallinn University Tauri Tuvikene highlighted the need for dialogue and early involvement so that people feel like participants in the project from the very beginning, not bystanders. “Estonian people have reduced themselves to the position of consumers, this is the attitude that I have to receive a service, but I am not involved in creating this service in any way,” noted Vahter and emphasized that this pattern needs to be changed. “Building trust is important and it is a long process,” said Tuvikene. “Every major project is complex, but the process must be structured in such a way that it is as painless as possible,” added Tuvikene.

TREV2 manager who participated in the panel Sven Pertens considered it important to distinguish between those who are against projects for reasons based on personal emotional or real disturbances and those who are fundamentally against everything, and dealing with them must be different. “Everything starts with communication, you have to understand the concerns of the local population and you have to offer them something in return,” said Pertens. Fermi Energia Communications Manager Michael Loide According to him, fear is always a bad advisor: "We need to show people that this thing doesn't bite, it doesn't smell, it's not ugly."

"NIMBY is a current problem across Europe, but that's why the project must be necessary for many and realistically feasible," he said. Catherine Trautman, coordinator of the TEN-T Baltic and North Sea corridor of the trans-European transport network. “Russia's aggressive behavior has radically changed people's perceptions, and in Estonia too, Rail Baltic is increasingly seen as necessary from the point of view of military mobility, and there is less need to explain why it is being built.”

At the end of the conference, the head of Rail Baltic Estonia gave a Anvar Salomets overview of how far the preparations for the railway connection are and what the major problem areas are. Salomets confirmed that the pace is currently moving so that in December 2030, the first train will depart from the Ülemiste terminal, reaching Pärnu in 42 minutes and Riga in under two hours. 12 local stops are planned for the route and there are also plans to launch car and night trains.