Ms. Merja Kyllönen (born 1977) is a Finnish Member of the European Parliament in the GUE/NGL group. Ms. Kyllönen is an active member in the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN), a substitute in the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety and the co-ordinator of transport issues in her political group. In addition to her work in the committees, she is also a member of the Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, as well as substitute member of the Delegation for relations with Japan.
Ms. Kyllönen is a former Minister for Transport in Finland (2011-2014). During her term as Transport Minister the focus of transport policy was shifted from capacity to customers and a more resource-wise transport system. She started her political career at 19, and has been serving as a councillor in her home town Suomussalmi since 2000. She was a member of the Finnish parliament 2007-2014.
She commutes to Brussels from rural Northern Finland every week and is a heavy user of European transport system. Her ambition is to make transport in Europe smoother, safer and greener. She is the MEP responsible e.g. for European Parliament´s TRAN committee opinion on Digital Single Market strategy and "Situation on Mediterranean" and a shadow rapporteur for report on Sustainable Urban Mobility among many others.