European Commission Vice-President Kristalina Georgieva visits Helsinki

The Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Budget and Human Resources, Kristalina Georgieva, will visit Helsinki on Thursday 19 February at the invitation of Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Lenita Toivakka.

During their meeting, Minister Toivakka and Vice-President Georgieva will discuss efficient use of EU resources, in particular the EU budget:

"Europe's key challenge is to spur growth, create more and better jobs, reduce disparities and inequalities and contribute to security in a fragile international environment. The EU's budget is only about one per cent of the Union's GNI and we need to get the most out of every euro to yield results," Vice-President Georgieva and Minister Toivakka said ahead of the visit.

Vice-President Georgieva is also responsible for human resources. This year's competitions for EU careers will be published starting 19 March 2015. The Commission is committed to equal opportunities and has a target of 40% women in management positions by 2019.

"The EU civil service needs a wide range of expertise. I hope to see a large number of Finnish applicants to these international careers," says Minister Toivakka.

During her visit, Vice-President Georgieva will also have a meeting with Prime Minister Alexander Stubb.

Inquiries: Henrik Ruso, Adviser to the Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade, tel. +358 295 160 349, Prime Minister’s Office