Ministerial Committee on EU Affairs discusses first EU visa policy strategy

In its meeting on Friday 27 March, the Ministerial Committee on European Union Affairs discussed the EU’s visa policy, migration management and the Digital Networks Act. The ministerial committee also outlined Finland’s positions for two council meetings to be held next week.

The Ministerial Committee on EU Affairs outlined Finland’s positions on the first EU Visa Strategy, which the European Commission adopted in January. In Finland’s view, visa policy can help make Europe safer and more economically prosperous. Finland shares the Commission’s view that the visa system needs tools to respond to hostile actions by third countries. Finland also supports using the Visa Code to foster cooperation with third countries on the return and readmission of their nationals, as well as improving the monitoring of visa-free schemes.

The Ministerial Committee on EU Affairs also outlined Finland’s positions on the European Asylum and Migration Strategy adopted by the Commission in January. The strategy aims to support the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum. It sets out the EU’s political objectives on asylum and migration, with concrete actions for implementing migration policy over the next five years.   

A further item on the agenda was the Digital Networks Act, a comprehensive legal framework aiming to modernise, simplify and harmonise the EU’s regulation on communications networks. The proposal concerns various sectors of the single market for electronic communications, including radio spectrum management, telecommunications sector licensing, regulation of significant market power, consumer protection, universal service and cooperation on preparedness. Finland’s positions will be made public once they have been discussed at a government session. 

The ministerial committee also outlined Finland’s positions for two upcoming meetings:
•    Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 30 March
•    Informal meeting of competitiveness ministers (Research) on 30–31 March

The Agriculture and Fisheries Council will discuss the vision for agriculture and food, trade-related agricultural issues and the energy transition in the EU fisheries and aquaculture sectors. 

The informal meeting of competitiveness ministers will focus on harnessing Europe’s innovation potential in developing competitiveness. 

Inquiries: Elisa Tarkiainen, Special Adviser (EU Affairs), tel. +358 295 160 363, Minna Kivimäki, State Secretary for EU Affairs, tel. +358 295 160 431 and Anne Sjöholm, Head of Communications for EU Affairs, tel. +358 40 537 0733, Prime Minister’s Office