Ministerial Committee on European Union Affairs outlines Finland’s positions for upcoming council meetings

In its meeting on Thursday 23, the Ministerial Committee on European Union Affairs outlined Finland’s positions for three council meetings and one informal ministerial meeting taking place next week.

The Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 27 January will discuss trade-related agricultural issues, including the Mercosur agreement, and will exchange views on simplifying performance clearance under the Common Agricultural Policy. The Commission will present two proposals for regulations aimed at strengthening the position of farmers in the food supply chain. Finland welcomes measures to develop the food supply chain and ensure a more equal position for farmers. The Government is currently formulating its positions on the proposed regulations.

The Foreign Affairs Council meeting on 27 January will focus on Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and the EU’s relations with the US. Other items on the agenda include the situations in Georgia and Moldova. The ministers will also hold an informal discussion on hybrid threats.

The General Affairs Council on 28 January will hear a presentation from Poland on the programme for its Presidency, which began at the start of the year. The Council will also continue its annual rule of law dialogue. This meeting’s discussions, based on the 2024 rule of law report, will focus on the situations in Hungary, Portugal, Romania and Slovenia.

At the informal meeting of home affairs and justice ministers in Warsaw on 30–31 January, the home affairs ministers will discuss the management of migration and challenges related to internal security in Europe. They will also hold a discussion on the EU’s preparedness for crises based on Sauli Niinistö’s report on the matter. The justice ministers will discuss the impacts of rule of law challenges on judicial cooperation and the consequences of war crimes committed during Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The future of justice in the EU will also be on the agenda.

Inquiries: Tuomas Tikkanen, Senior Adviser to the Prime Minister in European Affairs, tel. +358 40 523 5768, Satu Keskinen, State Under-Secretary for EU Affairs, tel. +358 40 508 6722 and Marko Ruonala, Project Manager (Communications), tel. +358 50 522 8233, Prime Minister’s Office
 
Agendas for the meetings of the Ministerial Committee on European Union Affairs are available (in Finnish) on the Government website.