Ministerial working group discussed regional divisions

The ministerial working group decided that the new regional administrative authorities shall be entitled the Centre for business and industry, transport and the environment and the Regional administrative agency. During the preparatory phase, the authorities were referred to as the 'Centre for business and industry, transport and natural resources' and the 'Regional administrative agency'.

The ministerial working group decided to divide the Regional administrative agency’s operating districts in eastern and southern Finland as follows: the regional administrative agency shall comprise 1) Uusimaa, Itä-Uusimaa, Kanta-Häme, Päijät-Häme, South Karelia and Kymenlaakso in southern Finland, and 2) Pohjois-Savo, North Karelia and Etelä-Savo in eastern Finland.

The ministerial working group also decided that the Regional administrative agency shall have six head offices to be laid down in a government decree. They will be located in Rovaniemi, Oulu, Mikkeli, Hämeenlinna, Turku and Vaasa.

Furthermore, the Regional administrative agency shall have six branch offices also to be laid down in a government decree. They will be located in Tampere, Jyväskylä, Kuopio, Kouvola, Helsinki and Joensuu.

The ministerial working group decided that the Centre for business and industry, transport and the environment shall include 13 responsibility areas concerning natural resources and the environment.

Schedule for further action

The Ministerial Working Group for Public Administration and Regional Development will continue discussing the proposals made by the auxiliary working groups of the Reform Project on 3 December. The government draft proposal for new legislation concerning regional administration will be discussed at the end of the year 2009. At the end of March, the ministerial working group will reconsider the government draft proposal after the proposal has been circulated for comments in February/March. The parliamentary discussion on the government draft proposal will begin in April.

Reform Project for State Regional Administration in brief

The purpose of the Reform Project for State Regional Administration is to augment the powers of the regional councils as coordinators of regional development activities. The tasks of the regional administrative authorities will be divided among two new organs, bringing together in a new format the existing six organisations (State Provincial Offices, Employment and Economic Development Centres, Regional Environment Centres, Environmental Permit Authorities, Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorates and Road Regions). The new authorities will be the Centre for business and industry, transport and the environment and the Regional administration agency. The aim is to create a system of regional state administration which builds on citizens’ and customers’ needs, and works in an effective and productive way. In accordance with the Government Programme, the reform will be implemented at the beginning of 2010.

The Chair of the Ministerial Working Group for Public Administration and Regional Development is Mari Kiviniemi, Minister of Public Administration and Local Government, while Jyri Häkämies, Minister of Defence serves as the Vice-Chair. The group’s members are Mauri Pekkarinen, Minister of Economic Affairs, Astrid Thors, Minister of Migration and European Affairs, Jan Vapaavuori, Minister of Housing and Tuija Brax, Minister of Justice. Director General Silja Hiironniemi of the Ministry of Finance and Industrial Counsellor Marjukka Aalto of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy serve as Secretaries General to the group.

Further information: Timo Reina, State Secretary, tel. +358 500 805 158, Silja Hiironniemi, Director General, tel. +358 40 527 9912 and Tapio Välinoro, Secretary General, tel. +358 500 677 285, Ministry of Finance