Prime Minister Sanna Marin will take part in the European Council and Euro Summit in Brussels on 23–24 March. The European Council will focus on Ukraine, competitiveness, the single market and the economy, and energy. The meeting will begin with a discussion between the EU leaders and UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

On Wednesday 22 March, the Ministerial Committee on European Union Affairs outlined Finland’s positions for the European Council meeting, the Euro Summit and the meeting of the EU Energy Council, and discussed the proposal for a regulation on CO2 emission standards for new heavy-duty vehicles.

The Helsinki Region Environmental Services HSY has commissioned the Suomenoja wastewater treatment plant in Espoo to carry out an inventory of its equipment, with the aim of donating some of this to Ukrainian wastewater treatment plants. The Ministry of the Environment of Finland supports the donation.

The first UN Water Conference in 46 years takes place in New York on 22–24 March 2023. The Finnish delegation is composed of a broad spectrum of stakeholders representing the water sector. Jaana Husu-Kallio, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, stresses the importance of good governance of water resources, cooperation between the public and private sectors, and the high level of expertise Finland has in water issues.

Finland’s Sámi Parliament and the Finnish Presidency of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council will organise together with the European Parliament a Summit of Barents Euro-Arctic Indigenous Sámi People in Brussels from 22 to 24 March 2023.