Maritime policy

Finland’s goal is to develop maritime policy into one of the country’s key strengths. The Government decided on the guidelines for maritime policy in 2019 and drew up an action plan based on the guidelines in March 2022. These documents form the framework for developing maritime policy.

The Prime Minister’s Office has the overall responsibility for coordinating and developing maritime policy in Finland. Other ministries are responsible for various areas of maritime policy within their competence.

Priorities of maritime policy

The key priorities for maritime policy are the protection of the seas, the maritime cluster, and marine production. The policy guidelines and action plan specify the focus areas of Finland’s maritime policy, which extends to the oceans, and determine the measures needed to reach Finland’s maritime policy objectives.

Protection of the seas

Marine environments, both in the Baltic Sea and globally, are facing ever-increasing pressures: warming and acidification caused by climate change, littering, decline in biodiversity, oil spills and chemical accidents, eutrophication, and overfishing. Finland will increase its influence on the decision-making concerning the governance, protection and sustainable use of the seas and oceans.

Improving and protecting the state of the Baltic Sea has mainly been discussed in Finland’s action programmes for waterways and marine management, the Baltic Marine Environment Commission’s Baltic Sea Action Plan (HELCOM BSAP) and the EU’s Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) and its action plan. The Maritime Policy Action Plan complements these measures, especially at the global level.

• HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) 
• EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) 

Maritime cluster

Oceans and seas provide major opportunities for a sustainable blue economy. The maritime cluster is an important economic operator in Finland. It consists of the maritime industry, shipping and port operations. Net sales in the maritime cluster totalled more than EUR 14 million in 2019, and it employed around 50,000 people that same year. 

Globally, the seas represent the most important transport channel: shipping accounts for more than 80 per cent of transport volumes, and the volume of goods carried by sea is predicted to grow even further. Maritime transport is vital for Finland, as approximately 90 percent of Finnish exports of goods and 80 per cent of imports of goods are carried by sea. Maintaining competitiveness and making use of opening markets are key factors for the growth of the maritime cluster. Maritime transport and the logistics sector as a whole will be facing great changes. The aim is to make maritime logistics a growing industry in Finland to pave way for digitalisation, autonomic transport and emissions abatement.

Marine production

Oceans and seas provide opportunities for sustainable and low-carbon food and energy production. Finland’s competence makes it possible to develop aquaculture at the global level using advanced technology and alternative cultivation methods and species. Finland’s marine energy competence can be developed, scaled and exported with the aim to achieve energy production that is ecological, sustainable and as carbon neutral as possible.

The key priorities for maritime policy are the protection of the seas, the maritime cluster, and marine production. The policy guidelines and action plan specify the focus areas of Finland’s maritime policy, which extends to the oceans, and determine the measures needed to reach Finland’s maritime policy objectives.

Financing of maritime policy

Part of the funding from the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) for the 2021–2027 programming period will be allocated to the implementation of the EU’s Integrated Maritime Policy. The objective of Finland’s action plan for implementing the policy is to promote maritime expertise, maritime surveillance and cooperation between national coastal guards. In line with the action plan, a total of EUR 4.987 million has been reserved for maritime policy measures, of which EUR 4.5 million will be used for mainland Finland.

These measures will be funded in Finland based on a plan approved by the Prime Minister’s Office. A total of EUR 2.7 million of these funds will be allocated for use between 2023 and 2025. The funding has been allocated to individual projects and for a fixed-term open call for applications, which will be announced separately.  The plan, which applies to mainland Finland, was drawn up by a steering group set up by the Prime Minister’s Office with representatives from the ministries responsible for maritime affairs. The authorities in Åland will draw up a separate programme.

The Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment may grant aid for measures referred to in Articles 31–34 of the EMFAF Specific Regulation based on a plan drawn up for the use of funds. 

• European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund | European Commission
• Finland’s programme under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (in Finnish)
• Fisheries in Finland | merijakalatalous.fi