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5.3.2024 | On 4 March 2023, the EU Member States, European Parliament and Commission reached a provisional political agreement on a proposal for a regulation on packaging and packaging waste. Finland has taken an active part in the preparation of the regulation. The proposal that was agreed on can be evaluated in further detail only after its final content is available. The proposal is still pending formal adoption by the Member States and Parliament.

16.1.2024 | An adequate number of companies have made the committed to the Green Deal agreement on single-use plastic portion packs. This year, companies will define ambitious reduction targets for their own operations. In Finland further measures are needed to achieve the recycling targets set in the EU for plastic packaging waste.

18.3.2022 | Spain’s recovery and resilience plan focuses on the green and digital transitions, which are also Finland’s priorities. Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari, accompanied by a business delegation, will visit Madrid on 20–23 March to promote cooperation between Spain and Finland.

27.6.2022 | The EU ministers for the environment and climate issues meet in Luxembourg on 28 June, where they will discuss the EU’s Fit for 55 Package. Finland’s representative at the meeting will be Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Maria Ohisalo.

29.6.2022 | The EU target of carbon neutrality by 2050 at the latest was decided during Finland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2019. On 29 June 2022, the EU Environment Council in Luxembourg reached general approaches on the key legislative proposals of the 55% emission reduction target by 2030, i.e. the Fit for 55 package, after long negotiations. 

22.12.2023 | The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has granted approximately EUR 30.9 million in energy investment aid under Finland’s Recovery and Resilience Plan to 12 projects related to energy infrastructure and the electrification and decarbonisation of industrial processes. Minister of Climate and the Environment Kai Mykkänen signed the aid decisions on 19 December 2023.

2.7.2025 | The Ministry of the Environment requests comments on the draft Medium-term Climate Plan. The plan sets out the emissions reduction measures to be implemented in the effort sharing sector. Comments may be submitted from 2 July until 20 August 2025.

22.8.2022 | A recent study by Helsinki Region Environmental Services HSY shows that many people still dispose of their medicines incorrectly. Particularly young people dispose of expired or unused medicines by simply binning them or flushing them down the drain. Older people, on the other hand, most often return such medicines to a pharmacy, which is the correct way. Expired and unused medicines should alw...

11.12.2024 | During May and November, Finland delivered 68 truckloads of civilian material assistance to Ukraine.

26.8.2021 | Finns have returned more unused medicines to pharmacies and collection points. Expired and unused medicines should be taken back to the pharmacy, as they burden the environment when flushed down the drain or thrown in trash or they may end up in the wrong hands. The two-week-long Lääkkeetön Itämeri campaign (drug-free Baltic Sea) starts today, on 26 August, when we celebrate the Baltic Sea Day.

1.3.2022 | The food industry has renewed its commitment to materials efficiency to promote more sustainable food production, distribution and consumption in 2022–2026. The Finnish Food and Drink Industries’ Federation, the Finnish Grocery Trade Association and the Finnish Hospitality Association MaRa have signed the commitment together with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of the Environment.

22.4.2026 | Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s Government has agreed on the General Government Fiscal Plan for 2027–2030. Both the global economy and Finland’s finances are facing challenges. In its spending limits session, the Government focused on new targeted measures to strengthen people’s confidence in the future and improve the conditions for growth and employment.

15.9.2023 | The European Commission’s Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, will visit Finland on 18–19 September 2023. During her visit, Simson will meet Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment Kai Mykkänen, Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Anders Adlercreutz and members of Parliament’s Environment and Commerce Committees.

25.6.2024 | Europe is facing strong economic headwinds. With vulnerable supply chains, high energy costs, and substantial investments needed to reach net-zero, the EU has reached a point where we cannot afford to ignore our competitiveness problems.

27.6.2024 | Emissions from energy production are decreasing substantially but further actions will be needed to reach the national targets and meet the obligations set at the EU level. In particular, further actions will be needed in the land use and effort sharing sectors.

20.12.2021 | On 17 December 2021, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment decided to grant investment aid to four major renewable energy demonstration projects. The total amount of aid granted was EUR 64.12 million.

2.6.2022 | The Medium-term Climate Change Policy Plan presents the package of measures by which Finland will halve emissions from the effort-sharing sector by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2035. The Government approved and gave to Parliament the Report on the Medium-term Climate Change Policy Plan on 2 June 2022.

20.10.2022 | A group of Finnish missions abroad has published a concise package of information about responsible business conduct (RCB) in their target countries. Each mission has prepared an RCB report to give companies an easy access to information about the business environment in their target country, covering topics such as rights in work life, protection of the environment and prevalence of child labour. All reports are available in the Team Finland online service Market Opportunities.

13.12.2021 | According the OECD’s review, the development of Finland’s environmental policy has been positive in recent years. The OECD considers the carbon neutrality target and targets related to promoting biodiversity and a circular economy as highly relevant. However, the current measures will not be enough to reach the targets that have been set and, according to the OECD, this will be a challenge for Finland in the coming decade.

4.8.2023 | Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, approximately one third of the energy used in Finland was imported from Russia. That share was reduced almost to zero in a few months, and the energy war launched by Russia increased consumer prices remarkably. As the energy markets have changed, it is the time to look how Russian energy was replaced and what more permanent effects trade changes will have.