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21.11.2024 | On Thursday 21 November, the Government submitted its proposal to Parliament to amend the budget proposal for 2025. Some items in the proposal concern the Government's EUR 4 billion investment programme. The proposal will increase the revenue estimate by EUR 67 million and the requirement for appropriations by EUR 405 million.

6.2.2023 | The Ministry of the Environment has published guidelines concerning the priority treatment of projects that promote investments in the green transition in permit procedures. The guidelines are available on the website of the Regional State Administrative Agency. They are intended both for the permit applicants and for the Regional State Administrative Agencies and Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment. 

13.4.2023 | The new act will lay down provisions on the organisation of the activities of patient ombudspersons and social services ombudspersons and their independence, qualifications and duties. It will also include provisions on the processing of personal data.

20.3.2025 | Today, the Government submitted to Parliament a legislative proposal on a new gambling system. The Government proposes to end Veikkaus' gambling games monopoly in betting and in online slot machine and casino games at the end of 2026, and to open the provision of these games to competition.

8.9.2022 | The Government has adopted a government proposal to boost investments in the green transition*. The aim is to reduce Finland’s dependence on fossil energy, increase energy self-sufficiency and move towards an ecologically more sustainable economy. The proposal would prioritise the permit applications concerning investment projects that are important for the green transition in the permit procedu...

16.12.2024 | The Ministry of Transport and Communications requests comments on a draft government proposal for temporarily amending the Act on Transport Services. The proposal aims to centralise data on publicly supported passenger transport services in one place to make the data more accessible. The deadline for submitting comments is 5 February 2025.

17.11.2022 | The Government proposes that a new act be enacted on patient ombudspersons and social services ombudspersons. The act would lay down provisions on the organisation of the activities of patient ombudspersons and social services ombudspersons and their independence, qualifications and duties. The act would also include provisions on the processing of personal data. 

12.3.2025 | A survey by We Foundation shows that groups for extracurricular activity organised by municipalities free of charge as part of the school day provide the majority of the participants with a safe space that is free of bullying, discrimination and racism. The results confirm that groups based on the Finnish model for leisure activities increase student wellbeing and are the only opportunity for many children and young people to have a hobby. The survey covers 20 municipalities of different sizes.

11.10.2024 | The EU energy ministers will convene in Luxembourg on 15 October 2024 for the official Energy Council under the Hungarian Presidency. There are no decisions on the agenda of the meeting. The ministers will discuss follow-up measures to the recommendations of Draghi’s competitiveness report, preparedness for the upcoming winter season and divergence in wholesale electricity prices.

8.12.2022 | The outlook review by officials at the Ministry of Finance highlights measures to improve conditions for prosperity, return general government finances to a sustainable footing, reform public administration and services, and implement the green transition effectively. Corrective action must be taken quickly.

5.1.2022 | The Government has amended the decree on temporary restrictions to the use of the COVID-19 passport referred to in section 58i of the Communicable Diseases Act. The COVID-19 passport cannot be used as an alternative to regional restrictions on public events and customer premises in Åland.

30.12.2021 | The Government has issued a decree amending section 58i of the Communicable Diseases Act to temporarily restrict the use of the COVID-19 passport. The COVID-19 passport cannot be used as an alternative to regional restrictions on public events and customer premises in the hospital districts of East Savo and North Karelia.

27.1.2022 | On 27 January, the Government’s Ministerial Working Group on COVID-19 received an update on the epidemiological situation and the authorities’ assessments of its development. The ministerial working group proposes changes to the restrictions on restaurants and low-risk facilities and events.

7.7.2022 | A new national information system for incident and accident prevention will be procured for the rescue services. The purpose of the procurement is to enhance, harmonise and make transparent the processes of incident and accident prevention, data transfer and practices in rescue services and to enable electronic services for customers. The reform aims to improve the effectiveness of incident and accident prevention and the equality among clients.

19.2.2021 | The Government has submitted to Parliament a proposal for amending two sections of the Communicable Diseases Act. The amendment to section 16 of the Act concerns the right of the Regional State Administrative Agencies and physicians to decide on compulsory health examinations and the amendment to section 22 concerns the obligation of those who have or have been exposed to a communicable disease to provide information about themselves.

25.3.2021 | The latest amendments to the Communicable Diseases Act will clarify the current regulation on compulsory health examinations. In future, people who have or have been exposed to a communicable disease must provide the health authorities with information about themselves. The amendments to the Act that will enter into force on 29 March 2021 will also improve the possibilities of the Border Guard to provide executive assistance.

16.12.2021 | The restrictions on entry at external borders currently in place in Finland will continue and health security measures will be tightened. The relevant Government decision made on 16 December will enter into force on 20 December and will remain in force until 16 January 2022. According to the decision, passengers arriving from outside the EU and the Schengen area will be required, as of 21 Decemb...

6.11.2023 | The Russian salvage vessel Spasatel KarevKarev began to repair Rostelecom’s Baltika telecommunications cable in the Gulf of Finland on 6 November. The company has negotiated with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment concerning the repair of the faulty cable, which is partly located in Finland’s exclusive economic zone.

2.6.2022 | In line with the Government decision of 2 June, the restrictions on entry at Finland’s external borders will continue until 30 June 2022.

17.12.2021 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health requests comments on a draft government proposal according to which the nationwide use of the EU Digital COVID Certificate, i.e. the COVID-19 passport, would also be possible by law when there are no restrictions in force.