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27.11.2024 | Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Joakim Strand will represent Finland at the EU General Affairs Council meeting on cohesion issues in Brussels on Thursday 28 November. The main theme of the meeting will be a discussion on the future management model for cohesion policy.

29.11.2023 | The EU General Affairs Council (GAC) will meet in Brussels to discuss cohesion issues on Thursday 30 November. The Council will exchange views on the implementation of the EU’s regional and structural policy and approve conclusions on the future of cohesion policy. Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Anders Adlercreutz will represent Finland at the meeting.

1.6.2022 | The EU ministers responsible for cohesion policy will meet at the General Affairs Council in Luxembourg on Thursday 2 June. The Council will exchange views on the eighth Cohesion Report, entitled ‘Cohesion in Europe towards 2050’, and adopt Council conclusions on it. Vesa Vuorenkoski, State Secretary to Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Tytti Tuppurainen, will represent Finland at the meeting.

24.2.2020 | The Finnish Federation for Social Affairs and Health (SOSTE), a national umbrella organisation for Finnish health and social services organisations, is preparing for the next structural fund period with two key themes in mind: developing health and social services and promoting inclusion and employment. The federation approaches regional development through promoting wellbeing for people in the intermedi...

29.9.2020 | EU ministers responsible for regional and structural policy, or cohesion policy, will hold a high-level video conference on 29 September to discuss ways of using the EU’s recovery instrument in the Member States to address the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. State Secretary Kimmo Tiilikainen will represent Finland at the meeting on behalf of Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä.

28.2.2025 | At its meeting on Friday 28 February, the Ministerial Committee on European Union Affairs discussed Finland’s positions for influencing the EU’s regional and structural policy (cohesion policy) funding in the next multiannual financial framework (2028–). 

24.6.2019 | On 25 June, Minister for European Affairs Tytti Tuppurainen will attend the General Affairs Council on cohesion policy in Luxembourg. At the Council meeting the current Presidency Romania will give an overview of the progress made in the negotiations on cohesion policy, i.e. the legislative package for cohesion policy 2021–2027. Also on the agenda is a discussion on the link between cohesion policy and the European Semester.

15.6.2020 | Ministers of the EU Member States responsible for cohesion policy will hold a video conference on 15 June 2020 to discuss ways of promoting the recovery of the EU economy from the COVID-19 crisis with regional and structural policy programmes.

31.1.2024 | The REACT-EU additional funding allocated to regions and sectors most affected by the coronavirus pandemic has largely met the long-term development needs of companies and entrepreneurs. According to a recently completed final evaluation of the REACT-EU additional funding, the funding has been implemented successfully, considering the other pandemic-related funding instruments used at the same time.

14.11.2025 | The EU General Affairs Council (GAC) will meet in Brussels on Monday 17 November. The main themes of the meeting will be the EU’s next multiannual financial framework, the annual rule of law dialogue and preparations for the December European Council. Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Joakim Strand will represent Finland at the meeting.

10.12.2025 | A new OECD report, prepared at the request of the European Commission, sets out a roadmap to strengthen resilience, competitiveness and security in Finland’s eastern border regions. The report was launched in Helsinki on 10 December.

16.9.2019 | Finland aims to improve the understanding of EU decision-makers of the fact that wellbeing and economic policy should be dealt with hand in hand. This theme will be discussed at the High-level Conference on the Economy of Wellbeing in Helsinki on 18–19 September 2019. The economy of wellbeing is one of the main themes of Finland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU, and the conference is one of the main events organised by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health during the Presidency.

13.11.2025 | In its meeting on 13 November, the Ministerial Committee on European Union Affairs outlined Finland’s positions on the European Commission’s proposal for the multiannual financial framework, which will serve as the Union’s long-term budget for 2028–2034. The ministerial committee on also outlined Finland’s positions three council meetings to be held next week.

17.2.2020 | Preparations for the forthcoming structural fund period are well under way in Southern and Western Finland, with active participation from all Regional Councils and ELY Centres. Partnerships play a key role in preparations conducted at the national level, according to Tiina Huotari, Chair of the working group in charge of preparations in Southern and Western Finland, from the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council.

19.2.2020 | Coordinator Mauri Yltiö from the Ministry of the Environment tells about the smooth cooperation within the ministry in preparing for the next structural fund period. The Ministry of the Environment has a joint working group to deal with matters relating to the structural funds and cohesion policy, composed of key experts and with broad representation of the ministry’s departments. Digital workspaces are used to facilitate the cooperation and flow of information.

17.9.2025 | Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Joakim Strand gave a keynote Address to the Institute of International and European Affairs on the 17th of September 2025 in Dublin, Ireland. Check against delivery.

8.8.2025 | The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment proposes appropriations of approximately EUR 3.49 billion for its administrative branch for 2026. This is EUR 179 million less than in the 2025 Budget.

22.1.2025 | European Commission Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms Raffaele Fitto will visit Finland on 22–24 January at the invitation of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo. Topics on the agenda for the visit include the EU’s next multiannual financial framework, the situation at Finland’s eastern border with Russia and the reform of EU cohesion policy.

28.11.2019 | The Government has reached a decision on the operational programme for Finland under the EU’s regional and structural policy for the period 2021–2027. Decisions were taken on the number of programmes, priorities and the share of national activities in the funding.

22.11.2024 | In its meeting on Friday 22 November, the Ministerial Committee on European Union Affairs discussed Finland’s positions on the European Commission's annual EU enlargement package.