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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.

30.4.2026 | The European countries participating in Santa Marta express their strong support for the Santa Marta First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels and appreciate the leadership as shown by Colombia and the Netherlands. Santa Marta establishes an action-oriented platform to scale up work and to elevate energy transition. This is critical for addressing the climate emergency.

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.

21.11.2022 | The EU General Affairs Council will meet in Brussels on Tuesday 22 November. In the meeting, the Council will exchange views on the long-term impacts of cohesion policy on EU regions and approve conclusions on cohesion policy. Vesa Vuorenkoski, State Secretary to Minister Tytti Tuppurainen, will represent Finland at the meeting.

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.

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.

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.

27.2.2026 | Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Joakim Strand visited Brussels on 24–26 February. The programme for his visit included meetings with Commissioner for Democracy, Justice and the Rule of Law Michael McGrath, Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos and Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms Raffaele Fitto. He also took part in a high-level event focusing on the eastern border regions of the EU.

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

28.10.2025 | According to Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, the Nordic countries have an increasingly important role in the current security policy situation. Prime Minister Orpo attended the meeting of the Nordic prime ministers and heads of government and the Nordic Council’s plenary session in Stockholm on 28 October.

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.

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.

9.4.2025 | Minister of Youth, Sport and Physical Activity Sandra Bergqvist will travel to Kraków and attend the EU Sport Forum on 10 and 11 April. The Minister will take part in the Forum’s panel discussion, together with Ukraine’s Minister for Youth and Sports Matviy Bidny. During her visit, Bergqvist will also meet Kersti Kaljulaid, Chair of the Estonian Olympic Committee, and Glenn Micallef, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport.

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.

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.