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18.2.2026 | The Helmi Habitats Programme has enhanced the understanding of ways to improve the state of nature and created an important foundation for the preparation of the National Restoration Plan.

2.10.2024 | Ministers responsible for forest affairs in Europe signed a declaration on the development of sustainable forest management and decided to set up a facility that will focus on anticipating and managing the risks to forests. The declaration was signed by 35 Member States and supported by more than 20 observer organisations. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Sari Essayah represented Finland at the Conference, held in Bonn, Germany on 1–2 October 2024.

26.11.2021 | Finland has received EU funding to build a rescue team for fighting forest fires. The European Commission granted co-financing for a joint project of the rescue departments of South Karelia, North Karelia, South Savo, North Savo and Kymenlaakso for the procurement of special equipment required for a rescue team fighting forest fires.

29.7.2022 | By decision of the Ministry of the Interior, Finland is sending 50 rescue workers to Greece to help manage wildfires. The Emergency Services Academy is the employer of the posted experts.

21.6.2021 | Every year, Midsummer bonfires lead to forest fires. Most of the fires are due to poor preparations or carelessness. The Ministry of the Interior would like to remind the public that it is always prohibited to light a bonfire when the Finnish Meteorological Institute has issued a forest fire or grass fire warning.

21.6.2022 | Every year, Midsummer bonfires lead to forest fires. Most of the fires are due to poor preparations or carelessness. The Ministry of the Interior would like to remind the public that it is always prohibited to light a bonfire when the Finnish Meteorological Institute has issued a forest fire or grass fire warning.

7.2.2023 | Last year the Finns designated about 4,700 hectares of forest for permanent protection under the Forest Biodiversity Programme for Southern Finland METSO. About 90 hectares were protected for 20 years. The aim of the METSO Programme is to establish 96,000 hectares of new protected areas by 2025. This year there is a record amount of funding available for environmental forestry subsidy agreements.

24.8.2026 | Speech by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo at the Annual Meeting of Heads of Mission hosted by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Helsinki on 24 August 2026. Changes possible during the speech.

2.4.2026 | XYZ (76.0365, 80, 87.1246) Unknown Baseline (0.3851, 0.7169, 0.0971) 3 Cb component: Quantization table 1, Sampling factors 1 horiz/1 vert Y component: Quantization table 0, Sampling factors 2 horiz/2 vert 300 dots per inch Aerial view of blue lak...

1.3.2024 | Czechia has requested assistance in preparing for wildfires through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Finland responds to the request by sending a risk management expert to join the EU’s international team in the country. 

21.8.2024 | Sweden's Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren and Finland's Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Sari Essayah visited the National Emergency Supply Agency on 20 August. The Finnish and Swedish Governments aim to develop economic cooperation, and exchange of information and communications related to security of supply.

14.8.2023 | Finland is deploying the first group of 24 rescue workers on Wednesday 16 August to help Portugal manage wildfires.

1.12.2023 | The International Health Organization WHO has stated that climate change is the single biggest threat facing humanity in the 21st century. According to a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC, approximately 3.6 billion people live in contexts that are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

25.4.2024 | On 25 April 2024, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Sari Essayah signed an updated Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Forestry between the National Forestry Commission of the United Mexican States and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland.

5.9.2022 | Minister of the Interior Krista Mikkonen will attend a coordination meeting convened by the European Commission and the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU on Monday 5 September. The meeting will discuss preparedness for wildfires caused by the climate crisis. The meeting will be attended by ministers responsible for the internal security in the EU Member States and senior officials.

6.5.2021 | Prime Minister Sanna Marin met with Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa on Thursday 6 May in Porto. The main themes of their bilateral meeting were increasing economic cooperation between the countries and topical EU issues. Finland and Portugal have traditionally had good relations, which have been further deepened by EU partnership.

14.12.2021 | Today, ministers responsible for civil preparedness or their deputies from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Finland met via videoconference in the framework of so-called Haga cooperation. Finland’s Minister of the Interior Krista Mikkonen chaired the meeting, which ended Finland’s 2021 chairmanship of the Haga cooperation.

24.7.2024 | Finland will participate in a rescue service deployment by sending 48 experts in international civil protection to Portugal. These experts will be tasked with helping local authorities manage wildfires. The first of two groups will leave for Portugal at the beginning of August.

8.12.2022 | The atmosphere in Tanzania has become more open with the current president. There is a lot of talk about problems with women’s rights, for example, and this makes it easier to promote these rights, according to Finland’s Ambassador to Tanzania Teresa Zitting.

28.2.2022 | According to the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published on 28 February 2022, climate change is a serious threat to human wellbeing. The impacts of climate change are unevenly distributed between regions. More than three billion people are living in extremely vulnerable conditions. Besides actions to mitigate climate change, even more effective adaptation measures are also needed.