Search

30.7.2025 | During the summer, there have been significantly more drownings and serious near misses than usual at public swimming areas. The Ministry of the Interior, the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes), the National Police Board of Finland and the Finnish Swimming Teaching and Lifesaving Federation met on 30 July to discuss safety at swimming areas.

28.11.2025 | Finnish Biodiversity Award 2023–2024 was given to an actor that had done something inspiring to halt biodiversity loss. The winner of the competition was Crowdsorsa mobile game that has already helped fight against invasive alien species in Finland on a total of 4 million square metres. Honourable mentions were awarded to the cities of Kauniainen and Vantaa. The prizes were awarded by Minister of Climate and the Environment Sari Multala.

30.10.2025 | A working group of the Ministry of the Environment and Ministry of Defence has been appointed to explore how nature restoration and other ways to make use of natural barriers can support national defence and border security especially in eastern Finland.

30.11.2021 | Under the migratory fish programme NOUSU led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the State of Finland contributes to the restoration of the Virtaankoski Rapid in the River Tainionvirta that discharges into Päijänne, the second largest lake in Finland. The regulating dam of the small-scale hydropower plant will be demolished to free the river. The company that owns the power plant will be transferred to Hiitolanjoki Voima Oy at the beginning of 2022.

12.8.2025 | The Siikajoki Vapaaksi environmental association is set to restore the Pöyrynkoski rapids, enabling the free ascent of migratory fish in the river. The project was formally launched on Tuesday 12 August at Revonlahti School in Siikajoki, North Ostrobothnia. Formally conveying favourable greetings to the event, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Sari Essayah noted that the project was a superb example of a remediation exercise promoted by local parties and prepared in broad partnership.

24.11.2022 | The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland Antti Kurvinen gave a speech at the Finnish Nature Centre Haltia in Espoo, where high-level European decision-makers convened to explore solutions that forests can offer in the pursuit of good living environments.

12.6.2025 | Nordic Council of Ministers for Fisheries, Aquaculture, Agriculture, Food and Forestry convened at its annual ministerial meeting in Kuopio on 11–12 June 2025. Among the topics discussed were security of supply and opportunities related to the bioeconomy, and the ministers also met young farmers. Ministers from Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark as well as the autonomous regions of Åland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland attended the meeting. Iceland was represented by the State Secretary.

9.10.2024 | On 9 October 2024, the Ministerial Committee on Economic Policy discussed and supported the new outlines for the ownership policy concerning Metsähallitus for 2024–2027. Besides the reconciliation of different needs, new objectives have also been included. Among the topics concerned are the economic benefit from the operations of Metsähallitus to the State and promotion of biodiversity and renewable energy.

25.3.2021 | The Government has submitted a proposal that would place temporary restrictions on freedom of movement and close contacts and introduce a mask mandate in the areas worst affected by COVID-19. The main objective is to reduce the number of encounters and close contacts between people in areas where COVID-19 is spreading rapidly and uncontrollably. The goal is to protect people from the dangerous communicable disease and to safeguard the capacity of the healthcare system.

25.3.2021 | The Government has submitted a proposal that would place temporary restrictions on freedom of movement and close contacts and introduce a mask mandate in the areas worst affected by COVID-19. The main objective is to reduce the number of encounters and close contacts between people in areas where COVID-19 is spreading rapidly and uncontrollably. The goal is to protect people from the dangerous communicable disease and to safeguard the capacity of the healthcare system.

28.4.2020 | The Ministerial Committee on Economic Policy of Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Government has made the ownership policy decisions concerning Metsähallitus for 2020–2024. The new policy measures are based on changes in the environment where we operate and objectives set in the Government Programme concerning, in particular, the carbon neutrality target to 2035, halting the loss of biodiversity and sustainable forestry.

22.11.2024 | As part of the legislative reform of basic education in the arts, the Ministry of Education and Culture has charted the experiences of children and young people participating in basic education in the arts when engaging in the arts as a recreational activity. Children and young people must be consulted in all legislative drafting concerning them. The consultation was conducted using an open online survey.

30.11.2021 | Are you planning to travel abroad? The Foreign Ministry’s Consular Services want to remind travellers of the importance of a passport. This letter gives tips on what to do if you lose your passport during your journey.

26.3.2021 | Prime Minister’s presentation speech at the referral debate in Parliament on the government proposal to Parliament for an act on the temporary restriction of freedom of movement and close contacts. Changes possible during the speech.

5.10.2023 | The Barents Forest Forum, held on 4–5 October 2023, discussed sustainable forestry in the northern areas of Finland, Sweden and Norway. The Forum concluded Finland's two-year chairmanship of the Forest Sector.

9.2.2023 | Finland has around 50,500 civil defence shelters with space for about 4.8 million people. Finland has a sufficient number of places in shelters. Civil defence shelters are located in large cities in particular. The highest number of places in civil defence shelters in relation to the population can be found in the Greater Helsinki area and Pirkanmaa. This is evident in the preliminary data of the Ministry of the Interior’s report.

15.10.2021 | The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has adopted the updated Management Plan for the Lynx Population in Finland and confirmed the hunting quota for lynx for the period 2021–2022. The management plan is a key element of the policy on large carnivores and management of their populations.

16.12.2021 | The Act on licencing requirement to buy real estate for buyers outside the EU and EEA has proved necessary Ministry of Defence Publication date 16.12.2021 10.21 Type: Press release The Act on licencing requirement to buy real estate for buyers out...

7.1.2022 | In its first meeting on Friday 7 January, the ministerial working group on COVID-19 was briefed on the epidemiological situation, the spread of the Omicron variant, the burden on and capacity of the healthcare system, and the progress of vaccinations.

7.1.2022 | In its first meeting on Friday 7 January, the ministerial working group on COVID-19 was briefed on the epidemiological situation, the spread of the Omicron variant, the burden on and capacity of the healthcare system, and the progress of vaccinations.