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9.3.2026 | EU ministers will convene for a meeting of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council in Brussels on 9 March. Minister of Social Affairs and Health Wille Rydman will represent Finland at the meeting.

15.1.2026 | The changes to be made to social assistance will, for example, strengthen the obligations of recipients to apply for full-time work and primary benefits. The overall reform of social assistance aims to clarify the role of social assistance as a last-resort and temporary form of assistance, prevent social exclusion among young people and strengthen general government finances.

22.9.2025 | The Government has submitted a proposal to Parliament for an act on general social security benefit. In the first stage, the general social security benefit would be a new social security benefit for unemployed jobseekers, replacing labour market subsidy and basic unemployment allowance. The legislation concerning the general social security benefit is scheduled to enter into force on 1 May 2026.

22.9.2025 | The Government proposes a comprehensive reform of social assistance. The changes to be made would, for example, strengthen the obligations of recipients to apply for full-time work and primary benefits. The aim is to clarify the role of social assistance as a last-resort and temporary form of assistance, prevent social exclusion among young people and strengthen general government finances.

15.1.2026 | In the first stage, the general social security benefit will be a new social security benefit for unemployed jobseekers, replacing the existing labour market subsidy and basic unemployment allowance. The legislation on the general social security benefit is scheduled to enter into force on 1 May 2026.

9.5.2025 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health requests comments on a draft government proposal concerning the general social security benefit by 19 June 2025. This is the first stage of the extensive social security reform where different basic social security benefits will be gradually combined into a single general social security benefit.

19.12.2022 | Young people in Iraq are worried about the climate crisis, armed conflicts, unemployment, migration, discrimination and social exclusion, and deficiencies in the education and healthcare systems. They discussed social problems and solutions to them in a workshop on peace building and media skills organised in Erbil.

Ministerial committees and working groups The Government has four statutory ministerial committees with different areas of responsibility: the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy the Ministerial Committee on European Union Affairs...

28.10.2021 | DHAGE is a thought leadership platform for key decision-makers in Europe to identify synergies and nurture collaborations on digital health policies. The 3rd annual workshop of DHAGE took place on 3rd September 2021. The workshop focused on inclusion and exclusion in digital health and care. A report on the meeting and its outcomes is now published.

7.6.2024 | The government proposal for discontinuing mediation in cases of domestic violence has proceeded to the consultation stage. The aim of the proposal is to combat, in particular, violence against women, which is a serious problem in Finland.

23.5.2025 | The assessment plan of Strategic environmental assessment of authorities' plans and programmes (SEA) concerning potential offshore wind farms in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) has been circulated for comments. The assessment is based on the Act on the Assessment of the Effects of Certain Plans and Programmes on the Environment. The national consultation of the assessment is carried out in the Lausuntopalvelu.fi service.

27.5.2019 | The Ultrahack innovation competition culminated in a final arranged last weekend, in which a large group of Finnish and international talents developed solutions for socially significant problems. The Ministry of Finance and the State Business Development Company Vake took part in the competition with their joint Hackers against exclusion challenge. The challenge sought for innovations based on artificial intelligence, which could be utilised to prevent social exclusion of young men.

25.5.2023 | Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen will participate in the Porto Social Forum on 26–27 May 2023. The meeting will discuss the EU’s social dimension, effects of the green and digital transition on the labour market, investments in skills and education, and child poverty.

15.7.2024 | The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) will meet in Brussels on 16 July 2024. The topics on the agenda include labour shortages and skills shortages in the EU, and promotion of the employment and social inclusion of persons with disabilities. Minister of Employment Arto Satonen will represent Finland at the meeting in Brussels.

15.1.2026 | Veikkaus Oy’s monopoly on running gambling games will end. Under the new Gambling Act, the running of betting games, online slot and casino games, and online money bingo will be opened to competition under a licensing system. In its session on 15 January, the Government proposed that the President of the Republic approve the Gambling Act on 16 January. Most provisions of the new act will enter into force on 1 July 2027. 

15.6.2022 | The EU ministers responsible for employment and social affairs will meet at the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) in Luxembourg on 16 June 2022. Finland’s representatives at the Council will be Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen and Minister of Social Affairs and Health Hanna Sarkkinen. 

14.1.2026 | Gendered vulnerabilities of boys and young men must be taken into account when planning education and health and social services. The latest report calls for a shift from gender neutrality to gender-sensitive policymaking that recognises differences between genders and identifies specific needs. It proposes that raising competence levels and preventing violence should be set as shared national goals across all work with children and young people.

5.10.2022 | Minister Hanna Sarkkinen and Commissioner Nicolas Schmit will discuss poverty reduction, promotion of mental health and income security. The meeting between Minister Tuula Haatainen and Commissioner Schmit will address current issues related to working life, such as the platform economy and dialogue between the social partners.

22.2.2021 | On 22 February, the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU will hold an informal videoconference of EU Ministers for Employment, Social Affairs and Equality. Minister of Social Affairs and Health Aino-Kaisa Pekonen, Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen and Minister for Nordic Cooperation and Equality Thomas Blomqvist will represent Finland at the meeting.

7.10.2022 | Commissioner Schmit met Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen and Minister of Social Affairs and Health Hanna Sarkkinen in Helsinki. They discussed issues related to the rights and livelihood of workers as well as homelessness.