Search

Governments and ministers You can browse the information on the site by government, minister, ministerial title and ministry. All ministers are listed for each government, along with their terms of office. The information on individual ministers i...

Governments and ministers You can browse the information on the site by government, minister, ministerial title and ministry. All ministers are listed for each government, along with their terms of office. The information on individual ministers i...

Governments and ministers You can browse the information on the site by government, minister, ministerial title and ministry. All ministers are listed for each government, along with their terms of office. The information on individual ministers i...

2.12.2025 | “Ten Economic Development Centres will start operations on 1 January 2026. The reform on regional state administration will create comprehensive and cost-effective state administration services in regions to promote sustainable growth, competitiveness and attractiveness,” Minister of Economic Affairs Sakari Puisto said at a press conference on the launch of the Centres.

28.11.2025 | With the aim of strengthening Finland’s economic growth, speeding up investments and improving employment, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has prepared a growth and employment package in line with the Government’s decisions. The package will be funded by redistributing unused funds from the investment aid programmes in the branch of Government of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. The estimated total amount of funds will be EUR 156 million.

22.12.2025 | On 22 December 2025, the Government adopted a decree on a new grant that employment authorities can use to help companies hire unemployed young people under 30 years of age. This grant is also known as the employment voucher or recruitment subsidy. The subsidy granted to a company covers half of the young person’s salary for six months, but no more than EUR 1,500 per month.

13.11.2025 | With a budget of almost EUR 28 million, the ACWA LIFE project is one of the most significant projects during the history of water resources management in Finland. The eight-year project to be started in the beginning of 2026 will improve the status of waters by enhancing river basin management planning and actions based on this in five areas.

14.11.2025 | The President of the Republic has granted the annual internationalisation awards to three companies and one community. Orion Corporation won the 2025 Growth Company Award. The Newcomer Company Award went to Sensofusion, and Sandvik Mining and Construction was recognised as the Long-term International Investor. The year’s Community Award was granted to the Finnish Startup Community.

7.11.2025 | The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment will hold a public consultation from 7 to 23 November 2025 on a draft government decree setting out provisions on a government grant, which the employment authorities could use to help companies hire unemployed young people under the age of 30. This grant is also known as the employment voucher or recruitment subsidy. It would be awarded to businesses to cover half of the young person’s salary for six months.

28.8.2024 | The status of the Baltic Sea remains predominantly poor. The effects of eutrophication in all sea areas disrupt biodiversity and the functioning of the food network. However, the harmful development may be reversing. Although the change is not substantial from the previous status assessment published in 2018, longer-term monitoring indicates a slight improvement.

17.2.2025 | The Ministry of Transport and Communications requests comments on the draft government proposal concerning the competent authorities in rail transport. Comments can be submitted until 14 March 2025.

20.12.2024 | The start of 2025 will see the entry into force of new acts and decrees. The most important changes in the administrative branch of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment are summarised below.

19.12.2024 | Finland’s Central Government and other operators are applying for a total of approximately EUR 73.36 million in financial support for 11 transport projects from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for Transport. In addition, EU funding is being sought for the acquisition of a new icebreaker. The Ministerial Finance Committee decided in favour of the applications on 19 December 2024.

12.3.2025 | The last projects of the Catch the Carbon package of climate measures ended at the end of 2024. The implementation of the knowledge and climate change resilient solutions produced in the package of 180 measures will continue and be further intensified through cooperation in different parts of the country. The processes to support this include the activities of the National Climate Unit of the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centres).

4.7.2025 | The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has launched an extensive package of measures that aims to strengthen forest growth and carbon sinks on a long-term basis. The package is based on the Government Programme and it will contribute to the achievement of the climate targets. The measures have been prepared in close interaction with stakeholders and researchers. Various actors in the forest sector have a key role in the implementation of the measures.

15.1.2024 | Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centres) have handled their tasks well, albeit with room for improvement in the steering system and agency structure, states a newly published external evaluation report on the agency entity comprising the ELY Centres.

23.9.2024 | The Government submitted its budget proposal for 2025 to Parliament on Monday 23 September. The budget proposal includes proposals on the central government productivity programme in accordance with the Government Programme and the spring 2024 government session on spending limits.

29.4.2025 | FINNISH GOVERNMENT PO Box 23, FI-00023 Government, Finland vn.fi/en Tel. +358 295 16001 VALTIONEUVOSTO PL 23, 00023 Valtioneuvosto vn.fi p. 0295 16001 1(11) Government discussions on the General Government Fiscal Plan 22–23 April 2025 Entries in t...

10.3.2025 | In 2024, about 3,200 hectares of forest habitats were protected under the Forest Biodiversity Programme for Southern Finland METSO. Last year Finnish forest owners protected about 2,900 hectares of forest on a permanent basis and concluded ten-year environmental aid contracts that covered about 260 hectares. About 20 hectares of forest was protected for 20 years and nature managements works were carried out on about 200 hectares.

9.12.2021 | In accordance with the amendment to the decree approved by the Government on 9 December 2021, the tasks laid down for the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment in the Water Services Act will be placed at the South Savo Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment. These tasks are mainly related to different types of controls.