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6.3.2026 | In 2025, about 6,600 hectares of forest habitats were protected under the Forest Biodiversity Programme for Southern Finland METSO. Last year Finnish forest owners protected permanently about 3,200 hectares of forest and concluded ten-year environmental forestry subsidy agreements concerning about 3,400 hectares. The area covered by nature management works was about 180 hectares.

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.

22.4.2026 | Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s Government has agreed on the General Government Fiscal Plan for 2027–2030. Both the global economy and Finland’s finances are facing challenges. In its spending limits session, the Government focused on new targeted measures to strengthen people’s confidence in the future and improve the conditions for growth and employment.

8.2.2024 | Last year, almost 10,000 hectares of forest habitats were protected under the Forest Biodiversity Programme for Southern Finland METSO. The ten-year environmental aid agreements concluded by Finnish forest owners covered more than 5,100 hectares of forest and about 4,300 hectares were protected permanently. Besides these, about 90 hectares were protected for 20 years and nature management work was carried out in an area of about 160 hectares.

EN 1 EN SFC2021 INTERREG Programme CCI 2021TC16RFCB013 Title (Interreg VI-A) Finland-Estonia-Latvia-Sweden (Central Baltic) Version 3.0 First year 2021 Last year 2027 Eligible from 1 Jan 2021 Eligible until 31 Dec 2029 EC decision number C(2023)38...

10.9.2025 | 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(4) Budget session of Prime Minister Orpo’s Government on 1–2 September 2025 Entries in the mee...

The amended programme document Interreg AURORA 2021-2027 VERSION 3.0 After reallocation of Interreg NEXT Kolarctic and Interreg NEXT Karelia 1 CCI 2021TC16RFCB027 Title (Interreg VI-A) Sweden-Finland-Norway (AURORA) Version 3.0 First year 2021 Las...

2.9.2025 | The Government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has reached a decision on its budget proposal for 2026. The Government’s decisions aim to support economic growth, which is picking up. Supporting economic growth and continuing responsible fiscal management is necessary to ensure the security of people in Finland and safeguard their access to important services going forward.

28.8.2025 | The citizens’ panel on improving the state of nature has issued a declaration to support the preparation of Finland’s national nature restoration plan. In its declaration, the panel stresses that biodiversity loss should be one of the most important criteria in decision-making.

5.2.2025 | The Forest Biodiversity Programme for Southern Finland METSO (2008–2025) has had a positive impact on forest biodiversity. This is the conclusion of the independent final evaluation of the programme. A working group of the Ministry of the Environment and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is preparing the next period of the programme that will start in 2026.

20.12.2024 | The Ministry of Transport and Communications requests comments on the updates to the national 12-year transport system plan Transport 12 and on the environmental report. The deadline for submitting comments is 5 March 2025.

19.2.2025 | The parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity will convene in Rome, Italy on 25–27 February 2025. The COP16.2 session will continue the negotiations on items that remained open in Cali, Colombia in November. The aim is to reach an agreement on the monitoring, evaluation and financing of the global biodiversity targets. Finland’s delegation will be led by Minister of Climate and the Environment Sari Multala.

28.2.2025 | The resumed session of the UN Biodiversity Conference in Rome reached an understanding on developing the financial architecture for biodiversity and on the monitoring and common review of biodiversity work.

28.6.2022 | The Unit for Sustainable Trade was established at the Department for International Trade last autumn. The Unit promotes discussion about themes linked to sustainable development in trade agreements and multilateral organisations.

17.3.2023 | The climate and ecological crisis and the sustainability gap in general government finances cannot be solved separately. Actions that strengthen general government finances can be targeted so that they systematically take the economy, legislation, taxation, incentives and governance structures towards the green transition. This is the conclusion of the Outlook Review published by the Ministry of the Environment.

16.9.2020 | The Government budget session confirmed that funding for nature conservation will stay at a record high level. Next year the funding targeted to nature conservation will be EUR 100 million higher than in the beginning of the government term. The funds will be used e.g. to implement the habitats protection, restoration and management programme ‘Helmi’ and the Forest Biodiversity Programme for Southern Finland (METSO).

25.4.2022 | The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism proposed by the European Commission would cut imports of products subject to the mechanism from countries not part of the mechanism to Finland by a quarter. The mechanism would have the most significant impact on imports of iron, steel and fertilisers, especially from Russia and China. The effect on Finland’s GDP would be minor.

23.6.2022 | A report published by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment on 23 June 2022 evaluates the development of international and national funding for the green transition in the coming years and analyses its significance for the renewal of Finnish business and industry.

18.12.2020 | On this page, you will find information on the changes that will affect the administrative branch of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment at the turn of the year. You will also find links to further information on each of the changes.

27.10.2020 | The State Business Development Company (VAKE) will be transferred to ownership steering of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment in December 2020. At the same time, its name will change to Ilmastorahasto Oy (Climate Fund). VAKE has until now been part of the ownership steering of the Prime Minister’s Office.