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Working at the Prime Minister’s Office The Prime Minister's Office is a unique workplace that offers meaningful work at the heart of central government. The office promotes collaboration between the Government and the branches of administration. A...

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...

5.3.2024 | On 4 March 2023, the EU Member States, European Parliament and Commission reached a provisional political agreement on a proposal for a regulation on packaging and packaging waste. Finland has taken an active part in the preparation of the regulation. The proposal that was agreed on can be evaluated in further detail only after its final content is available. The proposal is still pending formal adoption by the Member States and Parliament.

22.6.2022 | The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has appointed an advisory board for Työkanava Oy, which may issue recommendations on how the company’s operations can be carried out in a market-based manner while maintaining competition neutrality.

18.11.2022 | Minister of Education Li Andersson has awarded eight education providers 13 new authorisations to provide vocational education and training to complete a qualification as of 1 January 2023. The decision will expand the supply of education in English especially in the fields of cleaning and property services, accommodation, restaurant and catering services, tourism services, health and social services, and mechanical engineering and production technology.

4.6.2020 | Businesses in the food and beverage service sector can receive support for job retention and the re-employment of employees once their activities resume, along with compensation for the restrictions on their activities due to COVID-19. The support and compensation will be granted by the KEHA Centre, which provides development and administrative services for the Centres for Economic Development, Transp...

8.2.2022 | On Tuesday 8 February, the Ministerial Working Group on Coordinating COVID-19 Response continued the preparations for implementing the decisions made in the Government’s negotiations last week. The ministerial working group also decided in favour of lifting the recommendation on remote work at the end of February. Decrees on easing restaurant restrictions and extending the suspension of the use of the COVID-19 passport in its current form are under preparation.

24.3.2020 | Finland is currently in a state of emergency because of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, and in order to prevent the spread of the virus, restaurants, cafés and licensed premises will be closed to customers as soon as possible. On 24 March 2020, the Government submitted a government proposal on the matter to Parliament, which will bring the matter into discussion immediately. The purpose of these actions is to protect the population and to safeguard the functioning of society.

24.4.2020 | In its negotiations on 24 April, the Government heard a report on the situation in the restaurant sector. The Government held a preliminary discussion on compensation for the losses incurred due to restaurant closures.

28.5.2020 | The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has issued its third situation report collating follow-up data on how the coronavirus epidemic affects companies and the labour market as well as the service capacity and operating environment in the Ministry’s administrative branch. This third report focuses on employment and financial support for businesses.

2.2.2022 | In its meeting on Wednesday 2 February, the Government was briefed on the current epidemiological situation, discussed updates to its COVID-19 strategy and assessed the lifting of restrictions. The Government also decided on preparations for updating the COVID-19 passport.

19.11.2020 | To curb the spread of COVID-19, the activities of food and beverage services businesses, that is restaurants, bars and cafes, will be restricted depending on the epidemiological situation in the region. The main rule is that, in the five regions where the COVID-19 epidemic has reached the acceleration phase, food and beverage service businesses must continue to follow tighter restrictions than the rest of the country.

10.9.2021 | The webinar is a kickoff for creating a constructive dialogue about Nordic food culture and its different drivers for promoting sustainable lifestyle. It’s time to explore the Nordic Kitchen Manifesto as a catalyst in creating a new tool for a constructive dialogue to match the different sustainability perspectives of just food systems in the Nordics.

4.2.2021 | On 4 February, the Government submitted to Parliament a proposal for an act on temporarily amending the Communicable Diseases Act. The amendment would extend the validity of the provisions on restrictions concerning food and beverage service businesses, namely restaurants, bars and cafes. The current Act on Temporarily Amending the Communicable Diseases Act is in force until 28 February 2021. W...

29.5.2020 | On 1 June, restaurants and cafes will be opened to customers throughout the country with certain restrictions. The Act on Temporarily Amending the Communicable Diseases Act will enter into force at the same time and be applicable between 1 June 2020 and 31 October 2020.

29.5.2020 | On 29 May 2020, the President of the Republic confirmed the act on support for job retention and re-employment and compensation for the restriction of activities for companies in the food and beverage service sector. In the first week of June, the Government will issue a decree on the entry into force of the new act. The Act is scheduled to enter into force on 5 June 2020.

26.11.2020 | The Government proposes a legislative amendment concerning the support and compensation paid to food and beverage service sector businesses. The amendment will reduce the administrative burden and costs of small companies by simplifying the accounting obligations regarding compensation. The amendment is based on the European Commission’s decision to relax the State aid rules.

4.6.2021 | On 4 June 2021, the Ministerial Working Group on Health and Social Services discussed the COVID-19 situation in Finland and the restrictions in place. They recommend that certain restrictions should be eased. The Government is due to decide on the matter urgently in the week starting 7 June.

3.4.2020 | All restaurants, cafés and bars must be closed everywhere in Finland starting at midnight on Friday, 3 April. They will remain closed to customers from Saturday 4 April to 31 May 2020. Closure is necessary to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

20.5.2021 | The Government has amended the decree restricting the activities of restaurants and other food and beverage service businesses due to the COVID-19 epidemic. The restrictions on opening and licensing hours will be tightened in the regions of Kanta-Häme and Central Ostrobothnia because of the worsened epidemiological situation in these regions. In the region of South Karelia, however, the situation has improved so the restrictions on opening and licensing hours will be eased.