Current affairs

It’s that time of the year! The annual Finnish Tennis Diplomacy once again proved to be a success. After all, there’s nothing better than trying to beat out friends and colleagues from the European Commission in a friendly (but tough) match of tennis.

Like many languages, Finnish is full of loanwords – words that were, at some point, borrowed from other languages and incorporated into Finnish. Finland would now like to give the rest of the world a word, to encourage international discussion about equality and inclusivity, and to support everyone who is working to promote them. The word is: hän.

Sustainable development principles form a common thread throughout the meeting arrangements for Finland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU. Finland wants to draw attention to the climate impacts of meetings and is keen to seek new ways of doing things. Sustainability is also evident in the visual identity for Finland’s Presidency: the design for Finland’s previous Presidency has been recycled and revitalised for the Finnish Presidency that begins on 1 July.

After the parliamentary elections on 14 April, it is time to look at the challenges for the next government. The formulation of energy and climate policies has to be based on long-term goals. The tasks of Finland’s future government have by and large been laid out by EU obligations. Finland’s Presidency of the EU Council, to start at the beginning of July, will provide us a unique opportunity to influence the EU priorities as we move towards a carbon neutral Europe. In Finland, special attention must be paid to improving the efficiency of emissions reduction measures in the sectors outside the Emissions Trading System.

After the parliamentary elections on 14 April, it is time to look at the challenges for the next government. The formulation of energy and climate policies has to be based on long-term goals. The tasks of Finland’s future government have by and large been laid out by EU obligations. Finland’s Presidency of the EU Council, to start at the beginning of July, will provide us a unique opportunity to influence the EU priorities as we move towards a carbon neutral Europe. In Finland, special attention must be paid to improving the efficiency of emissions reduction measures in the sectors outside the Emissions Trading System.

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 14 April 2019. The process of forming a new government begins after the organising of the new Parliament and the State Opening of Parliament.

– Europe's ability to compete with China and the United States in the global economy is of crucial importance. Reforming our industry for tomorrow's world is key to this competitiveness, said Mika Lintilä, Minister of Economic Affairs, in his speech at the EU Industry Day on 6 February, 2016.

Finland ranked first in the Good Country Index published on 23 January. The results of the Index indicate that, relative to its size, Finland contributes more to humanity and burdens the planet less than any other country.

Jari Vilén, Senior Advisor in Arctic policy matters, spells out the challenges that we face today in the Arctic region. Climate change is a major issue, but there's more to it than that.

The EU High Level Working Group on Competitiveness and Growth met in Brussels on 24 January 2019. The working group approved a new working programme for the coming 18-month period, during which the group’s work will be steered by a Finnish chair.