Current affairs

Prime Minister Alexander Stubb will attend the European Council meeting to be held in Brussels on 23 and 24 October, and the Euro Summit to be held after it. The most important issue at the European Council is the 2030 Climate and Energy Package.

On Wednesday 8 October, Prime Minister Alexander Stubb met his British colleague Prime Minister David Cameron in London. The prime ministers discussed their countries' climate and energy policy outlines with a view to the forthcoming European Council, the development of the European Union, the ongoing EU debate in Britain and other key topics of international politics.

Vaikka EU:n ja joidenkin muiden maiden rajoittavilla toimenpiteillä ja Venäjän tuontikiellolla on merkittäviä vaikutuksia eräiden yritysten ja sektoreiden näkymiin, niiden suorat vaikutukset Venäjän ja sen kauppakumppaneiden kokonaistaloudelliseen aktiviteettiin ovat kuitenkin vähäisiä, arvioidaan tänään hallitukselle luovutetussa raportissa.

Authorised by the European Council, the EU Council's Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) has today agreed on new restrictive measures against Russia. The measures relate to the four sectors decided on by the EU Foreign Ministers in their Council meeting last week.

On Wednesday 16 July, the European Council convened in Brussels to discuss the situation in Ukraine and in the Middle East. The European Council stresses its support for a peaceful settlement of the crisis in Ukraine and condemns the illegal activities by armed militants in Eastern Ukraine.

On Thursday 10 July, the Finnish Government nominated Jyrki Katainen as its candidate for the next European Commission.

Representatives from environmental organizations, policy and businesses gathered at Finland’s Permanent Representation to the European Union on 3 July 2014 to attend the event Water Stewardship: Local Actions Driving Global Impacts. Water stewardship is increasingly championed by companies seeking an in depth understanding of water use throughout their value chain. The event showcased real world stories from companies on their journey towards water stewardship.

On Friday 27 June, the European Council outlined its priorities for the forthcoming years in Brussels. In Finland's view, competitiveness which bolsters growth and jobs must be the EU's top priority. Therefore, it will be necessary to open up markets more effectively and more widely, and to ensure the achievement of the four basic freedoms and active trade policies.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has elaborated its own Roadmap to Bioeconomy 2020 in line with the Finnish Bioeconomy Strategy published as a Government Resolution in May 2014. The Roadmap recognizes the potential of bioeconomy as the engine of sustainable growth. Economic growth, new business activities and more jobs can be achieved by increasing the sustainable use of natural resources.

“European economy has gone through a three-phased crisis: first a banking crisis, then a sovereign debt crisis, now a growth crisis. The situation is still very fragile