Current affairs

In 2015, Finland's EU policy priorities will include competitiveness to strengthen growth and employment, better regulation and Union as a strong global actor. The Government sets out its most important EU policy objectives each year. The newly appointed EU institutions have recently begun their work and next year will be important in terms of developing interinstitutional relations.

The European Commission investment plan, streamlining of EU regulation, digital internal market and EU-US free trade negotiations dominated the discussions during Prime Minister Alexander Stubb's visit to Brussels. During his one-day visit, Stubb met European Council President Donald Tusk, European Parliament President Martin Schulz, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Commission Vice-Presidents Frans Timmermans and Jyrki Katainen.

Permanent Representation of Finland to the European Union calls for tenders for works and service which can be foreseen and estimated, urgent situations excluded. / La Représentation Permanente de la Finlande auprès de l’Union européenne lance un appel d’offres ouvert pour des entrepreneurs et des sociétés d’entretien.

In December 2013, for the first time since the ratification of the Lisbon treaty, security and defence were brought up for discussion in the European Council. Behind this process were several reasons, including the changing nature of threats and shifts among the global powerbrokers. Additional motivation was provided by the dwindling defence budgets in Europe. Events in 2014 - with the crisis in Ukraine being the most illuminative example - introduced a new sense of urgency.

On Thursday 23 October, the European Council agreed on the European Union’s climate and energy policy framework. EU leaders endorsed, as a binding target, to reduce the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% from the 1990 level by 2030.

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.