The Finnish Government introduced a bill for amendment of the Consular Services Act

Press release 185/2014
28 August 2014

On 28 August 2014, the Finnish Government introduced a bill for amendment of the Consular Services Act, and for certain related laws. The objective of the bill is to facilitate organisation of consular services through the Finnish network of foreign missions abroad in a more flexible manner, according to need and demand.

“The bill the Government now introduced to Parliament facilitates significant development of the consular services provided by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs,” says Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja. 

“The bill is the most important reform developing the arrangement of operations within the Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ administrative sector during this government term.”

As a result of the reform, all foreign missions would no longer need to provide all consular services. Any services the provision of which is not necessary or practical in every foreign mission could be rearranged between foreign missions. As an example of this one could mention the Benelux countries, i.e. Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, where, geographically speaking, the embassies are located close to each other and the national borders are easy to cross.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs could also provide the kind of consular services that are suited to be provided at the Ministry, and do not require processing of the consular affair in the country concerned. The specific purpose of the amendment to the law is to enhance the efficiency of provision of consular services in Europe, where the distances are short, and crossing of national borders is uncomplicated.

However, even in the future, the services to Finnish citizens in distress would still be provided in the foreign mission the severity and the urgency of the matter in question requires. More detailed regulations on consular services provided by Finnish foreign missions and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs would be given by a degree of the President of the Republic.

Additional information: Counsellor Teemu Turunen, tel. 0295 351 063