The Finnish Minister of the Environment changes

Government Communications Unit

Press release 478/2006
29.12.2006

State Secretary Stefan Erik Wallin, Master of Social Sciences, will begin his duties as the new Minister of the Environment in the Vanhanen Cabinet on 1 January 2007. On 29 December, the President of the Republic appointed Mr Wallin as a Member of the Government, Minister of the Environment and Minister at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Wallin is the leader of Swedish People’s Party of Finland.

The President of the Republic released upon request Jan-Erik Enestam, Master of Social Sciences, Member of Parliament, from his duties as a Member of the Government, Minister of the Environment and Minister at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs as of 1 January 2007. By the end of the year, Enestam will have served as a Minister for 4,382 days in five different governments.

On 29 December, the Government decided on the division of duties among ministers, ministers’ deputies and the composition of Cabinet Committees.

The division of duties between Ministers at the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs as of 1 January 2007:

Each minister handles international matters that fall within their own ministry's field of competence and matters related to appointments and personnel administration. Each minister also directs financial planning and the preparation of budgets and other joint matters in his/her respective field. At the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, appointments and personnel administration come within the mandate of the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Otherwise the division of duties at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is as follows:

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Lehtomäki handles matters related to trade policy, development cooperation and cooperation in the neighbouring regions. Minister Wallin handles matters covered by the Secretariat for Nordic Cooperation. Minister of Foreign Affairs Tuomioja handles all other matters covered by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Otherwise the division of duties in the Ministry of the Environment is as follows:

Minister Manninen handles housing matters. Minister of the Environment Wallin handles all other matters covered by the Ministry of the Environment.

Further information: Heikki Aaltonen, Permanent State Under-Secretary, tel. +358 9 1602 2007 or Asko Mattila, Director of Government Communications, tel. +358 9 1602 2012 or +358 40 545 2023

Minister Wallin(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)

Presidency site of the Nordic Council of Ministers(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)