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Helena-Reet Ennet

Helena-Reet Ennet
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Emergency brake to be introduced to tackle COVID-19 – aiming to slow down the spread of the epidemic

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — The Government has issued a resolution on the adoption of the national emergency brake mechanism. In managing the COVID-19 epidemic, Finland has returned to extensive restrictions and recommendations which are guided by national legislation. The aim is to reduce, in particular, contacts between adults in the worst affected areas of the epidemic and thus slow down the spread of the epidemic. Seventeen areas in Finland are currently classified as community transmission areas, so the recommended measures apply to almost the whole country. In late autumn 2021, the development of the epidemic has rapidly deteriorated. The need for hospital care and the burden on the healthcare system have increased significantly, which also puts the treatment of other diseases at risk. Earlier measures have been insufficient to prevent the epidemic from taking a turn for the worse. The emergency brake system will introduce measures that are in line with current legislation but also measures that require legislative amendments.Several new measures to restrict close contacts in the worst affected areas of the epidemicThe ministries guide the authorities to introduce extensive and full measures to tackle the pandemic in the community transmission areas.These include measures with which to extend the restrictions on public events, prohibit high and moderate risk events, suspend high-risk group hobbies for adults, switch to distance learning in higher education institutions, close high and moderate risk premises open to customers and participants, and restrict the number of passengers in public transport. It is also recommended that people take a home test before attending events and activities or using public premises.In addition, a decree will lay down provisions on a period of three weeks during which it will not be possible to deviate from the restrictions by using the COVID-19 passport in high and moderate risk premises and events in the community transmission areas. Restrictions will also be imposed on opening hours and the serving of alcoholic beverages in restaurants and other food and beverage service businesses, and the use of the COVID-19 passport will be restricted for a fixed period of three weeks. The amendments are laid down by decree. The Government decided to reintroduce internal border control at Finland’s borders.Impact to be monitored regularlyThe emergency brake mechanism will be applied nationally and for as short a period as possible. It will be lifted as soon as it cannot be justified to be proportionate and necessary.The emergency brake measures and their impact on health, wellbeing, the economy and fundamental rights have been assessed in advance in cooperation between different ministries.The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will issue instructions on the introduction of the emergency brake mechanism in the regions. 

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

Changes in the administrative branch of the Ministry of the Interior at the turn of the year

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — Amendments to legislation and decrees will enter into force at the beginning of 2022, of which the most important ones are explained in this release.Changes in police service fees: passport price falls, prices of other licences and permits remain the same or risePolice licence and permit fees are due to change in 2022. The price of a passport will fall, while most prices of other licences and permits will rise. The prices of identity cards will remain unchanged. The changes reflect the cost-correlation of licences and permits. The fees charged for licences and permits must correspond by law to the costs incurred in issuing these documents.Amendment to the reception act clarifies responsibilities for preparing for mass influx of migrantsThe reception act will be amended so that the Finnish Immigration Service will have central responsibility for preparedness planning concerning the organisation of reception services in the event of a mass influx of migrants. The President of the Republic approved the bill for the act on Thursday 16 December. The act will enter into force on 1 January 2022.Fees charged by the Finnish Immigration Service to change in 2022The Ministry of the Interior has issued a decree on fees charged by the Finnish Immigration Service. The decree will enter into force on 1 January 2022.Assistance for voluntary return to remain unchangedThe Ministry of the Interior has issued a decree on assistance for voluntary return for 2022–2023. The decree will enter into force on 1 January 2022.Fees charged by Emergency Services Academy and Emergency Response Centre Agency to change in 2022The Ministry of the Interior has issued decrees on the chargeable services of Pelastusopisto – Emergency Services Academy Finland and the Emergency Response Centre Agency. The decrees will enter into force on 1 January 2022.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

Finland invests in fighting climate change in North Africa

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — Finland will strengthen its role in the fight against climate change through an investment in a new partnership launched by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The funding will be targeted at climate action in North Africa.Finland will allocate EUR 39.73 million in funding for the High Impact Partnership on Climate Action (HIPCA) launched by the EBRD. The investment will be made from the appropriation for development policy investments. In addition to the investment, Finland will grant EUR 2 million for technical support related to projects under HIPCA. In its funding, Finland emphasises the climate action carried out in North Africa.Finland is a long-term supporter of the EBRD. The HIPCA fund represents a new type of partnership, strengthening Finland’s role in the EBRD. Through the fund, investments will be made in projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen climate resilience. Through the investments in the fund, it will be possible to build renewable energy systems, develop sustainable food systems and invest in the development of urban environments, including public transport. This will also leverage private sector funding for climate action. Other pioneering financiers of the fund are the Netherlands and Taiwan.“The investment forms a part of the implementation of our Africa Strategy and contributes to the achievement of our climate policy objectives. The fund will strengthen Finland’s position in the fight against climate change and increase its visibility. The funding is also expected to promote connections between the Finnish private sector and development finance around the world,” says Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari.Finland’s investment in the HIPCA fund will be tied to projects that will be carried out during a six-year investment window. The capital together with the interest on the borrowed loan through the fund will return to Finland once a year. The last returns will arrive in Finland 20 years after the end of the investment window.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

Fees charged by Emergency Services Academy and Emergency Response Centre Agency to change in 2022

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — The Ministry of the Interior has issued decrees on the chargeable services of Pelastusopisto – Emergency Services Academy Finland and the Emergency Response Centre Agency. The decrees will enter into force on 1 January 2022.Fee for fire alarm system testing to rise slightlyThe Emergency Response Centre Agency will raise its fees chargeable under public law by EUR 3 for fire alarm system testing. This means the fee will be EUR 16 per month. The increases are due to the general rise in costs. The decree includes a new provision on the scope of application. The decree will enter into force on 1 January 2022 and remain in force for two years until 31 December 2023.Moderate increases in course fees of the Emergency Services AcademyThe new decree will increase some of the Emergency Services Academy fees chargeable under public law. The changes concern different fields of rescue training.The fees for the following courses will be raised: course for chiefs of contract fire brigades, basic course for part-time chiefs of industrial fire brigades, course in water rescue, and pedagogical training for responsible instructors of contract personnel. The increases will be moderate, for example the fee for the course for chiefs of contract fire brigades will rise to EUR 152 (previously EUR 139). The increases are due to the general rise in costs.Two new courses have been added to the decree: thematic training for responsible instructors of contract personnel and instructor training for the emergency driving course.The decree will enter into force on 1 January 2022 and remain in force for one year until 31 December 2022. 

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

COVID-19 certificates issued outside the EU to be accepted as COVID-19 passports in Finland as of 23 December

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — As of 23 December, COVID-19 certificates issued outside the EU will be accepted as COVID-19 passports in Finland. Operators in different sectors may check certificates issued outside the EU manually, without the COVID certificate reader application.Previously, Finland has only accepted as COVID-19 passports the EU COVID certificates or certificates from countries with which the EU has concluded an interoperability agreement. In addition, the COVID certificates (COVID passports) could earlier be checked manually only in case of a technical fault with the reader application.However, many third-country travellers arriving in Finland carry a COVID-19 certificate issued by a non-EU country that is not interoperable with the digital COVID-19 certificate issued by the EU.A new section 58m concerning this was approved on 22 December 2021 and it can be applied in practice as of 23 December 2021. The section is a temporary amendment to the Communicable Diseases Act. According to subsection 2 of the section, the obligation to read COVID certificates with an electronic reader application does not apply to certificates issued outside the EU.In other respects, the Acts (the Act on Temporarily Amending the Communicable Diseases Act and the Act on Temporarily Amending the Act on Transport Services) will enter into force on 1 January 2022.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

Temporary provisions of Communicable Diseases Act in force until end of June 2022

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — The temporary provisions of the Communicable Diseases Act will be extended until the end of June 2022. For the most part, the provisions will remain as they are at present. The President of the Republic approved the Act on Temporarily Amending the Communicable Diseases Act on 22 December 2021.The validity of the provisions on temporary restrictions concerning food and beverage service businesses and on their supervision will be extended. The provisions on special hygiene obligations for passenger transport and other services and on the temporary restriction of activities when the epidemiological situation so requires will also remain in force. The regulation concerning COVID-19 passports will continue and the regulation on the use of COVID-19 passports will be amended so that their use will apply to public events or premises throughout their opening hours. A new temporary provision now included in the Act will oblige the municipalities to issue EU Digital COVID Certificates to people who have been vaccinated outside the EU.The validity of the provisions on health-secure entry into the country during the COVID-19 pandemic will be extended. People arriving in Finland will continue to be required to have a reliable certificate of recovery from COVID-19 within the past six months, of a completed and approved vaccine course or of a negative COVID-19 test taken before arrival in Finland. The obligation to undergo a test within 72-120 hours of the entry into the country will apply to people with a test certificate or people who take a test upon their arrival in Finland or who are not fully vaccinated. As now, certain groups of people will be subject to an exemption according to which they will not be required to present a certificate or take a COVID-19 test, but the exemption concerning countries and regions and the Government’s authority to issue decrees are no longer included.The Communicable Diseases Act specifies the cross-border health security measures, and separate provisions have been issued on the conditions for entry. In line with the Government decision of 16 December, the restrictions on entry at Finland’s external borders have been continued and health security measures have been tightened. On 21 December, the Government also decided to reintroduce internal border control at Finland’s borders as from 28 December.The provisions concerning the temporary restrictions on the number of passengers in passenger traffic and the temporary closure of facilities will be amended. The incidence of COVID-19 will no longer be included in the statutory criteria for official decision-making. A condition for applying the provision is that there are considerable infection clusters in the area and they can pose a risk of wide-scale spreading of new infections in the area.The provision of the Act on Transport services concerning access to timetable and route information during the COVID-19 epidemic will remain in force.The Act still includes a provision concerning the violation of the obligation to take a COVID-19 test and a provision on the obligation of the State to reimburse municipalities for the costs incurred in checking certificates and conducting COVID-19 tests. In addition, the validity of the specifications to the provisions on executive assistance and the implementation of decisions will be extended.The temporary provisions will enter into force on 1 January 2022. 

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

Evaluation: Energy Authority performs well but should take a more active approach to energy transition

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — In the new decade, the Energy Authority should be a visionary national authority in the energy sector that carries out the implementation and monitoring tasks assigned to it objectively, but also actively offers its expertise to support the reform of energy and climate policy.This proposal is included in an evaluation of the agency, which was published on 22 December 2021. This is the first time the operations of the Energy Authority were assessed. Frisky & Anjoy Oy carried out the external assessment.According to the assessment, the Energy Authority has succeeded quite well in its operations. The agency has a great deal of competence and expertise, and its unbiased activities enjoy a high level of trust among companies that it supervises or licences.Based on the assessment, however, the agency appears passive and reactive to some extent. This is partly due to a lack of understanding of the agency’s competence in matters such as electricity transfer pricing. On the other hand, it also reflects the need to develop the agency’s communications and operating culture. The energy transition will require proactive guidance and wise regulation.“The Energy Authority plays an important and recognised role as an independent supervisory authority that promotes climate measures. Its solid expertise should be utilised both in policy preparation and in public debate. This comprehensive assessment provides an excellent starting point to develop the agency,” says Riku Huttunen, Director General of the Energy Department of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.The Energy Authority is one of the key players in the implementation of climate and energy policy. The agency’s task is to monitor and promote the energy market, reduction of emissions, energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy.The assessment covered the organisation and management of the Energy Authority’s operations, its relationship with society, and performance guidance and other cooperation between it and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.The report contains eight recommendations. According to them, the Energy Authority should be developed into a modern agency of energy experts based on its current strengths. The agency could increase dialogue, experiments and joint development with organisations, companies and other authorities in the sector. In addition, the agency’s communications should be strengthened to better correspond with activities of an agile expert agency. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment should strive to direct the agency’s activities in a manner that would enable its strategic renewal.  Carrying out the tasks simultaneously would be possible if, for example, the agency’s operative strategy and organisational model were developed towards a direction in which supervisory and promotion tasks were functionally separated to create a modern expert agency based on supplementary capabilities.The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the Energy Authority will consider how the assessment could be used to develop the agency’s operations and performance guidance. The results of this work will be reflected in the next performance agreement between the Ministry and the agency, which will be concluded by autumn 2022.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

More health care professionals to vaccinating, vaccinations to be offered to people aged 5 years or over

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — From now on, biomedical laboratory scientists and practical nurses will be entitled to administer COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccinations will be offered to people who are 5 years of age or older, and the order of vaccination priority will be abandoned. On Wednesday 22 December, the Government decided to amend sections 2 and 3 of the Government Decree on Voluntary COVID-19 Vaccinations.As a result, biomedical laboratory scientists (biomedical training at a university of applied sciences) and practical nurses with a vocational qualification in health and social services and practical nurses with the earlier equivalent vocational qualification will be entitled to administer vaccinations. The amendment will ensure efficient administration of coronavirus vaccines. A precondition for administering COVID-19 vaccines is that the professionals mentioned above have sufficient knowledge of pharmacotherapy and appropriate vaccination training. A new group comprising people that are 5–11 years of age will be added to the Decree. From now on, vaccinations will be offered to people aged 5 years or more. The order of vaccination priority will be removed from the Decree. The priority order was laid down in 2020, when only a limited number of vaccines were available at a given time. Appropriate vaccination of the most vulnerable groups will continue to be ensured in accordance with the guidelines of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.The amended decree will enter into force on 23 December 2021.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

Chargeable services of ELY Centres, TE Offices and KEHA Centre in 2022

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — On 22 December 2021, the Government issued a Decree on chargeable services by the ELY Centres, TE Offices and KEHA Centre for 2022. The Decree lays down which services are chargeable, which services will be charged on the basis of the cost price or a lower price, and which services will be priced on a commercial basis.The content of the Decree largely corresponds to the Decree on chargeable services for 2021.Two new charges for ELY CentresA new chargeable service was added to the environmental and natural resource tasks of the ELY Centres concerning the approval of the waste management plan of a port.Re-inspection of supervision of animal registration and identification will be another new chargeable service of ELY Centres.ELY Centre charges removed and other changesDecisions related to prohibitions or restrictions referred to in section 101 of the Water Traffic Act (782/2019) have been transferred from the ELY Centres to Traficom following the reform of the Water Traffic Act that entered into force on 1 June 2020. Consequently, fees concerning the Water Traffic Act have been removed from the Decree.A fee for extending a prohibition on construction or injunction imposed on the preparation or amendment of a master plan was removed from the services of the environmental and natural resource tasks of the ELY Centres.In addition, minor changes were made to the road maintenance and other transport services of the ELY Centres.This Decree will be valid from 1 January to 31 December 2022.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

Amendments to Chemicals Safety Act, Mining Act and Nuclear Energy Act

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — The Act on the Safe Handling and Storage of Dangerous Chemicals and Explosives, the Mining Act and the Nuclear Energy Act will be amended as of 31 December 2021. The legislative amendments will complement the implementation of EU legislation in national legislation.On 22 December 2021, the President of the Republic approved legislative amendments to the Act on the Safe Handling and Storage of Dangerous Chemicals and Explosives, the Mining Act and the Nuclear Energy Act. The Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes) grants permits for the industrial handling of dangerous chemicals and the manufacturing and storage of explosives. The Act already lays down the right of the parties to request an administrative review regarding the permits granted by Tukes. As per the amendment, regional associations and foundations defined in the Act will also obtain this right.  Other amendments have also been made to the Chemicals Safety Act, for example to the provisions on notifications, to supplement national legislation as a result of an official notice issued by the Commission. The Act also includes updated references to other acts.Obligations of permit authorities specified in projects concerning international consultationA reference to the international consultation procedure laid down in the Act on Environmental Impact Assessment Procedure, which applies to cross-border environmental impact assessment projects, will be added to the Chemicals Safety Act, the Nuclear Energy Act and the Mining Act.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

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