NordenBladet — In its plenary session on 28 October 2021, the Government appointed Esa Pulkkinen to the post of Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence for the period of 1 January 2022 to 31 July 2025.Director General Esa Ilmari Pulkkinen (born 1957) has served as Director General of the Defence Policy Department in the Ministry of Defence since 2020. He acted in the same position from 2010 to 2016. In 2016-2020, Pulkkinen served as Director General of the European Union Military Staff in Brussels. He is a General Staff Officer and has previously served, among other things, as Assistant Chief of Staff in the Defence Command, Commander of the Jaeger Brigade and Branch Chief and National Expert in the EU Military Staff.The Permanent Secretary assists the Minister in directing, developing and monitoring the work of the Ministry and its branch of government. As Permanent Secretary, Esa Pulkkinen will also lead the Ministry’s strategic planning and coordinate its implementation. He will be responsible for effective internal control, assist the Minister in planning, implementing and monitoring broad-based issues, and manage performance guidance within the Ministry’s administrative branch.
NordenBladet — In a video conference held on Thursday 28 October, the EU finance ministers welcomed the assessment of Finland’s Recovery and Resilience Plan. Minister of Finance Annika Saarikko represented Finland in the conference.“I am pleased with the positive feedback Finland received. Our recovery plan will help us formulate responsible economic policy in which sustainable management of public finances and green investments go hand in hand,” Minister Saarikko says.The Recovery and Resilience Plan provides an outline on how Finland intends to use funding from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. The recovery plan includes EUR 2.1 billion in funding for reforms and investments at current prices. The Plan is part of the Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland.The reforms and investments focus on four priority areas:Green transitionDigitalisationEmployment and skillsHealth and social servicesCouncil to adopt the plan in the next few daysThe European Commission published a positive assessment of Finland’s plan on 4 October. Finance ministers discussed the assessment in their video conference, but formally the Council of the European Union will approve the plans with an implementing decision by written procedure within a few days. The implementing decision includes the milestones and targets for Finland’s plan.After the approval, Finland will receive 13% of the EU funding for the recovery plan, i.e. EUR 271 million at current prices. Parliament has adopted the third supplementary budget, which outlines the use of the funding this year. Next year’s EU funding is included in the Government’s budget proposal. Ministries and other organisations announce calls for funding available now and in the future within their respective areas of responsibility.
NordenBladet — Finland has ranked fifth in the Index measuring gender equality in the European Union. The Index measures the state of gender equality in a number of different domains, such as work, health and power.The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) released its sixth Index measuring gender equality on 28 October 2021. The Index measures gender equality in six core domains: work, money, knowledge, time, power and health. The Index report also includes a thematic focus. This year, the thematic focus is on health, particularly on the health effects of COVID-19, mental health and sexual and reproductive health. Most of the data presented in the 2021 Index is from 2019. As a rule, the average figures for the domain of power are from 2018–2020.Highest overall increase in the domain of power and in economic decision-making The overall Gender Equality Index score for the EU is now 68 points out of 100, with 100 standing for full equality. This is an improvement of 0.6 points since the previous edition of the Index and of 4.9 points since 2010. The report draws attention to this slow progress on gender equality. It is estimated that it will take nearly three generations to achieve gender equality at the current pace. The COVID-19 pandemic and its negative effects on gender equality are threatening to slow down the pace of progress.The highest overall scores for the EU are in the domain of health (87.8 points) and the lowest in the domains of power (55.0 points) and knowledge (62.7 points). In the latter two, economic decision-making and segregation in education had the lowest scores, 48.8 and 54.1 respectively. Gender segregation is a major problem in the EU, both in the labour market and education. The score for education has remained virtually unchanged in recent years, especially in terms of segregation.The overall scores increased the most in the domain of power, by 1.9 points from the previous edition of the Index and by over 13 points from 2010. This improvement in the domain of power accounts for nearly two thirds of the overall increase in the Index since 2010. Economic decision-making in particular has showed major improvement.Finland above the EU averageFinland’s overall score was 75.3, being over 7 points above the EU average. The increase is 0.6 points from last year. The Index score has risen by 2.2 points since 2010. According to the EIGE classification, Finland is one of the countries whose national score is above the EU average but whose points have increased at a slower pace than the EU average.
The domain of power also shows the highest increase in Finland, with a score of 74.3 points. This is an improvement of 2.4 points since the previous Index edition. Gender equality in both economic and political decision-making has advanced. In the short term, the greatest increase has been in political decision-making (6.5 points), and in the long term, in economic decision-making (8.3 points). The increase is due to the fact, for example, that women’s representation in the 2019 parliamentary elections and the Government increased.In other respects, only minimal changes have occurred in Finland. Finland’s highest score, 89.5 points, was in the domain of health. Minor changes in top-performing countries — Netherlands climbed to third positionThe three top-performing countries are Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands. France ranks fourth and Finland fifth. The Netherlands climbed to the third position, dropping France and Finland by one position. Nine countries scored more than 70 points on the Index. Of them, Sweden was the only country to score more than 80 points. In recent years, the Index scores for France and the Netherlands have increased particularly in decision-making, in France by nearly 30 points since 2010. The main reason for this is the quotas used in economic and political decision-making in France. In the Netherlands, the Index score increased from last year particularly in economic decision-making. Clear gender differences in health status and health behaviourThis year, the thematic focus is on health. Overall, women tend to report worse health than men, including mental health in all age groups. In the 27 Member States of the EU, 66 per cent of women and 71 per cent of men perceive their health to be good or very good. Women also report lower levels of mental wellbeing regardless of family composition, age, income, country of birth and disability.There are persistent gender gaps in health-promoting behaviour, such as healthy eating and physical activity. For example, men are more likely to smoke and drink excessively but they reach the weekly exercise target more often than women. Such behavioural models are already visible in adolescence, and the gap between men and women widens with age. COVID-19 pandemic has weakened access to healthcare services Many population groups, such as single parents, older people, immigrants and people with disabilities, and in these groups particularly women, are at a higher risk of having poor access to healthcare services. Barriers to accessing healthcare may include costs and experiences of discrimination. High costs of services create a barrier to access particularly for people aged 65 or older.The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated barriers to access to healthcare services in the EU either as a result of deferment and deprioritisation of certain medical procedures or because of fear of infection. About one fifth of people had missed a medical examination or treatment during the pandemic. Men at a higher risk of developing a severe COVID-19 disease — women more likely to be exposed to COVID-19Men are at a higher risk of developing a severe COVID-19 disease and have a higher risk of death from COVID-19. Women, on the other hand, become exposed to COVID-19 more often, and infections among working-age women far outnumber those among working-age men. Higher rates of infection among women have been linked to their presence in the caring professions, especially in healthcare.Evidence is mounting on the profound mental health toll of the pandemic particularly on people working in the care sector.
NordenBladet — The Ministry of the Interior has set up a project to conduct a preliminary study concerning the needs for amendments in the Aliens Act and how the reform should implemented.The preliminary study will comprise an assessment of the current structure and content of the Aliens Act and identification of the development needs arising from the changes in the case law and operating environment. The key factors influencing the operating environment include technological advances such as the introduction of digital services and biometric identifiers.The preliminary study will serve as the basis for drawing up a plan for the reform. The plan will give a proposal on the future structure of the Aliens Act and how the reform will be implemented, and estimate the necessary staff resources and timetable.The actual work on the reform will be started as a separate project during the next government term. The reform of the Aliens Act will be included as an objective in the next Government Programme. Project collects views on the usability of the Aliens ActThe preliminary study will be conducted by the Migration Department. The study will also be based on information from comparative research on the structure of the legislation on aliens in different EU countries. As far as necessary and possible, use will be made of the Government’s analysis, assessment and research activities and studies conducted outside the Government. The authorities applying the Act and other experts and stakeholders will be consulted with a particular focus on the usability and effectiveness of the Act. At the same time there is another project under way at the Ministry of the Interior to determine the long-term objectives for Finland’s comprehensive migration policy. A cross-administrative monitoring group will be appointed for the preliminary study project. Members from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Finnish Immigration Service, Judiciary, Office of the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman and scientific community will be invited to the group. The term of the project ends on 31 March 2023.Amendments have made the Act confusingThe Aliens Act contains provisions concerning e.g. the conditions for entry to and stay in the country, travel documents, international protection and legal protection. Now separate acts have been issued on certain types of permits, but the general conditions for these permits are still laid down in the Aliens Act.The current Aliens Act entered into force in 2004. The extensive Act contains approximately 300 sections and more than 1,000 provisions. The Act has been amended about 90 times since its entry into force. More than 20 EU Directives have been implemented by provisions of the Aliens Act. The structure of the Act has suffered from the large number of amendments and it has become confusing and difficult to understand. The Aliens Act is a migration policy instrument that helps to support the objectives of a clear, consistent and comprehensive migration policy. The Government made the decision on the preliminary study in the spending limits discussion in May 2021.
NordenBladet — On Monday 25 October, the Permanent Secretaries and State Secretaries of the ministries met for their first joint meeting since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In their meeting at the House of the Estates, they discussed the state of play and objectives with regard to digitalisation in public administration.In his opening speech, State Secretary Henrik Haapajärvi from the Prime Minister’s Office noted that the public sector can play a variety of roles in promoting the digital transformation in Finland. As the population ages and the need for services increases, digitalisation should be used to improve the productivity of work. At the same time, it is important to make sure that digital services for citizens are user-friendly. One of the key issues in the coming years will be artificial intelligence and ensuring that it is used ethically. Haapajärvi stated that Finland needs a shared vision for advancing the digital transformation.During the meeting, the Permanent and State Secretaries also heard the views of various experts. In international comparisons, Finland is among the leading countries in the world when it comes to the use of digitalisation. That said, development and international competition are accelerating, which means we need to work continuously to develop our competence and sustainable infrastructure. We must also support the digital transformation of businesses and work towards the citizen-driven digitalisation of public services that takes different groups of people into account.The Government Programme sets several goals with regard to the digital transformation and the data economy, and a number of projects are under way to achieve them. Nevertheless, we still need to strengthen cooperation and coordination in this arena. The discussions noted that Finland needs both a common strategic vision and concrete steps. When drafting legislation on digitalisation, particular attention must be paid to information security and anticipating the future operating environment. We must also ensure that sufficient resources are in place for developing digitalisation over the long term, maintaining solutions and strengthening our competence.Ministerial Working Group promotes digitalisation in public administrationThe meeting of Permanent Secretaries and State Secretaries helped lay the groundwork for the new Ministerial Working Group on Developing the Digital Transformation, the Data Economy and Public Administration, which was appointed in September. The working group will be responsible for guiding and directing the development of public administration, the digital transformation, the data economy and information policy.The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the movement towards digitalisation. According to the sustainability roadmap drawn up by Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Government, digitalisation is one of the main ways we can increase public sector productivity and achieve cost-effectiveness. One of the tasks of the ministerial working group is to draw up an assessment of the current situation and a vision for digitalisation in Finland. This work is in line with the goals of the European Digital Strategy, which seeks to harness digitalisation to serve people and businesses and support the objective of making Europe climate-neutral by 2050.The ministerial working group will be chaired by Minister of Local Government Sirpa Paatero in matters concerning public administration. In other matters, Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka will serve as Chair until March 2022, followed by Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä until the end of September 2022.
NordenBladet — As of 1 November 2021, the premises of the Ministry of Transport and Communications will be located at Eteläesplanadi 4, Helsinki. The Ministry’s old premises at Eteläesplanadi 16 will be refurbished. The move to the new address will take place between 28 and 31 October 2021 and work in the new premises will start at the beginning of November. After a break of almost two years, all the Ministry’s departments and units will again be at the same address.Contact details of the Ministry of Transport and Communications as of 1 November 2021Visiting address:Ministry of Transport and CommunicationsEteläesplanadi 400130 Helsinki, FinlandP.O. box address:Ministry of Transport and CommunicationsPO Box 31FI-00023 GovernmentSwitchboard: +358 295 16 001Registry:Visiting address: Ritarikatu 2, Helsinkiemail: [email protected]Website:www.lvm.fi
NordenBladet — Residents of the northernmost parts of Finland will have an opportunity to discuss EU issues with Minister for European Affairs Tytti Tuppurainen in Utsjoki on 2 November. The open discussion forum will focus mainly on cross-border cooperation and the impacts of climate change on the Sámi culture and local livelihoods.The forum is part of the Government’s “We are Europe” series of events. This autumn and winter, several ministers will travel around the country to hear Finns’ thoughts and hopes about the development of the EU.The series of events is part of the Conference on the Future of Europe, which aims to collect a wide variety of views from EU citizens on the future of Europe. The event in Utsjoki will be both the northernmost stop on the We are Europe tour and the northernmost event in the Conference on the Future of Europe.“It is important for us to listen to people’s ideas as comprehensively as possible throughout Finland. This northernmost conference event is an excellent opportunity to highlight the Northern Dimension of the EU. Our geographical location gives us Finns an exceptional viewpoint that should be heard at the conference. I hope as many people as possible will seize this opportunity to share their thoughts in a way that comes naturally to them,” Tuppurainen says.The discussion will focus mainly on two themes: how climate change is affecting the livelihoods and culture of Arctic inhabitants and how the EU’s external border and cross-border cooperation can be seen in the everyday lives of people in the region.These themes will be discussed by a panel of residents from the Arctic region and northern Lapland. The goal is for audience members to also take part in the discussion, and they will be encouraged to ask questions and share their views on the topics being discussed. The issues raised in the discussions will be recorded in the conference’s multilingual digital platform, and the Finnish ministers will pass the messages on at the conference’s EU-level Plenaries.You can also share your thoughts and ideas in the digital platform. The online forum seeks citizens’ views on values, climate change, the economy, health and education, and a variety of other themes. The common EU-level hashtag #TheFutureIsYours can be used on social media.The event in Utsjoki will take place on Tuesday 2 November at Utsjokisuu School. It will also be streamed online. You can watch the livestream and a recording of the event on the website of the Lapin Kansa newspaper and at eurooppaolemmeme.fi. The event is jointly organised by the Prime Minister’s Office and the Municipality of Utsjoki.
NordenBladet — The Parties to the UN Climate Change Agreement will meet in Glasgow, Great Britain on 31 October–12 November. This is the first meeting since the start of the term of the Paris Agreement in 2020. The key aim is to accelerate actions by countries towards stricter emission reductions.In particular, the Heads of State and Government who convene at the World Leaders Summit in Glasgow on 1–2 November are expected to announce stricter emission reduction commitments. Finland’s representative at the meeting of the Heads of State or Government will be President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö. In the second week of the Conference Finland’s delegation will be led by Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Krista Mikkonen.Countries’ commitments not enough to limit warming to 1.5 degreesThe countries were requested to update their emission reduction targets before the meeting in Glasgow. Among the Parties that have already announced stricter targets are the EU and USA. The EU is committed to reducing its emissions by at least 55% from the level in 1990 by 2030 and the USA by at least 50% from the level in 2005 by 2030. The key background document for the meeting is the report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in August, according to which the rise in global average temperature will exceed the limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius already during this decade. The Secretariat of the UN Climate Change Convention published a Synthesis Report on the commitments of the countries in September. Based on the report, the emissions will grow by 16% by 2030 while, according to IPCC, they should be reduced by 45% to limit warming to 1.5 degrees. With the present actions, global warming would be about 2.7 degrees.“New and stronger efforts are now needed to implement the Paris Agreement. We are all committed to the aim of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees but this is not yet adequately reflected in concrete actions. Stricter emission reduction pledges are needed especially from large economies, and we hope to hear about these already at the G20 meeting next weekend. Now everyone must bear their share of the responsibility,” Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Krista Mikkonen says.Details of implementing Paris Agreement to be discussedThe Glasgow meeting will not discuss the countries’ emission reduction commitments but, rather, the focus of the negotiations will be on the tools for implementing the Paris Agreement. The aim is to reach an agreement e.g. on the details of the reporting required from the countries (Enhanced Transparency Framework), the cycle according to which the countries should tighten their commitments and the rules for using international market mechanisms. The rules for market mechanisms concern the ways how countries could utilise climate actions they have financed in partner countries to achieve the emission targets they have announced for the Paris Agreement.“It is important for the EU and Finland that the emission reductions achieved through the mechanisms are real, and that the same emission reductions are not calculated for the benefit of more than one country,” says Finland’s Chief Negotiator Marjo Nummelin.The meeting also seeks solutions to the countries’ adaptation to the impacts of climate change and to financing climate actions especially in developing countries. In connection with the Paris Agreement, developing countries pledged to contribute at least USD 100 billion to annual climate funding until 2025, but at present the realisation of the funding seems challenging. In addition, an outlook for the funding in developing countries after 2025 will also be needed. Increasing especially the funding for adaptation is a key priority for developing countries.“Although the preparatory meeting in Italy in September proceeded in a good spirit, as a whole the negotiations have progressed quite slowly since the Madrid Climate Change Conference. In many issues the countries’ views are still far apart, and we do not yet have any draft text to get really started. This means that we can expect truly tight negotiations in Glasgow,” Nummelin says.Campaigns by UK Presidency aim to spur countries outside meeting roomsThe campaigns by the UK as the host country of the meeting have focused on fiver major themes : finance, climate change adaptation and resilience, energy, transport and nature-based solutions.Finland is involved in many of these campaigns and the initiatives related to these, including the Adaptation Action Coalition, which aims to support countries in practical actions to adapt to climate change, and the Adaptation Finance Champion’s Groups, which wishes to improve the quality and amount of funding for adaptation and access to it especially for the least developed countries. Both of these initiatives will support the progress of the negotiation process. Finland is also involved in the coalition to phase out coal power and in the coalition to promote the protection of the seas. First major physical UN Conference during COVID-19 eraThe Conference in Glasgow is the first major UN event during the COVID-19 pandemic to be held as a physical meeting. The COVID-19 pandemic does not seem to have affected the number of participants, but the Conference of the Parties and the numerous side events are expected to bring a total of about 28,000 people to the city.The Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action will meet in connection with the Glasgow Climate Change Conference on Wednesday 3 November. The topics to be discussed include how climate issues can be integrated into decision-making on economic policy. Finland’s representative at this meeting is Minister of Finance Annika Saarikko, who chairs the Coalition together with the Minister of Finance of Indonesia. Health security has been taken into account in the number of participants at each meeting, in the design and cleaning of meeting venues, and in scheduling the meetings. Participants are expected to take a COVID-19 rapid test on a daily basis and participate in PCR tests at the beginning of the meeting and, if necessary, at a later date. When visiting and moving about in the venues, the participants must wear a mask and ensure a safe distance from other participants.To follow the Conference in Glasgow and Finland’s delegation on Twitter use #ilmastoCOP26.
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Marko Mihkelson is on a joint visit of the Chairmen of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Parliaments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to Chișinău, Moldova. The visit will last until Friday.
“It is natural that we want stability and growth of welfare in Europe. Therefore, it is important that Moldova, too, would do well in a long-term perspective. The Eastern Partnership Summit will take place in December and we regard our visit as a preparation for this meeting,” Mihkelson said.
“We support Moldova in continuing its journey of European integration, developing the rule of law, fight against corruption, and keeping the course of reforms. During the visit, I and my Baltic colleagues hope to get a survey of how we could help Moldova in this,” Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee noted. “We will also discuss possibilities for cooperation, the latest internal policy developments in Moldova and the energy crisis,” he added.
Today, the Chairs of Foreign Affairs Committees will meet with Speaker of the Parliament of Moldova Igor Grosu and Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Moldova Mihail Popșoi, as well as with the Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and European Integration Doina Gherman, and Lilian Carp, Chair of the Committee on National Security, Defence and Public Order and members of the Committee. Meetings with the representatives of the parliamentary friendship groups of the three countries are also planned.
At 11.35, the Chairs of Foreign Affairs Committees will give a press conference at the parliament building.
Tomorrow, the Chairs of Foreign Affairs Committees of the Baltic States will meet with President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu as well as with the representatives of the European Business Association and the NGOs.
On Friday, the programme of the visit will continue with meetings with Prime Minister of Moldova Natalia Gavrilița and the representatives of international financial institutions.
At today’s sitting, the Riigikogu discussed the proposal of the Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise to deprive Mailis Reps of deputy immunity and to continue court proceedings concerning her.
In her report, Ülle Madise said that neither making the proposal nor even depriving an MP of their deputy immunity means that they are guilty of an offence. “This also does not stop their authority as a Member of the Riigikogu. The authority of a Member of the Riigikogu terminates if the court finds them guilty and the decision enters into force,” the Chancellor of Justice explained. She added that depriving Mailis Reps of deputy immunity simply allows the court proceedings to continue in order to find out the truth.
In addition, the Chancellor of Justice outlined the content of the accusations against Reps.
56 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of depriving Mailis Reps of deputy immunity.
A Bill passed the first reading
The objective of the Bill on Amendments to the Local Government Organisation Act (400 SE), initiated by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction, is to allow binding local referendums. The explanatory memorandum says that the Local Government Organisation Act that was in force in 1993–1999 set out local referendums as one of the instruments for carrying out local authority. The Bill would not exactly restore the earlier provisions of the Local Government Organisation Act; instead, it’s wording would allow municipal councils to provide for an option for the local residents themselves to bring about referendums as public initiatives.
During the debate, Mihhail Stlanuhhin (Centre Party) and Henn Põlluaas (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) took the floor.
The proceeding of one Bill was carried over to the next sitting
Due to the end of the sitting, the Bill on Amendments to the Youth Work Act (411 SE), initiated by the Social Democratic Party Faction, was carried over to tomorrow’s sitting. Its purpose is to support the participation of youth in hobby education and activities, and to prevent a situation where any additional state support could be drastically reduced. For this purpose, the support allocated from the state budget for hobby education and activities in municipalities must not be lower than during the previous budget period. The Bill should also prevent a situation where no budgetary means are set aside for paying the additional support.
