NordenBladet — Voters must present proof of their identity when voting at a polling station.Official photo IDs, such as a passport, identity card and driving licence, are accepted as proof of identity. The old cardboard driving licence will also be accepted, if the voter can be identified from the photo and the election official can thus reliably verify the voter’s identity. Voters who do not have a valid proof of identity can obtain a temporary identity card free of charge from the police for voting purposes. Election officials may ask voters to briefly remove their face mask to verify their identity. Instructions on how to remove the mask are available on the Electionsfinland.fi website at https://vaalit.fi/en/instructions-for-voters-covid-19.Instructions on safe voting during COVID-19The Electionsfinland.fi website contains instructions for voters on safe voting in the municipal elections during the COVID-19 pandemic. Voters must wear a face mask or covering, use hand sanitiser and stay two metres away from others at the polling station. Election officials will monitor safety at the polling stations and advise voters on how to follow the instructions. Voters may bring their own pen to the polling station if they so wish.Special measures have been planned to enable voters placed in quarantine or isolation by a doctor or having respiratory symptoms to vote. Voters can contact the central municipal election board of their municipality to ask about these special arrangements. Reliable information about elections: www.electionsfinland.fi Instructions for voters on safe voting during COVID-19Electionsfinland.fi on Twitter Electionsfinland.fi on Facebook Election videos on YouTube Elections helpline: 0800 9 4770 (in Finnish) and 0800 9 4771 (in Swedish). WhatsApp service for election-related questions: 050 438 8730
NordenBladet — Finland’s digital COVID-19 vaccination certificate is now available in the My Kanta Pages. However, at first some people may have to wait a while before they can view their vaccination certificate, as there are some delays in data transfer to the My Kanta Pages.Finland’s COVID-19 vaccination certificate will contain information of the COVID-19 vaccinations received by the certificate holder. You can get a certificate after you have received your first dose of vaccine.How to get your vaccination certificate:Log on to your My Kanta Pages at kanta.fi using the identification token of your choice, such as online banking codes or mobile certificate.Select COVID-19 certificate from the left-hand menu. There is also a link to the certificate section on the front page of the My Kanta Pages.To get your certificate click on the link “Check if you have a COVID-19 vaccination certificate (pdf)”. If you have a vaccination certificate, it will open in a new tab in pdf format.Finland’s COVID-19 vaccination certificate is available only in the My Kanta Pages. You can either show the certificate in a digital form or print it out on paper. You can authorise another adult to use the My Kanta Pages on your behalf if you are not able to use the service yourself.Currently, and even in the future, you can ask your healthcare provider to give you a paper certificate of your COVID-19 vaccination. However, this paper certificate will not be the same as the certificate available in the My Kanta Pages.Finland’s COVID-19 vaccination certificate will be available in Finnish, Swedish and English.Vaccination data are still being updated to the Kanta ServicesThe Kanta Services and many patient information systems have been updated to transfer COVID-19 vaccination data into the My Kanta Pages and to create the vaccination certificates.Vaccination certificates are available in the My Kanta Pages to all those who have a Finnish personal identity code. The first users will be able to view their certificate already as of 26 May.In May and June, many users will have to wait a while before they can view their certificate, because vaccination data are being corrected retrospectively in different patient information systems.You should wait patiently if you cannot yet view your certificate in your My Kanta Pages. Your data will be updated in the My Kanta Pages after a while. However, if you need a COVID-19 vaccination certificate for essential reasons and you cannot wait, you can get one from the healthcare provider that administered your vaccine. At the moment, around 72 per cent of the vaccinated population can access their certificate in the My Kanta Pages.In future, the COVID-19 vaccination certificate will be available in the My Kanta Pages within five days of vaccination. EU Digital COVID Certificate due in JulyWhen travelling, you can use the Finnish COVID-19 vaccination certificate to enter countries that accept it as proof of vaccination. Countries decide themselves which certificates they require from travellers and whether they accept national COVID-19 vaccination certificates. They can even decide whether they require one dose or two doses of vaccine. However, you must always check before travelling what kinds of certificates are required in your destination. As a rule, you should still avoid travelling, as the epidemic situation varies across countries. Before travelling, you should always check the COVID-19 situation in your destination and, before returning home, you should check the situation in Finland and take care to follow the latest recommendations.You can use Finland’s COVID-19 vaccination certificate until the EU Digital COVID Certificate (previously called the Digital Green Certificate) is made available in July. The EU Digital COVID Certificate will cover three types of certificates: vaccination certificates, test certificates and certificates for persons who have recovered from COVID-19. The three certificate types will be launched at the same time, and they will be available in the My Kanta Pages.The plan is that in the future a certificate will be available in the My Kanta Pages for all kinds of vaccinations and even for laboratory test results.
NordenBladet — EU foreign affairs ministers will meet at the Informal Meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers (Gymnich) in Lisbon on 27 May. Finland’s representative at the meeting will be Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto.The topics on the agenda include the unresolved conflicts in the EU’s eastern neighbourhood, relations between the EU and Africa, and the EU’s role in the Indo-Pacific. In connection with the meeting, the foreign ministers will meet Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jordan Ayman Safadi.Finland places great importance on the EU’s comprehensive action in the eastern neighbourhood; the EU should continue its support to facilitate large-scale social changes, find solutions to conflicts and improve the humanitarian situation.The tense situation in the Middle East will probably be discussed with the Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi. Jordan plays an important role in the Middle East Peace Process. The foreign ministers will also discuss the EU’s renewed partnership with the southern neighbourhood.The EU foreign ministers will discuss the state of the EU-Africa relations and the progress in the preparations for the summit between the EU and the African Union. The EU must invest in rapid reaction, coordination and broader contacts with African countries to reinforce relations that are based on reciprocity and more strategic interaction. The EU must also be able to respond to the difficult COVID-19 situation in Africa.The foreign ministers will also hold a strategic debate on the EU’s role in the Indo-Pacific. Finland welcomes the EU’s more strategic approach and sees it as an opportunity to improve the EU’s ability to participate in cooperation in the region in ways that promote European values and interests.
NordenBladet — The EU Competitiveness Council will meet in Brussels on 27 and 28 May 2021. The ministers responsible for the internal market and industrial policy will discuss the EU’s updated industrial strategy and the regulation of digital market and services. The ministers in charge of research and innovation will exchange views on renewing the European Research Area (ERA). The management of space traffic is also on the agenda.State Secretary Jukka Ihanus will represent Finland at the meeting.Finland supports common EU rules for digital platformsThe ministers will discuss proposals to regulate the digital market and services. The proposal on digital services aims to set EU-wide rules for different online services, ranging from small service providers to large global digital platforms. Providers would be subject to obligations proportionate to their services and their size, with the aim of a safe, predictable and accountable digital environment. The regulation on digital market would address unfair practices that companies and consumers encounter on digital platforms. It is important to Finland that the new regulations are clear, flexible and mindful of the different characteristics of platform companies and markets. “Some digital and social media companies have grown so large that their activities have harmful effects on society as a whole. New regulation at EU level must address the problems faced by businesses and consumers. In particular, access to data is a critical factor in competition. The data collected must serve the people, businesses and society,” says Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen.EU’s industrial strategy to make use of the lessons of the pandemicThe meeting will discuss the EU’s updated industrial strategy and securing access to critical raw materials. The strategy makes use of the lessons learned during the pandemic, with the aim of supporting the resilience of companies in crises. In addition, the industrial strategy offers new measures to speed up the green and digital transitions. “It is important that Europe pays attention to the availability of raw materials. Ensuring access to natural resources is a condition for implementing Europe’s ambitious growth and industrial strategy,” says Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä.Finland supports the Commission’s comprehensive approach to the industrial strategy, which emphasises the role of the internal market and small and medium-sized companies in promoting competitiveness. The meeting will also adopt two conclusions: 1) the Member States’ shared vision of sustainable tourism in Europe, and 2) the use of data technology in better regulation. According to Finland, there is potential for growth in the development of economically, socially and environmentally sustainable tourism. The use of data technology in better regulation is one of the key factors in sustainable development and competitiveness, and it must take into account the opportunities offered by technologies and digitalisation. The Commission will also present a proposal to address the distortive effects that subsidies from non-EU countries have on competition in the internal market and a proposal on harmonised rules on artificial intelligence.Finland supports sustainable growth and jobs offered by ERAThe ministers responsible for research, innovation and space will meet on Friday 28 May. The meeting will adopt a general approach on the establishment of a European High Performance Computing (EuroHPC) Joint Undertaking as well as the conclusions on the ERA. Finland considers the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking a significant contribution to the development of European high-performance computing and related expertise.The ERA’s objective is to support researchers, information and technology and their free movement. According to Finland, the ERA must be developed in such a way that it strengthens sustainable growth, employment and social development. The meeting will also hold a policy debate on reforming the ERA. Two conclusions will be adopted concerning space. They relate to the importance of the space sector for people in general and particularly for the inhabitants of Europe’s coastal regions. The use of space data and services can be promoted by developing the EU’s space programme in accordance with the users’ needs. The Member States will also hold a discussion on improving the EU’s role in the management of space transport.
NordenBladet — Follow a live discussion on digitalisation and education on the Ministry’s Twitter page today 26 May at 9 am EEST. Opening words by Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville SkinnariDiscussion led by Ambassador for Education Marjaana Sall: “Can digitalisation solve the global education crisis?”Sari Turunen, Education Adviser, FCA CambodiaParmosivea Soobrayan, Regional Education Advisor, UNICEF Europe and Central Asia Regional OfficeKyungah Kristy Bang, Programme Officer, UNESCO BangkokThe event is a part of Finland’s candidacy campaign to the UN Human Rights Council. Finland’s campaign priorities are the rights of women and girls, education, digitalisation and new technologies, and climate change. Visit um.fi/hrc to learn more. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs on TwitterFinland’s candidacy to the UN Human Rights CouncilJoin the conversation #FIforHRC
NordenBladet — On its second meeting day, Tuesday 25 May, the special European Council urged Member States to implement the EU Digital COVID Certificate rapidly. The EU leaders also discussed climate change and provided the European Commission with additional guidance for the preparation of its proposals on effort sharing.The leaders welcome the accelerated pace of vaccinations and the introduction of the EU Digital COVID Certificate. The European Council urges all Member States to implement the digital certificate during the summer. Finland will implement its national COVID-19 vaccination certificate tomorrow and it will be compatible with the EU system.
“The digital certificate will facilitate health-secure travel across borders. At the same time, it is important that Member States may maintain restrictions if the health security situation so requires. We need to stay vigilant regarding the emergence and spread of variants and to take decisive action as necessary,” says Prime Minister Sanna Marin.
The European Council reminds that the impact of the pandemic will only be contained through a comprehensive global response and calls for work to be stepped up to ensure global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. The European Union is the largest exporter of COVID-19 vaccines to the world.In line with its December conclusions, the European Council provided additional guidance to the Commission for its work on the 2030 climate legislation. Finland considers it important for the EU to achieve its strict emissions targets for 2030 and 2050. Finland also considers it important that all EU countries participate in a fair manner. The European Council reaffirms its conclusions of December 2020 and invites the Commission to swiftly put forward its legislative package together with an in-depth impact assessment.
“The Commission has an important duty to come up with balanced legislative proposals that enable us to reach the EU’s new 2030 target with joint action. The proposals should give greater attention to cost-effectiveness and it must be possible for all Member States to start on the path towards emissions reductions as required by the climate neutrality target,” says Prime Minister Marin.
NordenBladet — The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has issued a decree on the digital COVID-19 vaccination certificate that will be available in the My Kanta Pages. The decree will lay down provisions whereby certificates of vaccinations, laboratory test results and recovery from COVID-19 will be available to people in the My Kanta Pages. The decree will enter into force on 25 May 2021.The COVID-19 vaccination certificate available in the My Kanta Pages will be introduced in stages. On 26 May, Finland will launch a national certificate of COVID-19 vaccination that will contain information about the COVID-19 vaccines the certificate holder has received. The information given in the national certificate will be available in Finnish, Swedish and English. As of July, people in Finland will be able to use the EU Digital Covid Certificate that will include a vaccination certificate, a test certificate and a recovery certificate. The EU Digital Covid Certificate will also be available in Finnish, Swedish and English. The plan is that in future a vaccination certificate will be available in the My Kanta Pages for all kinds of vaccinations and even for laboratory test results.Decree will not include provisions on intended uses of certificateThe decree will not lay down provisions on the intended uses of the COVID-19 vaccination certificate. People can decide themselves how and when to use the certificate. The COVID-19 vaccination certificate available in the My Kanta Pages will be free of charge.The national COVID-19 vaccination certificate, which will be launched in May, will be available only in the My Kanta Pages. You can either show the certificate in a digital form or print it out on paper. You can also authorise someone else to use the My Kanta Pages on your behalf.Currently, and even in the future, you can ask your healthcare provider to give you a paper certificate of your COVID-19 vaccination. This paper certificate will not, however, be the same as the national COVID-19 vaccination certificate available in the My Kanta Pages. When the EU Digital Covid Certificate is launched in July, you can get if from the My Kanta Pages or you can ask your public healthcare provider to give you a paper version of it free of charge.Healthcare professionals will record the information on vaccinations and other examinations in the My Kanta Pages after the person has been vaccinated and tested and make sure that the information recorded in the My Kanta Pages is correct. Individual persons will have access to the certificates in the My Kanta Pages after the information has been recorded in the My Kanta Pages in the correct form.The decree issued by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will not impose any new obligations on healthcare professionals in addition to their current statutory obligations.Opinions in favour of decreeThe decree was available for public consultation between 19 March and 9 April 2021. Almost all opinions were in favour of the decree. The opinions emphasised that the certificates must also be accessible to those who do not use e-services. They also pointed out that the proposal would place patients in an unequal position if the certificate available in the My Kanta Pages was free of charge while the certificate given by a public healthcare provider was subject to a fee.Travelling should be avoidedAlthough the COVID-19 vaccination certificate will become available in the My Kanta Pages, people should still avoid travelling, as the epidemic situation varies across countries. Before travelling, people should always check the COVID-19 situation in their destination and, before returning home, they should check the situation in Finland and take care to follow the latest recommendations.
NordenBladet — Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä will hold a video conference with the Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao on 25 May 2021. They will discuss trade and investment between the countries, work of the China-Finland Committee for Innovative Business Cooperation and current changes in the business environment. The aim is to speed up cooperation between Finland and China in trade and the economy.The Ministers will discuss, among other things, how to promote bilateral trade during and after the coronavirus pandemic. Wang became Minister of Commerce in December 2020, and this is his first ministerial discussion with Finland.“The pandemic has caused challenges to trade between our countries. We must support the cooperation of our companies and be ready to exploit the potential offered by the commercial and economic cooperation after the pandemic,” says Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä.Opportunities for cooperation in low-carbon and circular economyThere are opportunities for cooperation between Finland and China related to low-carbon, circular economy and wellbeing technologies. China has stated its aim to cut carbon dioxide emissions starting at 2030 and to become carbon neutral by 2060. In its new five-year plan, China emphasises the importance of innovations. This is an opportunity also for Finnish companies.The China-Finland Committee for Innovative Business Cooperation was established in 2017 by a joint declaration of Minister of Economic Affairs Lintilä and the Chinese Minister of Commerce. The business-led committee aims to promote joint commercial projects between Finland and China. The Ministers want to support an active dialogue between companies and help them find solutions to common challenges in order to boost trade and investment.The coronavirus pandemic has caused changes in the business environment, including in the movement of people and goods, which has been restricted. The Ministers will exchange information and views on developing the business environment.
NordenBladet — During the past two years the Sustainable City programme, coordinated by the Ministry of the Environment, has proven an important instrument in creating cooperation and boosting practical changes towards sustainability. Now an interim evaluation has been conducted to help develop the programme, that will run until 2023, so that it will serve the needs of towns and cities of different sizes even better. In future stronger focus will be placed on impact and communication.According to the evaluation, conducted by Owal Group, the programme has adopted a broad perspective on sustainability and succeeded in developing the operations both in leading the cities and on the practical level. The programme has responded to the needs and achieved a great deal relative to the resources available. Especially the motivating attitude to the work has been praised. The programme has enhanced awareness of what sustainable urban development means in practice, boosted the development, and created concrete cooperation both among the towns and cities and between them and the state.The evaluation considers that the programme brings different municipal sectors together in a way that is smooth and natural. Cooperation and interaction have a key role in disseminating sustainability thinking. The programme has developed new solutions, networks and expertise and successfully activated municipalities, starting from their own needs. Building cooperation is important because in municipalities the sustainability themes are not the responsibility of individual sectors. Sustainability is often considered from the technical or environmental perspective, in which case attention is mainly drawn to ecological sustainability. Many of the stakeholders consider is praiseworthy that in the Sustainable City programme there is a strong focus on social sustainability as well.“We will continue with the broad perspective and focus on achieving permanent impacts in cooperation between the state and cities,” Director Virve Hokkanen says. “Reaching the sustainability targets may sometimes be difficult to measure, but the evaluation supports the view that the best results can be achieved through broad-based and multi-sectoral cooperation.” According to the evaluation, more attention should be paid to the economic benefits that will also be gained by developing sustainability. In future the different needs for support in municipalities of different sizes should also be recognised better. People’s awareness of the programme and communication on it should be enhanced to help disseminate and consolidate the results that have been achieved.The aim of the interim evaluation of the Sustainable City programme was to produce information on the achievements and impact in the first two years and support the targeting of activities during the remaining term. Besides literary materials, the evaluation was based on expert interviews and workshops to hear the views of the key developers and stakeholders. Sustainable City programmeThe five-year Sustainable City programme (2019–2023) boosts sustainable urban development in cooperation between different ministries, municipalities and other stakeholders. So far about 80 municipalities and 50 other organisations have participated in the programme. The key themes in the work are carbon reduction, smart solutions, health considerations and social sustainability, and solutions are sought especially to questions that cut across these themes.The work under the programme includes solving cities’ shared sustainability challenges, developing new solutions through practical pilots and development projects, replicating good practices and sharing experiences at an international scale. During the first two years information packages were produced on leading sustainability and for work on sustainability in municipalities, and solutions were tested through which the environment can support sustainability. EUR 4.4 million in state funding has been allocated for the programme, and the total budget that includes contributions from other sources is about EUR 6 million.Sustainable City programme website
NordenBladet — Climate change is projected to increase health risks all across the world and especially in developing countries. Climate change may affect the functioning and operational reliability of healthcare also in Finland. Risk prevention requires healthcare and social welfare to prepare for and adapt to changes in a timely fashion. The newly completed Climate Change Adaptation Plan for the healthcare and social welfare sector, extending until 2031, may be used as an asset in these efforts.Although the effects of climate change extend over a long time horizon, they are already visible to a certain extent. Consequently, alongside curbing emissions it is vital also that adaptation measures be launched now rather than later. Well placed in terms of both climate and economy, Finland as a developed society is fully capable of accomplishing this. Systematic adaptation nonetheless calls for an adequate knowledge base. The new Adaptation Plan provides a foundation for initiating systematic adaptation, increasing risk awareness and safeguarding the functioning of healthcare and social welfare also in the future.Adaptation Plan provides examples of adaptation measuresAdaptation measures must be sufficiently proactive and take into account also rapidly developing changes with regard to e.g. extreme weather conditions. In Finland, the effects of climate change vary regionally, which is why the regional and local perspective must be taken into account in adaptation measures.The Adaptation Plan contains 42 objectives and 92 related recommendations for measures. The objectives concern topics including a heatwave warning system, various guidelines and action plans, examination of the effects of climate change and adaptation measures, and intersectoral action. Education and training and communications are also catered for.The focus in the Adaptation Plan is on health protection and the adaptation of healthcare in the administrative branch of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The Adaptation Plan seeks to assess the current state of adaptation in Finland and the structures supporting it and to identify existing and new adaptation measures in the health and wellbeing sector.Designed to serve as a practical tool, the Adaptation Plan will add to the volume of guidelines relating to climate change in the healthcare and social welfare sector. The Adaptation Plan was prepared by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in cooperation with the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare THL and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health TTL.
