NordenBladet — The coronavirus epidemic has weakened the economic and employment prospects in the regions for more than a year, but the outlook is now cautiously positive. The improved expectations are driven by the assumption of a swift rollout of COVID-19 vaccine, an improving epidemiological situation and the lifting of restrictions. 

The estimates are based on a review of the current situation and short-term prospects in the regions and subregions. The review, which was conducted in March–April 2021, was prepared by the ELY Centres together with other regional developers and published on 10 May.

Recovery in services could take a long time but prospects for industry look brighter
After a difficult year, many sectors and companies, particularly the service sector, are facing major difficulties, and it can take a long time for them to recover from the crisis. The COVID-19 restrictions and the decreased demand have had the most serious impact on personal services, tourism, accommodation and catering services, the cultural and event sectors and passenger transport across the country.

The prospects for the event and cultural sectors look very uncertain this summer. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the aviation sector, which dampens the outlook for the capital region and Vantaa. However, the lake region and the Turku archipelago, among others, are expected to benefit from a robust summer season driven by domestic tourism. The outlook for industry is more optimistic, which is reflected in improved expectations in industrial-based regions. The technology industry has performed relatively well and the near-term outlook for the sector is positive. The expansion of Valmet Automotive’s operations and additional recruitment have led to improved prospects for the Uusikaupunki and Salo regions. In the Turku area, the pharmaceutical industry and the diagnostics sector are experiencing strong growth on the back of the coronavirus epidemic. In the maritime industry, the order book of the Rauma shipyard extends to 2025 and new orders have further brightened the outlook.

Meanwhile, the current order book of the shipyard in Turku extends to 2025, but the crisis in the cruise sector has weakened its future prospects. In Ostrobothnia, Central Finland and Northern Savo, the positive expectations are largely based on the well-performing technology industry.A number of planned investments in renewable energy, bioeconomy and circular economy will lay the foundation for economic growth in the regions in the longer term. The most significant investment is Metsä Group’s new bioproduct mill in Kemi, which will have major positive effects on the economy of Northern Finland, in particular. On the other hand, Stora Enso’s decision to shut down its Veitsiluoto paper mill by the end of this year will dim economic prospects for Lapland.

Concerns over long-term and youth unemployment and continuing labour market mismatch
It is expected that long-term unemployment will continue to increase rapidly, which is a major concern for regions. Youth unemployment has also increased as a result of the coronavirus crisis and it has become increasingly difficult for new graduates to find work, especially in the sectors affected by COVID-19 restrictions.

Despite the rise in unemployment, the availability of skilled labour has not really improved, and this problem will rapidly get worse as the economy begins to pick up again. The factors behind the labour market mismatch have not disappeared, and in some sectors, such as health and social services and IT, the mismatch is expected to worsen. Developing education to better meet employers’ needs is one solution to the problem. Increasing work-based immigration will also play an important role in the future.

As a result of the coronavirus crisis, the way people work has changed, especially within expert work. The growth in remote work and multi-location work is considered an opportunity by many regions to promote their vitality.

NordenBladet — EU foreign ministers will convene in Brussels on Monday 10 May. Finland’s representative at the meeting will be State Secretary Johanna Sumuvuori. The main topics on the meeting agenda will be the relations between the USA and the EU and the situation in the Western Balkans. Foreign ministers will also have a video conference with US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry.

At its meeting in May, the EU Foreign Affairs Council will focus on the transatlantic relations and areas of cooperation that the EU should promote in the collaboration with the new US administration.  The United States’ commitment to the transatlantic and European security is a significant matter, and Finland supports the launch of the EU-US Security and Defence Dialogue.  Closer cooperation between the EU and the United States in the response to such global challenges as climate change is also of vital importance for Finland. The foreign ministers will also have a discussion with US Envoy for Climate John Kerry via remote connections. They will handle various topics, including Arctic cooperation. The ministers will hold a discussion on developments in the Western Balkans and the EU’s role in the region. It is in the interest of the EU and Finland that stability in the region be secured. Finland emphasises that it is essential to stick to the perspective of EU membership, because the reforms that must be met to fulfil the membership criteria benefit the citizens even prior to the actual EU membership. It is important that the membership process of for example Albania and North Macedonia proceeds.  Additionally, the EU’s considerable support during the COVID-19 pandemic should be made more visible in the countries of the region.Topical themes of discussion at the meeting will include, among other things, the situation in Afghanistan, Belarus and Russia.

NordenBladet — Did you know that the EU’s External Action Service is also celebrating its tenth anniversary this year? Watch the EU Foreign Ministers’ greetings in honour of the special year. Happy Europe Day!#StrongerTogether #EuropeDay  European Union External Action Service

NordenBladet — Employment, equal opportunities, social protection and health were key themes on the agenda the Porto Social Summit on Friday 7 May. The summit was organised by the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU.

The aim of the summit was to strengthen the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights. In addition to the members of the European Council, the summit was attended by EU-level representatives of labour market organisations, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría and ILO Director-General Guy Ryder, among others. The participants spent most of the meeting working in workshops. Prime Minister Sanna Marin participated in a panel on education and innovation.

In her speech, Prime Minister Marin emphasised the importance of education as the key to the EU’s economic success. “Europe needs creative thinking and skilled hands to drive the digital and green transition forward. The conclusion is clear: people’s skills are Europe’s most important resource. With this in mind, the EU should set the goal of having the highest level of education in the world,” said Prime Minister Marin.

Prime Minister Marin also stressed the importance of closer EU cooperation in the education sector and drew attention to the digital transformation in education. She went on to describe the role education plays in strengthening the resilience of societies and advancing equality and inclusion. The programme for Friday evening also includes an informal dinner of heads of state or government, where the main themes on the agenda will be the EU’s joint measures to combat COVID-19 and the EU-India Leaders’ Meeting taking place on Saturday. Also on Saturday 8 May, the members of the European Council will hold an informal meeting in Porto, where they will continue their discussion on social issues and adopt the Porto Declaration.

NordenBladet — On Thursday 5 May, the President of the Republic decided to appoint a new non-resident ambassador and a representative to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.The President of the Republic appointed Ambassador Anne Lammila to serve as a non-resident Ambassador to Lesotho. In addition, the President of the Republic authorised Counsellor Tanja Grén to represent Finland in the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), starting on 1 August 2021.

NordenBladet — The Ministry of the Interior has published a report on the perceived security threats raised by different religious communities in Finland concerning their religious premises. The report also lists proposals for improving the safety and security of such premises.

Issues and concerns related to the security of the premises of religious communities have emerged internationally in recent years as a result of terrorist attacks against them. As for Finland, the threat has at least been made public in the annual report of the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service.

On 20 July 2020, the Ministry of the Interior set up a working group tasked with identifying security threats to the premises of religious communities. The survey was carried out as an online survey sent to all religious communities operating in Finland. A total of 309 responses were received.

The responses show that roughly three in four respondents (74%) feel that their religious premises are safe.“Yet there are noteworthy differences between different religious groups. Almost 93 per cent of Christian respondents felt safe in the vicinity of their church and other religious premises. However, only 69 per cent of Muslim respondents and only one third of Jewish respondents felt safe near their respective religious premises, says chairman of the working group Tarja Mankkinen, who is Head of Development at the Ministry of the Interior.

The respondents indicate that their lost sense of security was due to factors such as troublemakers or other disturbing behaviour in the vicinity of the religious premises, inadequate transport arrangements, poor lighting or lack of lighting outside such premises, and vandalism, including defacement of walls or other property damage. Some members of religious communities noted that their sense of security is undermined because of the prejudices, fears, threats and different kinds of hate speech they have experienced.

“Almost half of the respondents felt that hate speech on the internet affects their sense of security. Half of the respondents also pointed out that because of online hate speech they no longer visit their own religious premises as often as they used to,” says Mankkinen.

The survey also revealed that one in five respondents have encountered violence or a threat of violence inside or in the vicinity of their religious premises. In particular, violence has been experienced by members of Finland’s Jewish communities, representing 40 percent of the respondents.

Religious communities call for clear security plans
The survey also mapped out ways to improve the safety and security of the premises of religious communities.

“The users of religious premises wished that their communities would have in place clear safety plans, crisis plans and rescue plans. They also want to have training on security issues,” says Mankkinen.

The respondents moreover felt that the security of the premises could be improved e.g. by installing video surveillance or door entry alarm systems or hiring security guards; keeping the doors locked, avoiding being alone, drawing up clear safety guidelines and escape routes; and by reporting and intervening on unsafe situations,” Mankkinen notes.

The results of the survey were analysed by Jana Turk, doctoral student at the University of Helsinki. The analysis is statistically representative for the Christian and Islamic communities, but not for the Jewish community because of its inadequate response rate.

NordenBladet — Finnish and Canadian ministers and UN Women will organise a webinar on May 18, to seek ways to safeguard the position of women and girls in the post-pandemic reconstruction.The COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for everyone, and especially for women. However, the economic empowerment of women is a condition for sustainable recovery from the crisis. How to safeguard the rights and economic opportunities of women and girls in the post-pandemic reconstruction?Finland and Canada are strong advocates of the position of women around the world. Women and girls must have equal opportunities to benefit from the opportunities offered by technology and innovation, and this can be facilitated by supporting female entrepreneurs and girls’ education. Academic research, too, plays an important role in improving the position of women and girls.On Tuesday 18 May 2021 at 16.00–17.15, Finland’s Embassy in Ottawa, the University of Ottawa and the Canadian Foreign Ministry will co-organise a webinar “Advancing Women and Girls’ rights: Harnessing Technology and Innovation in Support of the Economic Empowerment of Women in the Wake of the Pandemic”.The webinar will be opened by Roy Eriksson, Ambassador of Finland in Ottawa, and Jacques Frémont, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ottawa. The panellists will be Finland’s Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari, Canada’s Minister of Democratic Institutions Karina Gould, and Executive Director of UN Women Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. Other participants include Milja Köpsi, Leader of the Mimmit koodaa (women code) programme, and Professor Barbara Orser from the University of Ottawa. The moderator is Martine Lagacé, Associate Vice-President of Research Promotion and Development at the University of Ottawa.The free webinar will held in English, and it is open to everyone interested in the topic. Webinar programme (in English)Link to the registration (in English and French)  

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — Global megatrends such as digitalisation, ageing population and climate change pose long-term challenges to the Nordic welfare model. The extensive research project carried out by the Nordic Council of Ministers and the research institute FAFO delved into the future of work in the Nordic countries. The final report of the project was published on 7 May 2021. The employment ministers from the Nordic countries will discuss the report’s themes at their informal video meeting on 2 June 2021.In the Future of Work project, researchers examined the future of work from the perspective of digitalisation, platform economy, working conditions and employment legislation. They considered the effects of the megatrends and the coronavirus crisis on the Nordic welfare model and how the current practices could be updated to better suit to the working life of the future. The key issue is how to maintain in a changing labour market the Nordic welfare model and a high employment rate, which is essential for the future of the welfare model.According to researchers, the Nordic welfare model can, despite the challenges facing it, be a solution to the emerging problems. Digital technology is already widely utilised in the Nordic countries, and digitalisation has not led to inequalities in society or the labour market. Researchers recommend that the Nordic countries continue to invest in education, development of skills and fair working conditions.The research project launched in late 2017 was carried out by a group of more than 30 researchers from Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden.Nordic employment ministers to discuss the future of workThe employment ministers from the Nordic countries will discuss the findings of the Future of Work project at an informal video conference on 2 June 2021. The meeting will be organised by Finland, which chairs the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2021. In addition to ministers, representatives of the social partners will be invited to the meeting.Issues related to working life will also be discussed at three conferences in autumn organised by Finland during its Presidency. They will address the Nordic wage formation system, the future of work from the perspective of climate change, and the promotion of inclusive labour markets. The formal meeting of the Nordic employment ministers is scheduled to take place in November 2021.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — Prime Minister Sanna Marin met with Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa on Friday 6 May in Porto. The main themes of their bilateral meeting were increasing economic cooperation between the countries and topical EU issues. Finland and Portugal have traditionally had good relations, which have been further deepened by EU partnership.

Portugal has identified forestry development as one of the key areas of its post-pandemic economic recovery plan. One of the main objectives of developing forest management is to reduce forest fires, which have increased dramatically in Portugal as a result of drought caused by climate change. Finland and Portugal began their cooperation in the forest sector in connection with a trade mission by then-Prime Minister Juha Sipilä in autumn 2018.

“Finland has leading expertise in the green transition and digital economy, which are of great interest to Portugal. Businesses should seize the opportunity and take advantage of the possibilities offered by the EU recovery instrument. Cooperation between our countries in the forest sector is progressing well,” Prime Minister Marin said.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Marin also addressed the lack of a tax treaty between Finland and Portugal. Portugal has not yet ratified the tax treaty signed in 2016.Prime Minister Marin’s visit to Portugal will continue on 7 and 8 May, when she will attend the EU summits hosted by the Portuguese Council Presidency.