NordenBladet – Denmark’s Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine are celebrating their tenth birthday today. The Danish Royal House has released new images to mark the occasion.
There are seven PHOTOS, which were taken by Franne Voigt. They feature Vincent and Josephine together and separately.
Their Royal Highnesses are believed to have celebrated their birthday at home with their parents and siblings privately due to COVID restrictions.
The royal twins attend Tranegårdsskolen in Gentofte with their older siblings, Prince Christian (15) and Princess Isabella (13). They began their schooling in August of 2017.
The family lives in Frederik VIII’s Palace at Amalienborg in the Danish capital of Copenhagen.
Prince Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander is fourth in line to the Danish throne while Princess Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda is fifth. Vincent was born 26 minutes before his sister in Copenhagen’s Rigshospitalet on 8 January 2011. As per Danish royal tradition, the twins’ names were not revealed until their christening on 14 April 2011.
Vincent’s godparents are John Donaldson, his maternal uncle; King Felipe of Spain; Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille; Baroness Helle Reedtz-Thott; Caroline Heering; and Gustav, Hereditary Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, his father’s first cousin.
Josephine’s godparents are Patricia Bailey, her maternal aunt; Princess Marie, her paternal aunt by marriage; Count Bendt Wedell; Birgitte Handwerk; Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro; and Josephine Rechner, a close friend of her mother’s.
NordenBladet – Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent of Denmark, who celebrate their tenth birthday today, have been granted royal monograms. Earlier today, the Danish Royal House also released seven new photos of the twins.
Prince Vincent’s monogram consists of the Prince’s first initial ‘V’ with a fixed classic left wing combined with a doubled lined right wing. King Christian II’s crown has been placed above the initial. Princess Josephine’s monogram consists of the Princess’s first initial ‘J’ and it is drawn as a calligraphic. She also has King Christian II’s crown placed above the initial.
The monograms were designed by graphic designer Charlotte Søeborg Ohlsen, with professional assistance from graphic designer Mads Quistgaard and graphic designer Cecilie Kirkeskov Knudsen.
Prince Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander is fourth in line to the Danish throne while Princess Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda is fifth. Vincent was born 26 minutes before his sister in Copenhagen’s Rigshospitalet on 8 January 2011. They are the children of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark. They have two elder siblings, Prince Christian (born 5 October 2005) and Princess Isabella (born 21 April 2007). As per Danish royal tradition, the twins’ names were not revealed until their christening on 14 April 2011.
NordenBladet — The recent events in the United States, one of the oldest democracies in the world, have shocked people and nations across the world. Finland is no exception. The violent invasion of the country’s Capitol building and the attempt to prevent the confirmation of the election results are serious and unacceptable acts. Yesterday’s events have also claimed casualties.
Europe and the United States share a common historical value base, which came under attack yesterday. We cannot accept actions that disrupt the democratic process or question the outcome of free elections.
It is good that Congress managed to confirm the election results despite the violence. It shows that democracy and its institutions are able to operate even under exceptional circumstances. Yesterday’s events have been widely condemned in the United States.
President Joe Biden and his administration will begin their work on 20 January. We want to establish close cooperation with the new administration. President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will have a great deal of work to do, not least of all to strengthen unity within their country.
Finland has always had good, close and extensive relations with the United States. We have many expectations when it comes to cooperation, both bilaterally and within the framework of the European Union, in areas where it has been challenging over the past few years. An example could be the fight against climate change.
Multilateral institutions need the leadership of a United States of America that is committed to strengthening them. We need strong cooperation with the United States in our work to combat climate change and advance human rights, democracy and equality. The ongoing global pandemic has also shown how important strong multilateral cooperation is, and how fragile we are without it.
NordenBladet — On 7 January, the Government decided to extend the restrictions on entry into the country until 9 February 2021. The COVID-19 epidemic is still clearly growing globally, and the number of infections is increasing in most countries more sharply than in Finland. It is therefore not justified to ease the restrictions until the new health security measures under preparation have been made sufficiently available.
The decision is based on the limit value of a maximum of 25 new cases of the disease per 100,000 persons in the previous 14 days. It applies to Schengen countries, non-Schengen EU countries and the United Kingdom.
Restrictions on internal border control remain unchanged
Internal border traffic refers to traffic between Finland and other Schengen countries. Restrictions on internal border traffic are in force for traffic between Finland and Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, with the exception of leisure boating.
However, day-to-day travel is permitted for local border communities at Finland’s land border with Sweden. Similarly, commuting and other essential travel is permitted for local border communities at the Finland’s land border with Norway. In addition, people can come to work in Finland from Sweden and Estonia without a 10-day self-isolation period.
Crossing the internal border between Finland and Sweden and between Finland and Norway is also permitted on ice-covered border rivers, but it will not be allowed to go ashore to the territory of another state. In addition, residents of border communities and Saami people may cross the land border between Finland and Sweden and between Finland and Norway (including lakes) and border rivers also at places other than border crossing points. However, the above-mentioned right does not permit them to cross the border with a motor vehicle, with the exception of off-road vehicles.
At the internal borders, the restrictions on entry allow only return traffic to Finland, transit traffic, work-related travel and travel for other essential reasons, apart from the above-mentioned exceptions. A 10-day period of self-isolation is recommended for travellers arriving in Finland. Travellers can shorten their self-isolation period at their discretion if they take two voluntary COVID-19 tests.
Minor changes to restrictions on external border traffic
External border traffic refers to traffic between Finland and non-Schengen countries. Restrictions on entry will also be reinstated for residents of Japan and South Korea arriving in Finland. The change will enter into force 11 January 2021. In all other respects, the restrictions on external border traffic will remain unchanged and be extended until 9 February 2021. Restrictions have already been lifted for traffic arriving in Finland from the Vatican, and for traffic between Finland and Australia, Rwanda, Singapore, Thailand and New Zealand for residents of these countries.
The decision concerning lifting the restrictions for residents of China and of the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions who are travelling from these regions to Finland will remain unchanged, provided that reciprocity is confirmed by the Council of the European Union.
People may still come to Finland from the following European countries for work or other essential reasons: Andorra, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, Monaco, Romania, San Marino and the United Kingdom. The restrictions on entry for these countries correspond to the restrictions on internal border traffic. A 10-day period of self-isolation is recommended for travellers arriving in Finland.
For all other non-Schengen countries, restrictions on entry permit only return traffic to Finland and other EU and Schengen countries, transit traffic at Helsinki Airport and other essential traffic. In addition, a 10-day period of self-isolation is recommended for travellers arriving in Finland. Travellers can shorten their self-isolation period at their discretion if they take two voluntary COVID-19 tests.
The United Kingdom withdrew from the EU on 1 February 2020. The transition period ended on 31 December 2020. After the transition period, i.e. from 1 January 2021, UK citizens will be subject to the provisions concerning third-country nationals in border checks.
Government still recommends avoiding unnecessary travel to high-risk countries
Under the Constitution of Finland, Finnish citizens and residents of Finland always have the right to return to Finland, and everyone has the right to leave Finland if they so wish, provided that there is no legal impediment to this. However, the Government still recommends avoiding unnecessary travel to other countries, except for countries for which the restrictions on entry have been lifted.
Travellers must be aware of the current entry and quarantine regulations of their country of destination and they must take into account the quarantine and testing recommendations for those returning to Finland.
NordenBladet — In its plenary session on Thursday 7 January, the Government appointed Anna-Mari Vimpari (M.Soc.Sci.) State Secretary to Ministers Annika Saarikko, Matti Vanhanen, Jari Leppä, Mika Lintilä and Antti Kaikkonen from 7 January 2021 onwards. The State Secretaries’ terms end with those of the ministers.State Secretary Vimpari took her oath of office at the same Government plenary session.
Prior to her appointment as State Secretary, Anna-Mari Vimpari served as Secretary General of the Centre Party parliamentary group and, before this, as Managing Director of Miltton Networks Oy. Vimpari has also served as Adviser to Prime Ministers Mari Kiviniemi and Matti Vanhanen in EU affairs, as Special Adviser to Minister of Public Administration and Local Government Kiviniemi and as Special Adviser to Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen in Parliamentary Affairs.
The Government also appointed Kimmo Tiilikainen (M.Sc. Agriculture and Forestry) State Secretary to Ministers Jari Leppä, Mika Lintilä and Matti Vanhanen from 7 January 2021. Tiilikainen has served as State Secretary to Ministers Leppä and Lintilä since 12 December 2019.
State Secretaries assist ministers in matters relating to political steering and preparatory work. They also assist and represent the ministers in the drafting of policy outlines and in interministerial coordination, harmonising of policy positions, implementation of the Government Programme in the minister’s administrative branch, and handling of EU and international affairs.
NordenBladet — On 7 January 2021, the Ministry of the Interior sent out for comments a proposal for reforming the Lotteries Act, which regulates gambling in Finland. The key points of the proposal include preventing the harm caused by gambling in an effective manner, combating marketing that violates the Lotteries Act, and securing Veikkaus Oy’s capacity to channel the demand for gambling. The basic premise of the reform is that Finland’s gambling system will also in the future be based on the state monopoly in line with the Government Programme. The proposal is based on the Programme of Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Government, which states that the Government will implement the second phase of the reform of the Lotteries Act.
“The proposal includes a number of different measures to prevent the harm caused by gambling and any gambling activities that violate the Lotteries Act. An example of such measures is placing game machines in a way that reduces the harm caused by gambling to vulnerable persons in particular. The proposal will also help secure the gambling monopoly in Finland in line with the Government Programme. It is a package where different elements complement one another,” says Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo.
Provisions on compulsory identification to be included in ActVeikkaus Oy has announced that it will extend the identification requirement to all of its gambling games. This would also be laid down in the Act. The identification of slot machine players became compulsory from the beginning of 2021. The identification requirement would start apply to other gambling games by the beginning of 2023 at the latest and to scratch cards at the beginning of 2024.
The Act would lay down provisions on the use of game and player data that would increase as a result of the identification requirement. Veikkaus would have the right to use the data for the purpose of operating games responsibly, for example addressing individual cases of harmful gambling. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) could receive and analyse data for the purposes of assessing and monitoring the harmful effects of gambling. This would further improve the prevention and reduction of harm caused by gambling. The reform would also promote the use of this data in other scientific research.
Prevention of harm must be taken into account when placing slot machinesAs regards the location of slot machines, it is proposed that Veikkaus and the establishments providing space for slot machines be required to take account of the principles of preventing the harm caused by gambling and to draw up a related plan.The location and use of slot machines should be planned to minimise the harm caused by gambling. When placing slot machines, particular attention should be paid to the harm that gambling causes to minors and vulnerable persons. The establishments providing space for slot machines should see to it that the personnel are familiar with the obligations laid down in the Act and in the plans made by the establishments when it comes to the location of slot machines.
Tougher regulation on marketing of gambling
The current regulation on the permitted marketing of gambling is based on directing gambling towards gambling services that are provided by Veikkaus Oy under the Lotteries Act. It is proposed that this principle of marketing be supplemented so that marketing would be moderate and it would direct gambling towards gambling activities that cause less harm.
The provisions on marketing would also be specified by introducing new restrictions on the content and ways of permitted marketing. In addition, the Act would directly prohibit the marketing of certain particularly harmful gambling games, such as slot machines. Nowadays, decisions on such prohibitions are made when decrees on the rules governing gambling are issued. Betting and totalisator betting would form an exception to the current practice because their marketing would be permitted in future to support Veikkaus Oy’s capacity to channel the demand for gambling. However, information would no longer be given about betting events relating to games associated with particularly harmful effects because of the ambiguity in the interpretation of such information.
As for visual or printed advertising, the Act would include an obligation to provide information about the age limit for gambling, the possibility to apply for a gambling prohibition, services providing help for gambling problems, and the possibility to prohibit direct marketing if players have set a ban on their gambling.
Measures will also be taken to intensify the monitoring of marketing to ensure compliance with the Lotteries Act. The National Police Board could propose to the Market Court that, as a new tool, an administrative penalty payment be imposed for marketing that violates the Lotteries Act. In future, the National Police Board could also prohibit private individuals from marketing gambling activities when marketing violates the Lotteries Act.
Blocking of payment transactions to prevent gambling outside the monopoly system
It is possible to prevent the harm caused by gambling by restricting the accessibility of gambling services. For this reason, it it proposed that measures for blocking payment transactions be introduced to prevent gambling outside the monopoly system.
The National Police Board would maintain a blacklist of gambling companies which target marketing at mainland Finland and whose payment transactions with banks and other payment service providers should be blocked.
Veikkaus could engage in business-to-business activitiesThe proposal would not only introduce measures to support the channelling capacity of Veikkaus but also allow Veikkaus to establish a subsidiary for the provision of services other than gambling. The subsidiary would focus on providing gambling products and services to other companies but it would not be allowed to provide gambling services to consumers.
The proposal was prepared by a broad-based working group as part of the project set up to reform the Lotteries Act. The working group heard a number of experts, and in addition, the Ministry of the Interior held a broad-based consultation on the proposal in November 2020.The deadline for submitting comments is 5 February 2021. The government proposal is due to be submitted to Parliament in June 2021.
NordenBladet — The UK’s withdrawal from the EU will be complete on 1 January 2021. The Trade and Cooperation Agreement and the complementary agreements on security of classified information and nuclear cooperation, which were agreed by the EU Commission and the UK on 24 December 2020, will be applied provisionally from the beginning of the year. The agreements have not yet been ratified but the provisional application of the agreements prevents the UK’s withdrawal from the Union without a deal. Brexit will have various effects on work and business.
Impact of Brexit on businessesAs is typical of free trade agreements, the agreement covers topics such as trade in goods, trade in services and investments, digital trade, capital transfers and payments, protection of intellectual property, public procurement, small and medium-sized enterprises, energy, transparency, good regulatory practices and regulatory cooperation, and provisions on equal conditions of competition and sustainable development.
The purpose of the agreement is to create conditions for trade between EU and UK companies. The agreement does not replace the internal market. The provisions in the agreement are considerably more general than the precise obligations in internal market legislation. The agreement reflects a more distant relationship between two sovereign parties, which inevitably means new barriers to trade compared with the current situation. The free movement of goods, services, capital and people ends.
However, the agreement is a comprehensive trade agreement and in parts more extensive than previous EU agreements. For example, the agreement grants a completely duty-free and quota-free treatment of products from each party as long as the products comply with the agreement’s rules of origin. It also includes rules on equal conditions of competition related to State aid, work and environmental regulation, fight against climate change, carbon pricing and tax transparency, as well as a binding dispute settlement mechanism and the option for countermeasures to ensure the effective implementation of the agreement. The agreement’s provisions on energy are more detailed than in EU trade agreements usually.
The agreement’s provisions on the UK’s participation in the EU’s research programmes are largely the same as the existing association agreements for the Horizon 2020 framework programme.
Impact of Brexit on citizens
The withdrawal agreement of February 2020 ensured a controlled exit of the UK from the EU and addressed the position of EU citizens residing in the EU and UK citizens residing in EU. The withdrawal agreement safeguards the residence, employment and social security rights of EU citizens residing in the UK and UK citizens residing in the EU under EU law for life if they have settled in the UK or the EU before the end of the transition period. Their status and rights will be safeguarded as they were under the key EU legislation on 31 December 2020. With regard to persons moving to each other’s territory after 31 December 2020, free movement will end and restrictions will be placed on the entry and rights of EU and UK citizens.Provisional application of the agreementThe UK’s withdrawal from the EU entered into force on 1 February 2020. A transition period, which entered into force as per the withdrawal agreement, lasted until the end of 2020. During this time, the EU’s current rules remained in force and the future relationship was under negotiation.
On 24 December 2020, the EU and the UK concluded their negotiations on the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) and agreed the Nuclear Cooperation Agreement (NCA) and the Security of Classified Information Agreement (SCIA).
The EU countries decided on 29 December 2020 that the three agreements could be applied provisionally from 1 January 2021. The European Council adopted the decision by written procedure on 29 December 2020. This prevented a “no-deal” scenario after the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020.
The provisional application of the agreement is set to end on 28 February 2021 at the latest. The European Parliament is expected to approve the agreements by then. The Council, i.e. the Member States, will subsequently take a formal decision on the approval of the agreements and they will enter into force definitely.
NordenBladet —The Government approved the order governing travel from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Estonia. As of 1 January, when coming to Estonia from the United Kingdom, it is necessary to get tested for SARS-CoV-2 at least 72 hours before the start of the trip.
The Government approved the regulation pursuant to which a person can only travel to Estonia from the United Kingdom if they have been tested 72 hours before the trip for SARS-CoV-2, and the result of the test has been negative. The obligation to get tested does not extend to children under 10 years of age. After crossing the border, when arriving from the United Kingdom, a person must remain in self-isolation for 14 days, during which time they are not allowed to leave their residence or permanent place of stay.
It is possible to shorten the 14-day self-isolation period if, in addition to the test taken before entering the country, a person also gets tested on the seventh day after arriving in Estonia. The period of self-isolation will be shortened if both tests are negative.
People who arrive in Estonia from the United Kingdom in the coming days and are unable to get tested 72 hours before the trip, must get tested immediately after entering the country. To shorten the period of self-isolation, the second test must be taken no sooner than on the seventh day after learning the results of the first test. The results of both tests must be negative.
The period of self-isolation will also be shortened if a physician deems the person to be non-infectious. To shorten the period of self-isolation, children under 10 years of age must also get tested.
A person arriving from the United Kingdom may leave self-isolation under the orders of a physician, police officer or official of the rescue service, or in the event of an emergency. A person in self-isolation may leave their home to purchase items that are crucial for living, if these cannot be obtained in any other manner. A person may spend time outside by fully avoiding contact with other people. Regardless of the reason for leaving home or permanent place of stay, all measures for preventing the spread of the coronavirus must be followed.
Exceptions for testing and self-isolation will continue to remain in effect for certain persons if they do not exhibit symptoms. For example, restrictions will not extended to persons arriving in Estonia in the context of military defence cooperation, to diplomats or resolvers of the emergency situation.
The Government Communication Unit is publishing the order and its explanatory memorandum on the kriis.ee website.
NordenBladet —At an e-session, the government approved the support measures for the areas affected by the COVID-19 restrictions, the largest part of which concerns the support of the people of Harju and Ida-Viru counties through employers.
“This year has been unpredictably difficult for the whole world. In Estonia, the people and companies of Harju and Ida-Viru counties have suffered particularly badly due to the second wave of the coronavirus. In order to prevent the medical system from collapsing, the government had to impose extensive restrictions in these counties,” said Prime Minister Jüri Ratas. “Unfortunately, these restrictions have seriously disrupted the lives of thousands of people. Today, the government approved support measures totalling more than 30 million euros to compensate for the loss of income. They are aimed at employees working in the tourism, accommodation, and catering sector but also in the fields of culture, sports, and education. We also provided support for self-employed persons operating in these fields,” he emphasised. “Together, we can overcome this very difficult time. Let us hope that in the near future, the situation will stabilise thanks to vaccination and we will able to return to our normal life all over Estonia.”
More than 16 million euros will be directed to support Harju and Ida-Viru counties through the Unemployment Insurance Fund
Compensation will be paid to those employers in Harju and Ida-Viru counties whose activities have been seriously disrupted due to the extensive restrictions in force between 28 December and 17 January.
In accordance with the submitted plan, compensation is paid to employers for those employees whose place of employment as at 22 December is in Harju County or Ida-Viru County according to the employment register. Labour costs are compensated on the basis of the employer’s wage costs for employees in Harju and Ida-Viru counties in November. The compensation is transferred to the employers’ bank account. Companies receiving compensation may not make redundancies for one month after receiving the support.
Compensation for labour costs is intended for accommodation and catering companies, sports facilities, recreational activities, refresher training, and culture. Compensation is paid only to companies that do not have a tax debt to the state or to companies whose tax debt has been deferred as at 22 December. The maximum rate of compensation for labour costs per employer is 180,000 euros.
The support is paid to entrepreneurs once and it is possible to apply for the support during February 2021 through E-töötukassa.
More than 800,000 euros will be allocated to support self-employed persons in Harju and Ida-Viru counties
813,512 euros will be allocated from the government reserve to the Ministry of Social Affairs to support self-employed persons in Ida-Viru and Harju counties whose economic activities have been significantly disrupted due to the restrictions imposed by the government.
Almost 10 million euros will be directed to the tourism sector through Enterprise Estonia
The funds for the tourism sector are directed to support accommodation companies, catering companies operating in the Old Town of Tallinn, operators of Estonian handicraft and souvenir shops, and travel companies (travel agencies and tour operators). The maximum amount of support per company is 60,000 to 180,000 euros, depending on the company’s field of activity, loss of turnover, and/or labour taxes.
Enterprise Estonia will start granting the supports in the first quarter of 2021 after the approval of the support regulation and receipt of a state aid permit from the European Commission.
To finance the measure, the government will allocate 5 million euros from the reserve to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications.
In addition, the government decided to allocate the remaining 3 million euros to support the lease payments of trade and service companies negatively affected by the COVID-19 outbreak of the coronavirus in spring 2020.
The 1.9 million euros left over from the spring aid measure in this area will also be used to support tourism businesses.
Support in the field of culture and sport
3.7 million euros were allocated from the government reserve to the Ministry of Culture to support cultural enterprises in Harju and Ida-Viru counties. The terms of the support measure are similar to the spring crisis package for culture and sport, but the exact terms will be worked out. The application rounds will open in January.
In addition, cultural operators, as well as cultural and sports companies and organisations can apply to the Unemployment Insurance Fund for compensation for labour costs for the period from 28 December to 17 January. The Unemployment Insurance Fund has specially planned funds to compensate for labour costs in the field of culture and sports.
An additional 153,000 euros will be allocated from the government reserve to the Ministry of Culture to compensate for the damage to culture and sports elsewhere in Estonia resulting from the restrictions extended until 10 January.
The support applications are processed in various fields by the Ministry of Culture, the Estonian Centre of Folk Culture, the Integration Foundation, or the Estonian Foundation of Sport Education and Information. Applicants are asked to check the website and Facebook page of the Ministry of Culture.
Support in the field of education and youth
2.3 million euros were allocated from the government reserve to the Ministry of Education and Research to support private providers of hobby education and recreational activities for young people in Harju and Ida-Viru counties. The principles of resource allocation will be decided separately. Entrepreneurs in the field of education and youth will also have the opportunity to apply to the Unemployment Insurance Fund for compensation for labour costs for the period from 28 December to 17 January.
An additional 441,000 euros will be allocated from the government reserve to the ministry to compensate for the damage resulting from the restrictions to private providers of hobby education and recreational activities elsewhere in Estonia.
The measure makes it possible to offer private providers of hobby education and recreational activities all over Estonia a one-time support payment of 10 euros per student and up to 30 euros per student in Ida-Viru and Harju counties. The basis for receiving support for private hobby education providers is the data in the Estonian education information system on the number of students as at 10 November. A simple electronic form must be completed in January to confirm the application. Private providers of recreational activities can submit an application for the support.
Ministries will provide more detailed information on applying for the supports in the new year.
There is also a restriction to avoid receiving several supports at the same time, which means that if a company decides to apply for support from the Ministry of Education and Research or the Ministry of Culture for the same period, it will not receive remuneration support through the Unemployment Insurance Fund.
NordenBladet — The number of coronavirus infections reported in Finland decreased during the Christmas week (21-27 December). The number of coronavirus tests administered also fell significantly from the previous weeks. It is therefore possible that cases will be reported with a delay in the near future.The total number of new cases in the last reporting period (21–31 December) was 3,950, which was almost 2,000 fewer cases than in the preceding two-week period. The incidence of new cases was 71 per 100,000 inhabitants and in the preceding two-week period it was 93 per 100,000 inhabitants.
