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Helena-Reet Ennet

Helena-Reet Ennet
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Crisis management now – resolving conflicts and building peace together (seminar in Kalasatama, Helsinki, on 17 May 2018)

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — The 100-year-old Ministry for Foreign Affairs with its partners are organising a Crisis management now seminar in Kalasatama, Helsinki, on 17 May 2018. The event will present Finnish actors’ participation in the resolution of international crises and peacebuilding. The main theme of the seminar will be comprehensive cooperation between different actors in crisis areas in order to achieve sustainable peace.

Central government actors involved in crisis management (Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Justice) together with civil society and private sector representatives will present their cooperation in crisis management and peacebuilding in diverse and participatory ways.

Visitors to the event can, for example, try on Teatime Research’s virtual reality glasses and get an idea of what it would feel like if Helsinki was a conflict area similar to the one in Aleppo, Syria.

The Crisis Management Centre (CMC Finland) and other actors will tell about job opportunities in the field.

The Finnish CSOs attending the seminar are the Finnish Red Cross, Finn Church Aid, and the Wider Security Network (WISE). International organisations will be represented by the World Bank, which will present the Pathways for Peace report prepared in cooperation with the United Nations.

Finland is a pioneer in comprehensive crisis management and peacebuilding. In addition to military and civilian crisis management, crisis areas are supported by means of development cooperation, humanitarian assistance, mediation, and human rights and arms control policies. It is important that the various actors’ complement each other, because a number of different organisations and crisis management operations may be simultaneously active in the same crisis area. Coordination and cooperation enhance the effectiveness of crisis management activities and contribute to the building of sustainable peace.

You are welcome to the Crisis management now -event to see and experience how crisis management functions and how sustainable peace is built through cooperation – stabilising conflict areas calls for everybody’s contribution.

The event is open to all and free of charge. It will be organised in Kellohalli at the Abattoir complex in Kalasatama, Helsinki.

On Twitter #kriisinhallintanyt.

Find us also on Twitter: @NordenBladet

 

Finland used EUR 935 million on official development assistance in 2017

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet —  Finland used EUR 935 million on official development assistance (ODA) in 2017. This represented 0.41 per cent of Finland’s gross national income. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) today published preliminary data on official development assistance for 2017.

Finland’s expenditure counted as ODA and its share of gross national income decreased in 2017 compared with the previous year. The total expenditure in 2017 was EUR 21 million less than in 2016. The share of ODA of gross national income decreased from 0.44 per cent to 0.41 per cent. Measured with the percentage of ODA of gross national income, Finland ranked ninth among the EU countries.

Expenditure and its percentage of gross national income decreased in Finland because of a lower amount of appropriations available. In addition, expenditure on the reception of refugees counted as ODA decreased: in 2017 it amounted to EUR 69 million, a decrease of EUR 49 million (42 per cent) from the previous year. On the other hand, financial investments counted as ODA increased the total payments by EUR 68 million compared with the previous year.

A significant proportion of Finland’s ODA funding went through the EU and other multilateral organisations, such as the UN and the World Bank Group. For example, Finland’s share of the EU’s ODA budget was EUR 130 million, and EUR 60 million of the European Development Fund.  A total of EUR 94 million was allocated to humanitarian aid in 2017, of which EUR 39 million was bilateral aid. Finland’s main bilateral partners in 2017 were (EUR million) Afghanistan (18), Nepal (17), Ethiopia (17) and Mozambique (14).

The EU’s official development assistance remained unchanged
According to the OECD statistics, foreign aid provided by official donors totalled EUR 130 billion in 2017. ODA from members of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) equalled 0.31% of their combined gross national income, a slight fall from 0.32% in 2016.

Public ODA payments of the EU member states totalled EUR 73.4 billion in 2016. In the EU countries, payments were roughly on a par with the previous year.

The major ODA funders were the United States, Germany, the UK, Japan and France. Of the members of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC), countries achieving the UN’s target to raise the level of ODA to at least 0.7 per cent of gross national income included, as usual, Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg and the UK. Of the other funders, Turkey (0.95 per cent) and United Arab Emirates (1.31 per cent) achieved the target.

ODA payments increased in 11 OECD countries. France, Italy, Japan and Sweden increased their payments the most. The amount of assistance, on the other hand, decreased in 18 member countries compared with the previous year. This is mainly explained by the decreased number of refugees coming to Europe and, consequently, a decreased amount of refugee-related expenditure.

Published originally in Finnish on 9 April 2018

Source: Finland.ee
Find us also on Twitter: @NordenBladet

 

Finland´s Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Anne-Mari Virolainen: EU and Mexico reach agreement on modernising their trade relationship

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — On 21 April 2018, the European Union and Mexico reached a political agreement on modernising their existing Free Trade Agreement.

“The future agreement is welcome, because it brings partly outdated trade rules up to date to correspond companies’ needs, removes customs duties, and improves Finnish companies market opportunities in Mexico,” says Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Anne-Mari Virolainen. “The agreement is of a particular significance at this time when the openness of trade and related cooperation has been challenged in many fronts.”

The new agreement will replace the previous Free Trade Agreement, which is one pillar of the wider EU-Mexico Global Agreement that has been in force since 2000. The content of the agreement is mainly ready but negotiations on some technical details will be continued. The agreement is expected to be finalised by the end of 2018.

The modernised trade agreement will cover a large part of trade in goods, related regulation and barriers to trade, as well as trade in services and investments. The agreement will eliminate the majority of the remaining customs duties.  Additionally, service providers’ market access will be facilitated in many areas. This is the first EU trade agreement to include provisions to fight corruption.

In 2017, the value of goods exports from Finland to Mexico was over EUR 309 million while the value of goods imports amounted to EUR 218 million. In 2016, Finland’s exports in services to Mexico totalled approximately EUR 129 million and the value of imports was EUR 91 million.

Source: Finland.ee
Find us also on Twitter: @NordenBladet

 

Agreement about transfer of Foreign Ministry’s 24/7 services to the Emergency Response Centre Agency

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Emergency Response Centre Agency (ERCA) have agreed that the Foreign Ministry’s 24/7 services will be handled by ERCA in Kerava from August 2018 onwards. Initially, the agreement will be in force for two years.

The transferred round-the-clock services will be auxiliary consular assistance tasks related to situations where a Finnish citizen or a foreign national with a permanent residence in Finland is in distress abroad due to an illness, accident or disaster or because of falling a victim of crime or for some other comparable reason.

On an annual basis, the Ministry’s 24/7 Service Centre receives approximately 7,000 to 8,000 calls related to various emergency and problem situation that have occurred abroad. Consular assistance to the eligible persons is mainly advice and guidance. In some cases, information about what has happened is communicated to the Finnish mission in the area, which then takes care of the matter.

According to Finland´s Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini, the aim of the cooperation between the Minister for Foreign Affairs and ERCA is to develop the provision of out-of-hours services to Finnish citizens. “The transfer does not show to the citizens in any way.  Their calls will be replied in their familiar languages and assistance will be provided as before.”

“In ERCA, we consider that the agreement will lead to synergies because we intend to pool other services related to international contacts under our Command and Control Centre, too. This will strengthen our role in security-related matters in society,” Martti Kunnasvuori, Director General of ERCA, notes with satisfaction.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and ERCA have longstanding experience of good cooperation in helping Finnish citizens in distress abroad. After the establishment of the Command and Control Centre in ERCA in December 2017, opportunities have been identified for new kinds of organisational solutions and synergies.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and ERCA will provide more detailed information about the changes in the summer.

Source: Finland.ee
Find us also on Twitter: @NordenBladet

 

A hundred years of foreign policy – Foreign Ministry’s public event in Jyväskylä

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — The Ministry for Foreign Affairs marks its 100th anniversary by presenting its activities in various public events in different parts of the country. A public event will be organised on 27 April in cooperation with the Regional Council of Central Finland, the Jyväskylä UN association, and Jyväskylä JEF-Finland (Young European Federalists Europe).

The topics of the public event will be Finland‘s forthcoming EU Presidency, the UN and global issues, as well as consular services provided by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Under-Secretary of State Pirkko Hämäläinen, Counsellor Erik af Hällström and Counsellor Leena Liukkonen will speak at the event. The event will be held in the University of Jyväskylä (hall L302) on Keskussairaalantie 4, starting at 15.00. Coffee will be served starting at 14.30.

Source: Finland.ee
Find us also on Twitter: @NordenBladet

 

The Swedish Election Authority (Valmyndigheten) + Elections in Sweden

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – The Swedish Election Authority (Swedish: Valmyndigheten), is a Government agency responsible for organizing national elections and referendums in Sweden. The agency began its operations on 1 July 2001 when it took over the responsibilities from the Swedish National Tax Board.

Local and regional elections are the responsibility of the respective municipalities and county councils, however these elections always take place concurrently with the national elections for the Riksdag. As the central administrative authority for elections, the Election Authority has an instrumental role in all public elections in Sweden.

Elections in Sweden
Elections to determine the makeup of the legislative bodies on the three levels of administrative division in the Kingdom of Sweden are held once every four years. At the highest level, these elections determine the allocation of seats in the Riksdag, the national legislative body of Sweden. Elections to the 20 county councils (landsting) and 290 municipal assemblies (kommunfullmäktige) – all using roughly the same electoral system – are held concurrently with the legislative elections on the second Sunday in September (with effect from 2014; until 2010 they had been held on the third Sunday in September).

Sweden also holds elections to the European Parliament, which unlike Swedish domestic elections are held in June every five years, although they are also held on a Sunday and use an almost identical electoral system. The last Swedish general election was held on 14 September 2014. The last Swedish election to the European Parliament was held on 25 May 2014.

Dates
Elections to Sweden’s county councils occur simultaneously with the general elections on the second Sunday of September. Elections to the municipal assemblies also occur on the second Sunday of September. Elections to the European Parliament occur every five years in June throughout the entire European Union; the exact day of the election varies by country according to local tradition, thus in Sweden all European parliament elections occur on a Sunday.

Voter eligibility
To vote in a Swedish general election, one must be:

– a Swedish citizen,
– at least 18 years of age on election day,
– and have at some point been a registered resident of Sweden (thus excluding foreign-born Swedes who have never lived in Sweden)

To vote in Swedish local elections (for the county councils and municipal assemblies), one must:

– be a registered resident of the county or municipality in question and be at least 18 years of age on election day
fall into one of the following groups:

– Swedish citizens
– Citizens of Iceland, Norway, or any country in the European Union
– Citizens of any other country who have permanent residency in Sweden and have lived in Sweden for three consecutive years

In order to vote in elections to the European Parliament, one must be 18 years old, and fall into one of the following groups:

– Swedish citizens who are or have been residents of Sweden
– Citizens of any other country in the European Union who are currently residents of Sweden; such citizens, by choosing to vote in European Parliamentary elections in Sweden, become ineligible to vote in European Parliamentary elections in any other EU member state

In general, any person who is eligible to vote is also eligible to stand for election.

Find more about Elections in Sweden HERE and about Referendums in Sweden HERE

Website: val.se

The Swedish Economic Crime Authority (Ekobrottsmyndigheten)

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – The Swedish Economic Crime Authority (Swedish: Ekobrottsmyndigheten, abbreviated EBM or SECA) is a Swedish government agency organized under the Ministry of Justice, with the mandate to investigate and prosecute financial crimes, like dishonesty to creditors, bookkeeping crime, market abuse crime, tax crime and EU fraud.

The Swedish Economic Crime Authority (SECA) is also tasked to monitor and analyse economic crime trends, initiate joint action between authorities and propose legislative changes designed curb economic crime. The agency primarily focus on serious economic crime, with a special emphasis on investigating crime in the financial market and recovering the proceeds of crime.

History
SECA was set up in 1998, to safeguard the expertise of experienced police officers and prosecutors, who often got assigned to other types of investigative work, not related to economic crime. The authority was the first in Sweden to co-house police officers and prosecutors under the same roof.

Organizational structure
The agency operates nationwide, with a headquarters in Stockholm, and consists of approximately 560 employees. There are about 100 prosecutors and 230 police officers of different specialities, analysts, forensic accountants and administrative staff. SECA is led by Director-General Eva Håkansson Fröjelin and the operational activity is organized into several units: Public Prosecutions Unit, Legal Unit, Development Unit, Administrative Unit, Economic Crime Office and the Chief of Staff.

Area of responsibility
SECA´s objectives are to prevent, investigate and institute legal proceedings against economic crime. In an extended view this also includes to monitor and analyze criminal trends and act as a referral body regarding legal development.

We play a vital role in combatting organized crime and in preventing the effects of criminality as a threat to the mechanisms of fair competition in a free market as well as on the stock market.

We are also responsible for coordination and other measures against economic crime, including the development of methods to combat economic crime more effectively. The Authority has also been instructed to provide information on economic crime to other authorities, municipalities, industry, organisations and the general public.

SECA has also founded two councils of significant importance, the Economic Crime Council and the Forensic Council. The purpose of the Economic Crime Council is to be responsible for coordinating authorities at a central level. The council has regular contact with bankruptcy administrators and trade and industry, for example banks and other industry organizations, including the Auditors´ organization.

The forensic Councils work is strategic and advisory and focuses on analysis of development within trade and industry, identification of new risk areas and gives advices on specific competence in complicated investigations.

Website: ekobrottsmyndigheten.se

E-mail: huvudregistrator@ekobrottsmyndigheten.se

Main office
Box 22098, 104 22 Stockholm
Visiting address: Fleminggatan 14
Tel +46 (0) 10 – 562 90 00
Fax +46 (0) 8 – 613 40 19

Stockholm
Box 820, 101 36 Stockholm
Visiting address: Hantverkargatan 15
Tel +46 (0) 10 – 562 90 00
Fax +46 (0) 10 – 562 91 01

Uppsala
Box 898, 751 08 Uppsala
Visiting address: Kungsängsgatan 18 A
Tel +46 (0) 10 – 562 90 00
Fax 018 – 69 44 01

Malmö
Ekobrottsmyndigheten, 205 90 Malmö
Visiting address: Porslinsgatan 4 B
Tel +46 (0) 10 – 562 90 00
Fax: +46 (0) 10 – 562 96 00

Göteborg
Box 431, 401 26 Göteborg
Visiting address: Ernst Fontells plats
Tel +46 (0) 10 – 562 93 00
Fax: +46 (0) 10 – 562 94 00

Linköping
Box 432, 581 04 Linköping
Tel +46 (0) 10 – 562 98 90
Fax +46 (0) 13-13 69 01

Umeå
Box 3198, 903 04 Umeå
Tel +46 (0) 10 – 562 90 00
Fax +46 (0) 90-13 56 02

The Swedish Data Protection Authority (Datainspektionen) – Organization history + the Personal Data Act (1998), the Debt Recovery Act (1974) and the Credit Information Act (1973)

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – The Swedish Data Protection Authority (Swedish: Datainspektionen) is a Swedish government agency, organized under the Ministry of Justice, tasked to protect the individual’s privacy in the information society without unnecessarily preventing or complicating the use of new technology.

The agency ensure legislation within this area is complied with and as such supervise different registers and carry out inspections of companies, organizations and other government agencies; led by the agency’s own IT security specialists and legal advisors. The most important legislation is the Personal Data Act of 1998, the Debt Recovery Act of 1974 and the Credit Information Act of 1973. The agency also has an expert advisory role when the Government prepares new statutory provisions.

History:
The Swedish Data Protection Authority (DPA) was established in 1973, as a result of public concern about personal data and abuse of government power related to mass surveillance and the enactment of the world’s first national data protection law: the Data Act.

The Data Protection Authority supervises that authorities, companies, organizations and individuals follow:

1) the Personal Data Act (1998)
On the 24th of October 1998 the Personal Data Act (1998:204) came into force and replaced the out-dated Swedish Data Act from 1973. The Personal Data Act is based on Directive 95/46/EC which aims to prevent the violation of personal integrity in the processing of personal data.

Personal Data Protection fact brochure provided by the Ministry of Justice in 1998.

Data Protection Authority Statute Book
DIFS 1998:3
DIFS 2001:1

2) the Debt Recovery Act (1974)
A person who collects debts on behalf of another person, or collects debts which have been taken over for collection, normally requires a permit from the Data Inspection Board.

Before permission is granted, the company must have in it’s employment a person with professional legal experience of debt collection.

The Data Protection Authority determines whether the conditions are met. Debt collecting must be conducted in a professional and judicious manner. The Data Protection Authority ensures that these rules are adhered to. This is achieved by inspections.

Practise and custom dictate that files of personal data used in debt collection operations may not contain value judgements about people.

The Data Protection Authority Statute Book
DIFS 2005:1

3) the Credit Information Act (1973)
Credit-rating agencies collect information regarding the financial position of companies and the financial and personal circumstances of individuals.

Everyone over the age of 15 is on the computer files of Sweden’s largest credit-rating agencies.

Anyone planning to conduct credit-rating operations normally requires a permit from The Data Protection Authority. The Data Inspection Board carries out inspections to ensure that the operations are being conducted in a proper manner.

Particulars concerning a private person may only be provided to a third party if there is a legitimate reason, for example an investigation into creditworthiness. The person concerned must always receive a copy of the information that has been supplied.

Negligence on the part of a credit-rating agency can result in a liability to pay damages and those responsible may be fined or imprisoned.

 

International co-operation:
The board is tasked to supervise the Schengen Information System, and is involved in a number of international groups that work on privacy and personal data issues; for instance EU’s data protection group and the supervisory function of Europol’s data system.

Organization:
The agency is based in Stockholm and is led by Director-general Kristina Svahn Starrsjö. It has approximately 40 employees, the majority of whom are lawyers. The agency also has a call center that receive on average 200 calls and 60-70 e-mails per week, mostly relating to topical questions regarding protection of privacy.

Website: datainspektionen.se

Contact:
Address:
Datainspektionen
Box 8114
SE-104 20 Stockholm
Sweden Office address
Drottninggatan 29, 5th floor
Stockholm
Sweden
E-mail:
datainspektionen@datainspektionen.se

Telephone:
+46 8 657 61 00 Telefax
+46 8 652 86 52 Media inquiries
For all media inquiries or to interview an executive, please contact:
Per Lovgren
per.lovgren@datainspektionen.se
Tel: +46-70 736 10 80

The Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority in Sweden (Brottsoffermyndigheten) – Victim injury compensation, Victims Fund and Learning Center

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – The Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority (Swedish: Brottsoffermyndigheten) is a Swedish government agency which provides compensation and support for victims of crime. It is located in Umeå and has nationwide responsibility for three areas:

Victim injury compensation
If the offenders have no ability to pay damages and if there is no insurance for the damage, the victim may be entitled to Victim injury compensation of state resources. The right may exist even if the perpetrator is unknown. The allowance compensates primarily personal injury and violation.

Download the application form for criminal injuries compensation

Victims Fund
The fund is distributed for research and other victim-oriented projects driven in a non-profit, public or private. The fund is built up mainly by a special fee of 500 SEK each convicted person must pay if the offense can be punished with imprisonment. Distributed annually about 30 million from the Fund.

Learning Center
Victim Agency will gather and disseminate information and research to help improve treatment and treatment of victims. It is bl. a. the information to other authorities, NGOs and victims. Brottsoffermyndigheten also arranges conferences, theme days and courses.

Website: brottsoffermyndigheten.se

Contact:
Postal Address:
Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority
Box 470
901 09 UMEÅ Sweden

Visiting Address:
Storgatan 49, Umeå

E-mail: registrator@brottsoffermyndigheten.se

Telephone switchboard: 090 70 82 00,
opening hours: 8.30 a.m. – 12.00, 1.00 p.m. – 4.30 p.m
(4 p.m. between May 15 and September 15)

Service Telephone, primarily matters regarding criminal injuries compensation
090-70 82 00, dial 4 in the menu. Opening hours: 9.00 a.m. – 3.00 p.m

Swedish Consumer Agency (Konsumentverket) – Responsibilities and contact

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – Swedish Consumer Agency (Swedish: Konsumentverket) is a Swedish government agency that answers to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Affairs. Its Director-General is also designated Consumer Ombudsman (Konsumentombudsmannen, KO).

The agency, with a staff of around 120 located in Karlstad, provides the Swedish general public with consumer affairs assistance, acting in the collective interest of consumers. It is active in the fields of advertising and contract terms, consumer information and product safety. The task of resolving individual consumer disputes, however, is handled by the Swedish National Board for Consumer Complaints.

Swedish Consumer Agency´s responsibilities include:

to ensure companies abide by appropriate laws
to receive complaints from consumers
to work towards implementing branch agreements
to ensure the safety of products and services
to assist consumers in planning their personal finances
to educate and provide support to the Consumer advisors and Budget and debt advisors in the municipalities
to provide young consumers with appropriate tools and information and to become informed consumers
to provide consumers independent guidance through Hallå konsument
to provide consumers independent guidance when purchasing goods and services from countries within the EU
to watch over market developments and identify consumer problems in different markets

Website: konsumentverket.se

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