NordenBladet — On 11 May, the EU Member States and a group of African countries invited by Portugal met via a video conference at the Ministerial Conference on Management of Migratory Flows. The Conference was organised at the initiative of the Portuguese Council Presidency, and Finland was represented by State Secretary Olli-Poika Parviainen.  The Conference was also attended by the European Commission, the European External Action Service, the African Union, EU agencies and international organisations related to migration.

During the first half of its Presidency, Portugal has focused on deepening partnerships between the EU and selected countries of origin and transit of migration.  Another priority has been to promote legal pathways.  Both these issues were also on the agenda at the Conference.

“Today we had a great opportunity to engage in a broad dialogue with our partner countries. The discussion highlighted the need for tailored, genuinely mutually beneficial and equal partnerships with the countries of origin and transit of migration,” says State Secretary Olli-Poika Parviainen.

Resettlement of refugees protects the most vulnerable
The promotion and development of legal pathways is a key part of the EU’s migration and asylum reform. Resettlement of refugees in the Member States is an effective way of providing protection for the most vulnerable refugees and sharing responsibility globally.“We should increase resettlement of refugees. The global need for this may be greater than ever. We also need to find complementary legal pathways for those who need international protection. Finland is actively participating in this debate in the EU,” says Parviainen.

Effective cooperation is needed to tackle human smuggling
The Conference also discussed the management of migration flows at the EU’s external borders, challenges of return and readmission as well as common solutions for tackling human smuggling and trafficking. The European Commission will update its action plan against migrant smuggling this year.“Tackling human smuggling calls for effective cooperation between the law enforcement and judicial authorities of the EU Member States and the countries of origin and transit. Such cooperation is essential if the smugglers are to be prosecuted and tried,” says Parviainen.

NordenBladet — On 11 May, Finland will send material assistance to India through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism to tackle the COVID-19 crisis, which has overburdened the country’s healthcare system. Finland’s assistance consists of medical oxygen tanks and pulse oximeters.

Indian authorities have requested material assistance from EU countries because medical supplies and oxygen are currently in short supply and hospitals are not able to admit new patients. The material assistance will be delivered through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism as part of the European Union’s joint assistance mission. The same cargo plane will carry ventilators supplied by Germany and medical oxygen tanks supplied by Greece.

The Ministry of the Interior has cooperated in this matter with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the National Emergency Supply Agency, the Finnish Red Cross, Oy Linde Gas Ab and Lyreco. The European Commission is coordinating the pooling of assistance and supports Member States in the arrangement of logistics and in transport costs.

Finland has offered material assistance to Nepal as wellOn 11 May, the Ministry of the Interior decided to offer material assistance to Nepal as well, following the country’s request for assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Finland is offering face masks and other personal protective equipment to Nepal. If the Nepalese authorities accept the offer of assistance, the materiel assistance will be sent to Nepal through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism as part of the EU’s joint assistance mission at a later date.

NordenBladet — Today, 11 May 2021, marks the 10th anniversary of the opening for signature of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, also known as the Istanbul Convention. In order to mark this occasion, European gender equality ministers and many other ministers from EU Member States have signed a common initiative calling on European countries to quickly accede to the Convention.

Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services Krista Kiuru and Minister for Nordic Cooperation and Equality Thomas Blomqvist have signed the initiative on behalf of Finland. The other signatories are Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Greece, Cyprus and Sweden.

The significance of the Istanbul Convention has recently been questioned in many countries. This is the case even though the COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased negative effects particularly on women. With the initiative, the ministers wish to stress the importance of the Convention and encourage those EU countries that have not yet acceded to the Convention to do so and to take concrete action to prevent violence against women.

About one in three women has experienced violence after reaching the age of 15A total of 33 countries have ratified or acceded to the Istanbul Convention. Finland ratified the Convention in 2015.

The Convention aims to prevent and eliminate violence against women and domestic violence. It also aims to protect victims of violence and bring perpetrators of violence to justice. The Istanbul Convention is the first pan-European instrument to set legally binding standards to prevent and combat violence against women.

Violence against women is a global human rights problem, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated this problem. It is estimated that one out of three women in the EU has experienced physical and/or sexual violence after reaching the age of 15. In the EU, about 50 women die from domestic violence every week. The cost of violence against women is estimated to be over EUR 225 billion per year in the EU.

Finland is a strong supporter of the Istanbul Convention and promotes the widest possible acceptance of the Convention. Finland also supports the EU’s accession to the Convention. Finland’s goal is for the EU to work even harder to reduce all violence against women. In addition, Finland advocates the full implementation of the Convention in all EU activities. In Finland, the Action Plan for the Istanbul Convention was drawn up for 2018–2021. The Committee for Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (NAPE) will prepare an Action Plan for 2022–2025 during this year.

In 2020, the Government also adopted an Action Plan for Combating Violence against Women for 2020-2023. Preventing and combating violence against women is also one of the priorities of Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Government.

NordenBladet — The Ministry of Education and Culture has a new visual image. The new emblem is in conformity with that of the Government, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Finance. The motif that the visual image expresses draws on the Government rosette design, which is derived from the heraldic rosette of the Finnish coat of arms.

The new emblem of the Ministry of Education and Culture is a fixed combination of the Finnish heraldic lion and the Ministry’s name logo in either a vertical or a horizontal position. The Government, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Finance all use a similar emblem. The Ministry’s previous emblem, the Sinettileijona, was in use for 23 years.‒ By joining the Government, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Finance in this pride of lions, we want to communicate that we are part of the Government, said Director of Communications Mari-Kaisa Brander.

The aim is that from now on communications materials can be easily combined with the visual image of the Government and different applications can be planned in cooperation. A harmonised visual image also makes is possible to communicate clearly and come across in a uniform way in different communications channels.Shades of green-cyan will be kept as the Ministry’s main colour. The other colours of the Ministry are dark blue, grey, brown, brick red and orange. The motif that the visual image expresses draws on the Government rosette design, which is derived from the heraldic rosette of the Finnish coat of arms. The visual image was designed by the Ministry’s graphic designer Arja Aikavuori together with graphic designer Timo Kuoppala.

‒ Photos are an important part of the new look. The branch of government of the Ministry of Education and Culture is exceptionally visual in nature. Photos describe education, science, culture, art and physical exercise and sport as reflected in people and activities, said Arja Aikavuori.

The new visual image will be visible especially on the Ministry’s website and social media channels, and also in printed matter and other materials. Some of the Ministry’s printed material will only be updated in the autumn once the email addresses of all the ministries have changed into new ones.The logos of the Ministry of Education and Culture can be downloaded from the Government Image Bank.

NordenBladet — The Conference on the Future of Europe is a unique and topical opportunity to discuss Europe’s challenges and objectives. Wherever you come from and whatever you do, the conference provides an opportunity to reflect on what kind of future you want for the European Union.

The purpose of the conference is hear the views of citizens on the future challenges and opportunities of the EU. This will be done by organising a wide range of “bottom-up” events at the EU, national, regional and local levels, including using digital participation tools.

The conference launch event took place on Europe Day, 9 May, in Strasbourg. Due to the pandemic, it was held partially online. Attendees at the launch event included French President Emmanuel Macron, President of the European Parliament David Sassoli, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister António Costa of Portugal, which currently holds the EU Council Presidency. The aim is for civil society to participate actively in the conference and to organise various events. Information on conference events will be collected on the Commission’s multilingual digital platform. Citizens can also use the digital platform to share their thoughts and submit their proposals.

“We should also use this opportunity to highlight Finnish grassroots views at the EU level. By taking an active part in the debate, we can make sure that the Finnish mental landscape is reflected in the final conclusions of the conference,” says Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Tytti Tuppurainen.

The conference is expected to present its conclusions by spring 2022. The European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission are all committed to listening to Europeans and to following up on the conclusions reached, within their spheres of competence and within the framework of EU Treaties.

NordenBladet — On 10 May 2021, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health made the decision to discontinue the nationwide tiers of COVID-19 prevention measures. Going forward, COVID-19 prevention in Finland will focus on regional restrictions and recommendations.

The Ministry of Social and Health has instructed all areas to discontinue the additional measures related to the tiers, such as the restrictions on gatherings with more than six people.Although the tiers of prevention measures are discontinued, areas are instructed to continue to follow the recommendations and restrictions corresponding to the phase of the epidemic in each area. The action plan for implementing the Government’s hybrid strategy divides the epidemic into three phases: baseline, acceleration phase and community transmission phase.

The biggest changes in the measures will take place in areas where the epidemic is in the acceleration phase. In these areas, public premises, such as libraries and museums, could be reopened, outdoor group leisure activities could be allowed and public events could be organised with restrictions on the number of participants.

The competent authorities in each area will decide on the restrictions and recommendations based on both their own consideration and the existing legislation.

Restrictions must be lifted systematically
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health emphasises that it is necessary to adopt a systematic approach and to assess the situation in a broad and comprehensive manner when lifting the restrictions. To be able to dismantle the restrictions in a controlled manner, it is important for the regional authorities to draw up their own plans. When lifting the restrictions, it is imperative to take account of the principle of children and young people first and to continue to behave safely. Regional measures will play a key role in curbing the spread of infections and preventing the re-escalation of the epidemic. If the epidemiological situation worsens, it is crucial to respond quickly and proactively to it by introducing effective and epidemiologically appropriate measures.

Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is updating the action plan implementing the hybrid strategyThe Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has started updating the action plan implementing the hybrid strategy and the recommendations relating to the different phases of the epidemic. The recommendations will comply with the current action plan until the action plan has been updated. Action plan implementing the hybrid strategy, part 3: Adoption of recommendations and restrictions, in Finnish

NordenBladet — The main themes of the General Affairs Council meeting on Tuesday 11 May in Brussels will be the preparations for the special European Council on 24–25 May and the coordination of the EU’s response to COVID-19.

Minister of European Affairs and Ownership Steering Tytti Tuppurainen is unable to attend the meeting due to quarantine regulations and Parliament’s vote on the EU recovery package on Wednesday 12 May. As a result, Finland’s permanent representative to the European Union, Ambassador Marja Rislakki, will represent Finland at the meeting.

The topics of the special European Council will be the EU’s actions to combat climate change, the coordination of the EU’s response to COVID-19 and relations with Russia. The General Affairs Council will take note of the agenda for the special European Council. With regard to EU coordination in response to COVID-19, Finland’s view is that the EU’s joint vaccine procurement has proved to be a successful and indispensable practice, but every effort must still be made to speed up the vaccine delivery timetable. Finland is prepared to advocate for a common European vaccination certificate and stresses the importance of promoting global solidarity in order to guarantee vaccine availability.

The Council will also be briefed by the Portuguese Presidency on the progress of the Conference on the Future of Europe and on matters related to EU enlargement and EU-Switzerland relations.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, this is the first meeting of the General Affairs Council to be held in person since October 2020.In the General Affairs Council (GAC), the EU Member States are primarily represented by their ministers for European affairs. The tasks of the Council include preparations for the European Council meetings. The GAC is also responsible for a number of cross-cutting policy areas, including negotiations on the multiannual financial framework and EU enlargement. Questions relating to the rule of law are also an established part of the Council’s agenda.

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