NordenBladet — In its plenary session on Tuesday 27 April, the Government issued decrees repealing the use of powers under the Emergency Powers Act and declared that the current situation in the country no longer constitutes a state of emergency under section 3 of the Emergency Powers Act. In the Government’s view, the COVID-19 epidemic can now be managed using the regular powers of the authorities.

Over the past five weeks, there has been a clear decrease in the number of new cases of COVID-19, which is a sign that the epidemic is currently winding down in Finland. Increased vaccination coverage also lessens the risk of more serious cases of the disease. According to an assessment of the current situation by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), the regular powers of the authorities are sufficient to combat the COVID-19 epidemic and to safeguard the carrying capacity of the healthcare system.

The President of the Republic and the Prime Minister have discussed ceasing the application of the Emergency Powers Act.

The end of the state of emergency does not mean that the COVID-19 epidemic is over or that we will not see a resurgence in cases. The significance of the decision is that the powers under the Emergency Powers Act will no longer be used. In line with the Government’s hybrid strategy, other legislative powers will continue to be applied – in particular those laid down in the Communicable Diseases Act, but also the Border Guard Act – along with other legislation for normal conditions. In addition, the situation is being managed through regulations, guidelines and recommendations issued by the authorities.

That said, the number of COVID-19 remains high enough that the situation may deteriorate again if contacts between people increase significantly and the virus is able to spread more freely in the population. With this in mind, it is very important to comply with the restrictions and recommendations currently in force.

It is also possible to reintroduce the powers laid down in the Emergency Powers Act as a last resort if the epidemiological situation so requires. This would first require declaring a state of emergency again.

Decrees in force under the Emergency Powers Act repealed
In its plenary session on 27 April, the Government adopted decrees repealing the powers adopted due to the state of emergency:the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and regional state administrative agencies may guide and supervise the operations of healthcare and social welfare units (section 86 of the Emergency Powers Act)municipalities may temporarily deviate from the time limits for non-urgent care (section 88 of the Emergency Powers Act)the Prime Minister’s Office may manage and coordinate communications in emergencies (section 106, subsection 1 of the Emergency Powers Act)the Government has the right to resolve disputes and interpretations concerning the use of powers (section 107 of the Emergency Powers Act)At the same time, the Government repealed the decree issued under section 88 of the Emergency Powers Act, which allowed deviations from the time limits for non-urgent care in specialised healthcare and in specialised care provided in connection with primary healthcare in the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS).

The Government decide on the state of emergency in its plenary session on 1 March 2021. Based on its decision, Finland was in a state of emergency as referred to in section 3, paragraph 5 of the Emergency Powers Act. Section 3, paragraph 5 of the Emergency Powers Act states that a widespread outbreak of a serious infectious disease, the effect of which is comparable to a major disaster, meets the definition of a state of emergency.

The state of emergency was declared because earlier this year, Finland experienced a considerable increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases. The number of cases continued to increase at an alarming rate despite the restrictive measures.

NordenBladet — On 26 April 2021, Finland’s Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka and Estonia’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Taavi Aas signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the two countries in the transport sector.

The purpose of the MoU is cooperation in the transport sector and exchange of information between the countries in order to promote large-scale transport projects, such as the Helsinki-Tallinn tunnel, Rail Baltica, Trans-European Transport Networks, and North Sea-Baltic Sea core network corridor. The MoU provides an improved environment for applying EU funding for the projects.

The states are not bound by the MoU to any individual projects. “Finland and Estonia have very ambitious rail projects underway. Our countries and capitals are located in the same EU core network corridors that will soon be expanded. In order to take advantage of the opportunities this will bring, it is wise to develop our transport systems in good cooperation and on the basis of close exchange of information. The overall objective should be that the transport systems of Finland and Estonia operate in multimodal integration, providing high-quality and sustainable journeys and transport between Northern and Central Europe.”, says the Finnish Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka.

The Estonian Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Taavi Aas is glad that Finland and Estonia have agreed upon a common ground for the Tallinn-Helsinki tunnel project and Rail Baltica. “The final stop of Rail Baltica should not be Tallinn but Helsinki. Integrating the tunnel to TEN-T will serve as a new freight gateway to Europe and make our capitals a twin-city,” added Aas.The MoU states that the Helsinki-Tallinn tunnel is a unique project of the future that would require innovative actions and diversified sources of funding. Together with Rail Baltica, it would provide a quick access to Central Europe.

In February 2018, the FinEst Link project published the results of the feasibility study of the Helsinki-Tallinn railway tunnel. Based on the study, a working group of representatives of the Finnish and Estonian Ministries of Transport and Communications and the cities of Helsinki and Tallinn will assess the follow-up action required. Cooperation related to the tunnel was discussed at the joint meeting of the Governments of Finland and Estonia in May 2018.

The MoU will be in force until 2030.

NordenBladet — Due to the prolonged government session on spending limits, Minister Skinnari’s visit to Copenhagen will take place virtually. The scheduled meetings there will be held over remote connections.

“It is very unfortunate that the nature of the visit changes. However, it is great that parts of the planned programme can take place virtually. Closer cooperation is vital for both Finland and Denmark,” says Ville Skinnari.

NordenBladet — Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen will visit Kemi on Tuesday 27 April. The Minister will meet Stora Enso’s management and personnel as well as representatives of the City of Kemi and the region, the ELY Centre, the TE Office and the Regional Council of Lapland.

The visit will be arranged in line with the health safety guidelines.Stora Enso announced on 20 April that it intends to shut down its Veitsiluoto paper and pulp mill in Kemi. The closure will result in a reduction of 670 jobs and will therefore have wide-ranging economic impact on the region. Immediately after the announcement, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the regional authorities launched measures to help the Kemi region in the sudden structural change and to support the workers who will be made redundant.

Immediate assessment of sudden structural change and measures to support re-employment of workers
Sudden structural change refers to a situation where an employer or sector of regional or national significance makes redundant a large number of employees at once, as a result of bankruptcy or extensive adjustment measures.

Various employment, economic and regional development measures that are specific to the situation aim to prevent a recession of the regional economy. These measures help create new jobs, renew old ones and promote re-employment of those made redundant as quickly as possible.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the regional authorities will begin to assess the situation immediately after the company’s announcement. Measures to support the re-employment and wellbeing of employees will also start right away. The regional TE Office will agree on practical arrangements for change security with the company.

The management of a sudden and continuous structural change is driven by regions. If a region is well prepared for a sudden structural change, the measures introduced by the State and the region itself to manage the situation will be more effective. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment will assess any additional measures and funding provided by the Government.

NordenBladet — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with the Finnish Development NGOs Fingo and Finnish chambers of commerce held a new kind of series of live broadcasts, entitled Partners in Development, in March and April. The series comprised seven events, in which various bodies from different parts of Finland presented their contribution to development cooperation.

In Jyväskylä the topic of the discussion was education in development cooperation and education export.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with the Finnish Development NGOs Fingo and Finnish chambers of commerce held a new kind of series of live broadcasts, entitled Partners in Development, in March and April. The series comprised seven events, in which various bodies from different parts of Finland presented their contribution to development cooperation.

NordenBladet — At the presidential session on Friday 23 April, the President of the Republic appointed a new Ambassador to serve in London. 

The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Jukka Siukosaari to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in London, starting on 1 September 2021. Siukosaari will move to London from the Office of the President of the Republic, where he has worked as Secretary General since 2018. In 2016–2018, he served as Finland’s Ambassador in Tokyo and in 2012–2016, as Finland’s Ambassador in Buenos Aires. His career in the Diplomatic Service includes postings to London, Pretoria, Rome and Dublin.

Siukosaari joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1995. He holds the degree of Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration.

NordenBladet — Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari will visit Copenhagen on 26–27 April. The aim of the visit is to promote bilateral commercial and economic cooperation and to discuss other topical trade policy matters. A business delegation representing the wind power sector will participate in the visit virtually.

The aim of Minister Skinnari’s visit to Copenhagen is to promote cooperation between Finland and Denmark especially in the green transition. The post-COVID-19 recovery measures offers plenty of growth and cooperation opportunities for companies in both countries as well as excellent conditions for expansion to global markets together.  Other themes of discussion during the visit will include, among other things, topical trade policy questions. The Minister will be accompanied by a Team Finland business delegation of 29 representatives of the wind power sector, attending the discussions online.  Denmark aims to be the first land in the world to replace wind power parks by artificial energy islands.  Denmark will build two energy islands by 2030, designed to generate electricity and to enable storage and conversion of energy into hydrogen that can be further processed into fuels. Denmark’s energy island and wind power projects offer extensive opportunities for Finnish companies. The purpose of the ministerial visit and virtual export promotion visit is to advance the establishment of partnerships with Danish operators also on global markets.

“Denmark and Finland have common ambitious climate and energy objectives, which involve much potential for collaboration. Global demand for low-carbon solutions is on the increase. Finnish and Danish companies can offer sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions for both European and global markets,” Skinnari says. Minister Skinnari will have a meeting with Denmark’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Jeppe Kofod and Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities Dan Jørgensen. There will be also meetings with leaders of Danish business life and Danish companies.

NordenBladet — Business cost support is intended for companies whose turnover has decreased by more than 30% due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 22 April 2021, the Government issued a decree on the sectors that can apply for support without providing further justification. If a company does not operate in one of the sectors in the decree, it must justify the need for support and provide an account of the loss of turnover due to COVID-19.

The decree includes the sectors where turnover has fallen by at least 10% between 1 November 2020 and 28 February 2021, compared with the corresponding period in 2019–2020. The decrease in companies’ turnover will also be calculated based on these reference periods.

The State Treasury will accept applications for the third round of business cost support from Tuesday 27 April 2021. The deadline for applications is 23 June 2021.

New companies eligible for business cost support if they operate in the sectors of the decree
The third application round for business cost support covers 180 sectors, whereas 220 were listed in the second round. The sectors now include travel agencies and tour operators, organisers of trade fairs and congresses, hotels and other accommodation services, restaurants, and cultural and entertainment businesses.

However, the State Treasury may also grant business cost support to companies in other sectors on a discretionary basis if the company’s turnover has decreased by more than 30% during the support period. The grounds for discretionary aid will be specified in the State Treasury’s application instructions in order to help companies to assess and explain in their application why their turnover has decreased.

New companies are eligible for business cost support if they operate in the sectors defined in the decree. Companies established on or after 1 January 2020 are considered new companies. They may be granted support based on changes in the average turnover of the sector. However, new companies are not be eligible for discretionary aid because they cannot demonstrate a change in the company’s turnover.

Listing of sectors to help allocate aid to companies affected by the pandemic
The listing of eligible sectors will help to better take into account other reasons for a decrease in a company’s business. These may include seasonal fluctuations or declines in turnover for reasons other than COVID-19.

The sectors listed in the decree were determined based on VAT data from the Tax Administration. Cost support cannot be granted to businesses in primary agricultural production, fisheries and aquaculture, as these sectors are subject to separate State aid rules that are the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Business cost support also covers foundations and associations engaged in business activities.

The State has earmarked a total of EUR 356 million for the third application round of business cost support. Business cost support is compensation for the company’s inflexible costs, but it does not compensate for a fall in turnover. The objective of the support is to help companies cope with the difficult economic situation caused by the coronavirus.

NordenBladet — Today, on 22 April 2021, the Government has appointed Master of Science in Agriculture and Forestry Minna-Mari Kaila to the post of Director General of the Food Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for the period from 1 May 2021 to 30 April 2026.

Kaila has served as Director General of the Food Department for a fixed term since 2017. A total of five persons applied for the post.Before coming to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Kaila worked at the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners MTK as Director of Agriculture in 2013–2016 and as Director of Rural Entrepreneurship in 2011–2013.

The Director General is responsible for the management and supervision of the Food Department, strategic leadership, and impact and performance in the management of the Department’s tasks.

NordenBladet — The implementation programme of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) will receive an additional resettlement appropriation of EUR 5.7 million, which the European Commission will pay to Finland. The funding will be allocated to measures related to the reception and integration of quota refugees who arrived in Finland in 2020. During the previous monitoring period from October 2019 to October 2020, 572 quota refugees arrived in Finland.

In addition, the core funding of the Fund will be reallocated between the objectives of the Fund in order to make full use of the funding in the call for proposals that starts on 3 May 2021. The AMIF call for proposals, which starts on 3 May 2021, will include the resettlement appropriation that is to be added to the implementation programme. In addition, approximately EUR 1 million of unspent funds that were already previously included in the programme will be open for application. This means that the resettlement appropriation that is open for application will amount to around EUR 6.7 million. Besides the inclusion of the additional appropriation, the programme, which is to be amended, will define the distribution of the funding among the objective.

The change in the distribution of the Fund’s core funding between the different objectives of the national programme of the Fund and the implementation programme specifying the national programme will be done to make full use of the funding in the call for proposals to be launched in May. Funding will be allocated especially to the national objective of integration, and as part of this a thematic call for proposals that concern how to promote receptiveness in society will be launched in May. Regarding the thematic call, one of the purposes of the projects to be supported is to make the role of society visible in the integration of third-country nationals into Finland and to identify factors affecting it.

An amendment to the Fund’s implementation programme is needed to include the resettlement appropriation in the programme and to reallocate funding between the Fund’s specific and national objectives. The amendment to the implementation programme was adopted at the government plenary session on 22 April 2021.

The AMIF monitoring committee discussed the amendments to the programme in its written procedure from 12 to 23 March 2021. The monitoring committee supported the proposed reallocations of funding.