FINLAND

Voting is now open on ideas submitted by children and young people 

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — Children and young people can now vote on their peers’ ideas on how to strengthen the rights of the child. The call for ideas for children and young people was part of the implementation of Finland’s first National Child Strategy. The patron of the campaign is Mrs Jenni Haukio, spouse of the President of the Republic.“Hearing the voices of children and young people improves their inclusion and equality and helps them realise that their thoughts matter and have an impact. In our time, when all too many children feel excluded from decision-making that affects them, the call for ideas carried out as part the National Child Strategy is a valuable and necessary effort as it strengthens the feeling of being heard,” says Jenni Haukio, spouse of the President of the Republic and patron of the campaign.Children and young people were invited to submit their ideas for raising awareness of the rights of the child and for having these rights respected in every child’s life. They were admirably active in submitting ideas. All the ideas were discussed with the campaign’s panel, and the panel selected a longlist for voting. Children and young people can now vote on the longlist ideas, which are all feasible.“I want to thank all the children and young people who sent ideas. There were plenty of them, and they were all very good. Unfortunately, we are unable to put all the ideas into practice now. However, we have kept all the messages and ideas we received and we will work on them and maybe carry them out in some other way. The panel selected for the longlist the ideas that affect all children and young people as broadly and equally as possible and that can be put to practice in 2022,” says Johanna Laisaari, Secretary General for the National Child Strategy.Voting is open from 26 January to 9 February 2022. The online voting site can be found on the website of the National Child Strategy.A shortlist of two to six ideas will be selected based on the votes cast by children and young people and these ideas will be put into practice in 2022 as part of the implementation of the National Child Strategy.The results of the vote will be announced on February 2022 at 9.30–10.30 on the Government’s YouTube channel. The event will be hosted by Jussi-Pekka Rantanen, and Ansa Kynttilä will pay a visit via remote access. Children and young people of the Music Theatre Shed Helsinki will be performing at the event.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

Energy efficiency agreements: Companies and municipalities cut annual energy use by nearly 9 TWh

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — With the measures implemented in 2017–2020, nearly 600 companies and 112 municipalities and joint municipal authorities that have signed voluntary energy efficiency agreements were able to cut energy use by a total of 8.9 terawatt hours (TWh) annually at the end of 2020. The savings achieved equal the annual energy use of nearly 450,000 electrically heated single-family houses.These measures reduced the annual carbon dioxide emissions of the companies and organisations by a total of approximately 2 million tonnes and their annual energy costs by more than EUR 350 million at the end of 2020.“Energy efficiency agreements have demonstrated their effectiveness. Finland is one of the few EU Member States where the voluntary agreement procedure is effective and produces good results, as these results again show. The annual savings achieved in 2020 account for about 2.5% of Finland’s total energy consumption in 2020,” says Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä.Investing more than EUR 760 million in energy efficiency in four yearsThe companies and municipalities that have joined the agreement invested a total of approximately EUR 764 million in energy efficiency between 2017 and 2020. The energy-intensive industry and the energy sector have invested the most in efficiency measures in euro terms. However, the service and real estate sectors have implemented the largest number of measures. Over the four years, the organisations that have signed the agreement have carried out nearly 15,000 individual measures to improve energy efficiency.Between 2017 and 2020, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment supported energy efficiency investments by a total of EUR 77.6 million in companies and organisations that have joined the agreements concerning the business, municipal or real estate sectors. Support was granted to 764 projects that could not have been realised without it. Mid-term objective for 2017–2025 achievedThe sectors participating in the agreements are Finnish Forest Industries, Finnish Food and Drink Industries’ Federation, Finnish Energy, Chemical Industry Federation of Finland, Federation of Finnish Technology Industries, Finnish Commerce Federation, Finnish Hospitality Association MaRa, Confederation of Finnish Industries, Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, and Finnish Association of Building Owners and Construction Clients.The organisations that have joined the energy efficiency agreements have set themselves an energy saving target of at least 7.5% in energy volumes by 2025. The target is based on the organisation’s energy consumption during the year prior to its joining the agreement. The organisations are already making good progress towards achieving the efficiency target. The majority of sectors have clearly exceeded the interim targets.What are energy efficiency agreements? Energy Efficiency Agreements are an important part of Finland’s Energy and Climate Strategy and the primary means for promoting efficient use of energy in Finland. The agreements implement the energy efficiency obligations laid down in the EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive and monitor their fulfilment. A large number of companies in the industrial, energy and service sectors as well as municipalities have signed the agreements. Their energy use accounts for about 60% of Finland’s total energy consumption. The current agreement period is valid until 2025.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

Government proposal to amend the Aliens Act for speedier work-based residence permits now out for comments

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — The Government wants to speed up the residence permit processes by reforming Chapter 5 of the Aliens Act. It therefore proposes to shorten the processing time for work-based residence permits to an average of 30 days by the end of the government term. The reform would also increase the use of automation and enable the certification of employers to make the application process easier. The Government aims to increase work-based and education-based immigration. That is why the Government proposes amendments to Chapter 5 of the Aliens Act and certain other provisions and acts. The draft government proposal on these amendments will now be sent out for comments. The aim of the amendments is to speed up work-based residence permit processes so that, by the end of the government term, the average processing time for applications is 30 days. As per the draft proposal, the Act would lay down provisions on the general requirements for issuing all work-based residence permits. At the same time, the Act would lay down provisions on the obligations of employers and employees in the residence permit process.Over 80% of permit decisions based on work and education are positiveReviews show that more than 80 percent of residence permit applications based on work and education are positive. The new provisions would enable wider utilisation of automation in part of the process. The permit authorities would also use information obtained from other official registers, which would eliminate the need to ask the applicant or employer for the information. The Act would advise applicants to submit their applications primarily through electronic means, in which case the employer would also have to use electronic services. However, paper applications would still be accepted.   It is also proposed that the Act include provisions on the employer’s certification, which would lay down rules on the requirements, granting, effects and withdrawal of certification. This certification would also contribute to speeding up the permit process. New types of permits to be added to the ActThe provisions on residence permits for entrepreneurs and high-growth startup entrepreneurs would be clarified, and those who have completed a degree or research work in Finland would receive a new type of permit. A residence permit for a specialist would also be added to the Act as a separate permit and it would include more detailed provisions on the determination of pay. The reform would also make it possible to organise oral hearings of the applicants through a remote connection instead of in-person hearings in the Finnish missions. If necessary, hearings could be held in the premises of an external service provider if the premises, arrangements, connections and safety have been secured. Under the current legislation, travel documents must be valid for the entire period for which the residence permit is issued. It is now proposed that it would be sufficient for the travel document to be valid when the first residence permit is issued.Labour exploitation to be prevented by improving supervision  At the same time as Finland promotes work-based immigration, it also wants to combat the exploitation of foreign labour. For this reason, it is proposed that the regulation on the supervision of the use of foreign labour be specified. The possibility to suspend the granting of residence permits to a certain employer for a fixed period of time would be extended to cover not only residence permits for employed persons but all work-based residence permits. In addition to the TE Office, the Finnish Immigration Service could make such suspension decisions in future too. Proposed amendments now out for commentsThe proposed legislative amendments will be circulated for comments from 24 January to 7 March 2022. Comments can be submitted through the lausuntopalvelu.fi service. Parties outside the distribution list may also submit comments.The Government’s proposal is expected to proceed to Parliament in early May and the amended Act is due to come into effect at the beginning of October. 

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

New growth portfolio operating model supports sustainable growth and wellbeing based on skills and innovation

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — The new growth portfolio operating model of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment provides a tool for Finnish companies to strengthen their ability to anticipate and concretise future trends and to understand global market opportunities and competitive strengths. The growth portfolio work will create a better knowledge base and intensify cooperation between the private and public sectors.The growth portfolio operating model developed under the leadership of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment aims to help identify promising new growth opportunities for Finland based on a dialogue between companies, experts and decision-makers. In identifying growth opportunities, it is essential to anticipate the development of the global market, assess Finland’s competitive advantages and understand the extensive impacts that growth potential can have on the Finnish economy and society. The growth portfolio operating model is one tool to support sustainable growth and wellbeing based on skills and innovation. The rapidly changing operating environment poses challenges to Finland’s competitiveness
and wellbeing in the 2020s and beyond. New technologies evolve, and the market and operating environment change rapidly. The green transition and digitalisation break down old structures and livelihoods, which makes decisions and choices in companies and administration even more challenging than before. “Building a vision of future growth opportunities and leading sectors is part of the industrial and innovation policy tasks. It is not the public sector’s task to make growth choices, but we can do our part to create a better knowledge base for companies to help in these choices and to develop an operating environment conducive to innovation,” says Ilona Lundström, Director-General responsible for industrial and innovation policy. The energy transition and health and wellbeing sectors are good examples of areas that have significant commercial potential globally. The development of globally successful solutions requires a holistic, ecosystem-oriented approach to development in which the goals and measures of companies, developers and administration are aligned.  Regulation has an increasingly important role in enabling new technologies, markets, business models and other innovations as well as in developing emerging growth sectors and ecosystems. Innovation-friendly regulation helps to create an innovation and business environment that generates international competitive advantage and attracts new companies and investments. 

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

275,300 unemployed jobseekers in December

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — The number of unemployed jobseekers decreased by 82,000 from December the year before. The number of new vacancies reported in December totalled 90,600. In all, the number of unfilled vacancies amounted to 164,500, which is 71,600 more than a year ago.At the end of December, a total of 275,300 unemployed jobseekers were registered at the Employment and Economic Development Offices and municipalities participating in the local government pilots on employment. This is 82,000 less than a year earlier, but 17,600 more than in December two years ago. The number of unemployed jobseekers increased by 22,600 from the previous month. Of the unemployed jobseekers, 144,700 were customers of municipalities participating in the local government pilots on employment. The number of unemployed jobseekers also includes those fully laid off. These figures are from the Employment Bulletin of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.At the end of December, the number of people laid off was 34,000 in the whole country, which was 62,500 fewer than at the same time the year before. The number of people fully laid off totalled 25,400, representing a decrease of 52,400 from December the year before. The number of people fully laid off increased by 6,700 from November.107,300 unemployed in the long termThe number of long-term unemployed — that is those who had been unemployed without interruption for at least a year — amounted to 107,300, up 15,400 on the previous year. The number of unemployed jobseekers aged over 50 was 105,400, or 21,800 fewer than at the same time a year earlier.The number of unemployed jobseekers aged under 25 was 31,200, representing a decrease of 12,600 from December the year before. Of the unemployment periods of youths, 61.1 per cent ended before reaching three months between January and December. This is 2.4 percentage points less than the year before.Increase in new vacanciesThe number of new vacancies reported during December totalled 90,600, or 40,200 more than in December the previous year. In all, the number of unfilled vacancies in December amounted to 164,500, which is 71,600 more than a year ago.At the end of December, the number of persons covered by services included in the activation rate amounted to 104,200, down 3,500 on the previous year. These services include pay subsidies, labour market training, work trials and self-motivated studies.Statistics Finland: The trend of the unemployment rate 7.0%According to the Labour Force Survey issued by Statistics Finland, in December the number of people in employment was 128,000 more than on the previous year. The trend of the employment rate was 73.5%, which was 2.5 percentage points higher than in December the year before. According to the Survey, the unemployment total was 187,000, which is 16,000 less than a year ago. The trend of the unemployment rate was 7.0%, or 1.1 percentage points lower than the previous year.Key differences between Employment Service Statistics and the Labour Force Survey This information is based on the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment’s Employment Service Statistics and the Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland. The Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry are compiled on the basis of the information in the Employment and Economic Development Offices’ customer register, while the Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland is based on sampling. In the Ministry’s Employment Service Statistics, people that are not in an employment relationship or employed in business are listed as unemployed. Persons fully laid-off but not full-time students are also categorised as unemployed in the Employment Service Statistics. The Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland has a stricter definition of being unemployed: a person is unemployed if he or she has actively sought employment during the preceding four weeks and is available for work over the coming two weeks. The figures of the Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland are internationally comparable and thus they are the official Finnish unemployment statistics. Further information on the differences in the statistics https://tilastokeskus.fi/til/tyti/tyti_2019-09-13_men_001_en.html
 

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

European affairs ministers to discuss Commission’s election integrity package and priorities of French EU Council Presidency

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — The EU General Affairs Council will meet in Brussels on 25 January. Topics on the agenda for the meeting will include the Commission’s legislative package to strengthen democracy and election integrity, the priorities of the French EU Council Presidency, progress on the Conference on the Future of Europe, the EU’s COVID-19 response measures and relations between the EU and the UK. Minister for European Affairs Tytti Tuppurainen will represent Finland at the meeting.In the public session of the meeting, the ministers will hold a discussion on the legislative package published by the Commission on 25 November 2021, which aims to reinforce the democracy and integrity of elections. The objective of the election package is to improve the functioning of European democracy and combat hybrid influencing. Finland agrees with the Commission that inappropriate influencing of elections is a serious threat that, should it materialise, leads to distrust in the electoral system and the functioning of democracy as a whole.At the meeting, the French EU Council Presidency will present its priorities: improving European sovereignty, promoting a new European growth model and building a more socially oriented Europe. During the French Presidency, the General Affairs Council will focus in particular on coordinating COVID-19 response measures, improving the EU’s resilience and preparedness for crises and strengthening European democracy, and on questions related to the rule of law.The Presidency will brief the Council on the progress of the Conference on the Future of Europe. The conference is involving citizens in a debate on the future challenges and opportunities of the EU. The worsened COVID-19 situation has delayed the conference process; however, the conference is still scheduled to wrap up on Europe Day, 9 May 2022. The European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission will then follow up on the conclusions reached at the conference.In their meeting, the ministers will assess the state of the coordination of COVID-19 measures at the European level. In Finland’s view, the production and distribution of vaccines must be ramped up further and different population groups and potential vaccine hesitancy should be taken into account in targeted communications. Finland is strongly committed to the vaccine solidarity. Improving the global availability of vaccines is essential in order to end the COVID-19 pandemic.The Council will receive an update from the Commission on EU-UK relations, particularly the implementation of the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland and the related discussions between the EU and the UK. No decisions will be made on the matter.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 related to the rule of law are also an established part of the Council’s agenda. 

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

Ministry of Social Affairs and Health requests comments on draft bill on processing of client data in healthcare and social welfare

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — The proposed new act on the processing of client data would bring together provisions on the processing of client data in healthcare and social welfare, i.e. the provisions on data protection, document handling, national information system services and information management guidance.The legislative basis for information management in healthcare and social welfare would thereby form a clear, coherent and comprehensive package that meets the requirements of the Constitution of Finland and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation while supporting the development of the healthcare and social welfare service system and its services and the integration of healthcare and social welfare. The proposal for a new act on the processing of client data in healthcare and social welfare includes provisions on, for example, the conditions for processing client data in healthcare and social welfare, secrecy, disclosure of client data, and client documents in healthcare and social welfare. The legislative proposal concerning information systems includes the provisions on national information system services in healthcare and social welfare and other information systems used in the processing of client data in healthcare and social welfare.The deadline for submitting comments is XX March 2022Comments on the draft bill can be submitted until XX March 2022.Comments can be submitted online via the lausuntopalvelu.fi service (available in Finnish and Swedish)

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

EU ministers to meet in Paris to discuss future of research, innovation and higher education in Europe

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — The informal meeting of competitiveness ministers (research, innovation) will be held in Paris on 24–25 January 2022. The meeting will focus on synergies between higher education, research and innovation as well as the future of higher education institutions in Europe.The ministers responsible for higher education, research and innovation will convene for an informal meeting of the Competitiveness Council, organised by France, which began its Presidency of the Council of the EU at the start of the year. State Secretary Jukka Ihanus will represent Finland on behalf of Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä. The topics include the strategy and future of European higher education institutions and synergies between education, research and innovation. Finland considers it important that the mobility of information, skills and researchers is developed and supported both at the EU and national level. Openness of research should also be developed further. Openness advances the quality, reliability and effectiveness of research as well as the attractiveness of research careers.The themes of the meeting are also a key ingredient for Finland to achieve the objectives of the National Roadmap for RDI. As the need for expertise and top talent grows, the EU must take a determined approach to become a global leader in higher education and research. 
In informal council meetings, ministers discuss current issues, but no decisions are taken.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

Minister for European Affairs Tuppurainen to visit Warsaw

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — Minister for European Affairs Tytti Tuppurainen will visit Warsaw on Monday 24 January. There, she will meet with her Polish counterpart, Minister for European Affairs Konrad Szymański, and with the Head of Poland’s National Security Bureau, State Secretary Paweł Soloch. The ministers will have a wide-ranging discussion on the current EU agenda and issues related to European security.Ministers Tuppurainen and Szymański will discuss the EU’s objective of reducing emissions by 55 per cent by 2030, the development of the single market, efforts to promote open and rules-based trade policy, the rule of law, and the ongoing work to develop the EU’s crisis preparedness. Ministers Tuppurainen and Szymański are colleagues on the EU General Affairs Council, which prepares the meetings of the European Council and regularly deals with issues related to the rule of law.The topic of Minister Tuppurainen’s discussion with the Head of the National Security Bureau of Poland, State Secretary Paweł Soloch, will be the security situation in Europe. Items on their agenda will include the situation in Ukraine and Belarus and the development of EU-NATO cooperation. The ministers will also discuss the security situation in the Baltic Sea region and progress on developing the EU’s Strategic Compass. The Strategic Compass will determine the direction of the EU’s security and defence cooperation and clarify its objectives over the next 5 to 10 years.“Poland is a key partner for Finland. Constructive dialogue between our two countries is topical and important. We share a common interest in developing the EU single market, and Poland plays a significant role in ensuring security in the Baltic Sea region. During the visit, we will also discuss issues related to the rule of law,” said Minister Tuppurainen.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

County elections: Finding out your election day polling station is easy

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — On the day of the county elections, 23 January 2022, eligible voters may only vote at the polling station mentioned in the notice of right to vote sent to them.Information on the election day polling station can be found in the notice of right to vote. Voters can also check their election day polling station in the Polling station service at www.aanestyspaikat.fi or call the free-of-charge Elections helpline (0800 9 4770) to ask about their polling station. The notices of right to vote were sent to all eligible voters in December. The notice was sent in electronic format to those eligible voters who have activated the Suomi.fi Messages service and given their consent for all official messages to be sent to them electronically. In connection with the county elections, an electronic notice of right to vote was sent to a total of 599,127 eligible voters. The voting register for the 2022 county elections was compiled based on the data contained in the Population Information System on 3 December 2021. If a person has moved after 3 December, the polling station is determined in accordance with the previous place of residence. Information about county elections and voting is available on the elections website of the Ministry of Justice at www.electionsfinland.fi
Electionsfinland.fi: Voting on election day
Electionsfinland.fi: Instructions for voters during COVID-19 
Polling stations on the map www.aanestyspaikat.fi

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

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