NordenBladet — On Monday, 22 November, Tampere Hall in Tampere will host the International Gender Equality Prize award ceremony, which will announce the winner of the 2021 Award. The prize is awarded to a person or operator who has significantly promoted gender equality internationally. The prize will be presented by the Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin. The International Gender Equality Prize (IGEP) amounts to EUR 300,000.Nominations for the winner were submitted during the first half of the year. More than 400 nominations were received this year. On this basis, an independent jury of international experts made its own proposal for the final decision of the Finnish Government. The biennial prize is awarded in co-operation between the Finnish Government and the City of Tampere. Finland has a long history of advocating and promoting gender equality both at home and around the world. For example in 1906, Finnish women became the first in the world to receive full political rights. Throughout Finland’s independence, women have served as leaders in all key positions, including President of the Republic and Prime Minister. Gender equality is a core value in Finland. It has been essential in shaping and defining the way we have built our nation to achieve the success we enjoy today. One of Prime Minister Marin’s Government Programme goals is to make Finland a forerunner in gender equality. “Promoting gender equality worldwide requires effective actions and determined work. The International Gender Equality Prize recognizes and raises awareness of this work and also contributes to the promotion of gender equality globally”, says Prime Minister Marin.The prize was established in 2017 by the Government in honor of Finland’s 100 years of independence, and it is now being awarded for the third time. The prize was first awarded in Tampere in March 2018, when it was awarded to German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Merkel donated the prize to a Nigerien women’s and children’s rights NGO, which used the prize money to set up a shelter for victims of domestic violence in Niamey, the capital of Niger. In 2019, the prize was awarded to Equality Now, a globally influential women’s rights organization. The 2021 award ceremony will be held at Tampere Hall, 15.00–16.30, on 22 November 2021. You can follow the guest event live online. Instructions for registering for the webcast of the award ceremony can be found on the award’s website: www.igep.fi/en. On Monday, 22 November, Tampere Hall in Tampere will host the International Gender Equality Prize award ceremony, which will announce the winner of the 2021 Award. The prize is awarded to a person or operator who has significantly promoted gender equality internationally. The prize will be presented by the Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin. The International Gender Equality Prize (IGEP) amounts to EUR 300,000.Further informationPirita Ruokonen, Special Adviser to Prime Minister, Prime Minister’s Office, [email protected] (media contacts for Prime Minister Marin)
Sami Siltanen, Project Coordinator,Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, [email protected] (information about the prize gala)
Iina Ojala, Head of PR and Marketing, City of Tampere, Finland , [email protected]

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — Finland will send six ventilators to Latvia to help the country fight the COVID-19 epidemic. The material assistance will be delivered through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism.The Latvian authorities have requested material assistance from the EU countries due to the rapidly deteriorating COVID-19 situation. Finland has offered Latvia six ventilators, and Latvia announced today that it will accept the offer.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has received a statement from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare on expanding the use of the COVID-19 passport. In its statement, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare proposes, for example, that the COVID-19 passport also be used to ascertain the fitness for work of healthcare and social welfare personnel, i.e. that personnel performing certain care and healthcare duties are vaccinated.The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health considers the proposal an interesting initiative, particularly when it comes to protecting the most vulnerable people from COVID-19. In the most vulnerable people and those who are not vaccinated, COVID-19 can cause severe illness requiring hospital care and, in the worst case, lead to death. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will assess the proposal of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare together with other responsible ministries as part of the wider preparatory work on the expanded use of the COVID-19 passport.
 
According to the statement, expanding the use of the passport could be a quick way to protect patients and colleagues from COVID-19 infection. However, the proposal submitted by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare contains shortcomings when it comes to the possibility of laying down provisions in the law on the proposed solution. The proposal does not include a proper assessment of the legislative framework conditions of the proposal. This is a matter of principle with far-reaching effects, and it must be assessed with due regard to both the rights of care personnel and questions related to labour law.
 
Before the scope of the provisions on the COVID-19 passport can be expanded to apply to care personnel, an overall assessment must be carried out from the perspective of equality and the prohibition of discrimination, personal integrity, the right to privacy and the protection of personal data. Fundamental rights also include the freedom to engage in commercial activity and the right to work. The provisions on the COVID-19 passport include the right to process people’s health data, which is why account must also be taken of the General Data Protection Regulation and the Act on the Protection of Privacy in Working Life when assessing the matter.
 
If the scope of the provisions on the COVID-19 passport were expanded to apply to care personnel, the effects and consequences of this should be assessed, for example, from the perspective of what it would mean for employees if they did not have a COVID-19 passport and what would be done in situations where employees cannot get vaccinated for health reasons.
 
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has requested the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare as an expert agency to assess the feasibility of the proposal with regard to the framework conditions as this would create a more solid basis for the proposal in both legislative drafting and public discussion. As an expert agency, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare has a significant role in providing reliable information and expert views.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — The European Commission’s Executive Vice-President and Commissioner in charge of competition and digital policy Margrethe Vestager will visit Helsinki on Friday 29 October. She will discuss current issues related to competition and state aid, the implementation of EU industrial strategy and digitalisation with Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen and Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä. The Minister of Economic Affairs and the Minister of Employment will meet EU Commissioner Margrethe Vestager in Helsinki on Friday. The meeting will focus on promoting competitiveness of the EU’s internal market and industry, which must be based on equal operating conditions for business operators. As concerns industrial policy, it is essential to consider the EU’s comprehensive industrial strategy and the importance of SMEs in promoting competitiveness.Finland takes a strict position on EU competition and state aid policyMinister of Employment Haatainen and Vestager will discuss the EU’s competition and state aid policy and the Commission’s ongoing assessment of competition policy.   “It is important for us that the regulation of the EU’s competition and state aid policy remains strict so that the internal market functions well and on an equal basis. While applying less stringent state aid rules is justified for certain strategic projects important to the EU, it should not be expanded to a more general use,” says Haatainen.Many EU countries have recently proposed relaxing the Union’s rules on competition and state aid policy, but Finland takes a strict position. State aid rules must guarantee a level playing field for companies operating in the EU and ensure that the internal market remains open to competition. Finland also hopes that any temporary state aid introduced during the coronavirus epidemic will be discontinued as soon as the economic and pandemic situation so permits. Competition and state aid regulation must in its part also support the Union’s objectives on green and digital transitionIndustrial strategy should focus on ensuring the EU’s global competitivenessMinister of Economic Affairs Lintilä and Vestager will discuss the EU’s updated industrial strategy, competitiveness, the digital economy and emerging technologies. Different sectors must be well represented in the industrial strategy, which must focus on ensuring the EU’s competitiveness globally.“Sustainable bioeconomy solutions must be part of the EU’s industrial strategy. Bio-based materials and products support sustainable growth, competitiveness and the EU’s transition towards a climate-neutral economy,” Lintilä says.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — The European Commission issued a proposal for amending the Directive on access to financial information on 20 July. The amendment would allow the competent authorities of the EU Member States to access centralised bank account registries. The Government expressed its position on the proposal in its communications submitted to Parliament on 28 October.The amendment to the Directive on access to financial information relates to the Commission’s proposal for a new Anti-Money Laundering Directive. According to the proposal, Member States must ensure that the information obtained from the centralised bank account registries is available through a single access point. The single access point would be developed and operated by the European Commission. The access point would allow the competent authorities to establish quickly whether an individual holds bank accounts in other Member States without having to ask all their counterparts in all Member States. Financing of cross-border crime could be investigated more effectivelyThe Government welcomes the proposal in principle. The proposal strengthens the fight against international organised crime by creating a tool for the competent authorities of the Member States to investigate and intervene more effectively in the financing of crime in cross-border cases. In these cases, it is important to find out who holds a bank account in a Member State other than that carrying out the investigation.Parliament discusses national implementation of the DirectiveThe current Directive on access to financial information already requires that each Member State designate the competent authorities empowered to access and search its national centralised bank account registry. Under the Directive, access may be granted to authorities competent for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of serious offences.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — Preparations for a project company for the eastern rail link progress.On 28 October 2021, the Government decided to authorise the Ministry of Transport and Communications to establish a new limited liability company partly owned by the state for the eastern rail link. The Ministry of Transport and Communications may sign the documents relating to the establishment and to subscribe, on behalf of the state, the shares of the limited liability company to be established.The state of Finland is committed to capitalising the company under the terms and conditions of the shareholder agreement.The company would be tasked with planning and financing the Lentorata-Porvoo-Kouvola railway line project until the line is ready for construction.On 28 September 2021, the Ministerial Committee on Economic Policy was in favour of establishing the project company for the eastern rail link.On 28 October 2021, the Government authorised the Ministry of Transport and Communications to approve, on behalf of the State, that Nordic Railways Ltd (Pohjolan Rautatiet Oy) be placed in liquidation. The company was founded in February 2019 to comprehensively develop the rail transport services. It does not have any business operations.What’s next?The project company for the eastern rail link will be established after the appeal period for municipal decisions has expired.A prerequisite for the establishment is that the financial commitment of the state of Finland represents, at the start-up stage, a maximum of 51% of the total amount of the financial commitments.Any appeal processes may have an impact on the timetable for the establishment of the company, and that is why the exact date of establishment cannot be indicated.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — The EU already requires that footwear and textile products clearly indicate what material the item is made of.  The Government now proposes to Parliament legislation based on the EU Market Surveillance Regulation, which would specify companies’ obligations related to labelling of materials. The proposed law also enables the imposition of penalty payments for incorrect or deficient labelling. On 21 October 2021, the Government proposed a new Act on labelling of production material in footwear and textile products. In addition to the required labelling, the new law includes a proposal for a penalty payment. According to the proposal, the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency Tukes could impose a penalty payment for deficient or incorrect labelling of footwear and textile products. The EU Market Surveillance Regulation requires that Member States enact sanctions nationally.Manufacturers, importers and marketers of footwear and textiles sold in the EU must ensure that all products bear a label indicating the material the product is made of. In Finland, the labels must be in both Finnish and Swedish. Requiring labels of materials is not new, but penalty payments due to incorrect or deficient labels have not been possible before. A key objective of the reform is to improve consumer protection. It is due to come into effect as of the beginning of 2022. The government proposal is part of a more extensive implementation of the Market Surveillance Regulation, the proposal on which was submitted to Parliament on 23 September 2021.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — DHAGE is a thought leadership platform for key decision-makers in Europe to identify synergies and nurture collaborations on digital health policies. The 3rd annual workshop of DHAGE took place on 3rd September 2021. The workshop focused on inclusion and exclusion in digital health and care. A report on the meeting and its outcomes is now published.The 2021 High-Level Meeting of the Group focused on ‘European cooperation solutions to promote digital inclusion and increase the resilience of society’. Digital exclusion and poor health literacy are not new problems but holistic approaches to tackling the issues are still scarce. Key elements to digital inclusion typically include users´ competencies, access to internet and devices, motivation, as well as confidence to use, understand, and engage with technologies, and language understanding.The Workshop ended with five calls for international organizations and governments to act:Ensure digital inclusion by design of health and social services and mandate health care service providers to demand more inclusive, understandable, accessible, and easy-to-use services.Tackle digital exclusion by bringing together social, health and technical communities and base digital services on life events and needs of citizens rather than organisations.Upskill and empower the health workforce with the competencies and skills needed for the use of digital health technologies and for promoting their use and assessment. Develop a Global Interoperability Maturity Model, including a reference to digital inclusion.As part of bettering the knowledge base, international organisations should set up an initiative to gather experience, develop and test both policies and practical action. The Digital Health Advisory Group for Europe (DHAGE) is a thought leadership platform for key decision-makers in Europe to identify synergies and nurture collaborations on digital health policies. The group was created by HIMSS and the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The DHAGE tackles issues facing healthcare in European countries and beyond. The Group is now shifting its efforts to create long-term solutions for the recovery and ongoing resilience of our health systems post the pandemic.More information Sarita Friman, Ministerial Advisor, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tel. +358 295 163 349, [email protected]
Jukka Lähesmaa, Consulting Officer, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tel. +358 295 163 139, [email protected]DHAGE’s report on inclusion and exclusion in digital health on HIMSS’s webpageThe Digital Health Advisory Group for Europe (DHAGE)HIMSS

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — One member and two deputy members of the Finnish delegation to the European Committee of the Regions will change. The Government has nominated new candidates for the remainder of the Committee’s term until January 2025.The Government has appointed Niina Ratilainen from the Turku City Council as a new member. New deputy members are Eeva-Liisa Nieminen from the Tuusula Local Council and Manu Huuhilo from the Kouvola City Council. The Council of the European Union will make the final decision on the changes to the Committee’s composition.The Committee of the Regions is an EU advisory body that issues opinions on new regulations concerning regions and municipalities. The members are elected representatives of local and regional public sector entities or carry political responsibility for an elected body. Finland has nine regular members and nine deputy members in the Committee of the Regions.  Eight of them are from Continental Finland and one is from Åland. The Committee’s term lasts for five years. The current term started in 2020 and will end in January 2025.Proposed members of the Committee’s Finnish delegationRegular membersMarkku Markkula, Member of Espoo City Council
Sari Rautio, Member of Hämeenlinna City Council
Anne Karjalainen, Member of Kerava City Council
Mikkel Näkkäläjärvi, Member of Rovaniemi City Council
Mirja Vehkaperä, Member of Oulu City Council
Ilpo Heltimoinen, Member of Lappeenranta City Council
Mikko Aaltonen, Member of Tampere City Council
Niina Ratilainen, Member of Turku City Council (new)Åland:
Bert Häggblom, Member of the Parliament of ÅlandDeputy membersPauliina Haijanen, Member of Tuusula City Council 
Jari Andersson, Member of Sastamala City Council
Sanna Rissanen, Member of Liperi Local Council 
Merja Lahtinen, Member of Jämsä Local Council
Pekka Myllymäki, Member of Mynämäki Local Council
Patrik Karlsson, Member of Vantaa City Council
Eeva-Liisa Nieminen, Member of Tuusula Local Council (new)
Manu Huuhilo, Member of Kouvola City Council (new)Åland:
Annette Bergbo, Member of Parliament of Åland

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — The Government has extended the validity of the decree restricting the activities of food and beverage service businesses until 15 November 2021. The existing regional restrictions on food and beverage service businesses will remain unchanged.Restrictions on food and beverage service businesses in the regions of Southwest Finland, Satakunta, Päijät-Häme, Ostrobothnia, South Ostrobothnia, Central Ostrobothnia and Uusimaa, which are all at the community transmission phase of the epidemic, from 31 OctoberFood and beverage service businesses may serve alcoholic beverages between 7.00 and 00.00 and be open between 5.00 and 1.00.Food and beverage service businesses that primarily serve alcoholic beverages may have only half the normal number of customer seats in use in their indoor and outdoor premises. Other food and beverage service are restricted to 75 per cent of their normal number of customer seats indoors.All customers must have their own seats at a table or similar in indoor premises.Businesses who require all customers to present a COVID-19 passport are exempt from the restrictions.Restrictions on food and beverage service businesses elsewhere in the country, i.e. in the regions where the epidemic is at the acceleration or baseline phase, from 31 OctoberThere are no separate restrictions on the number of customers or on licensing and opening hours.The obligation to observe the general hygiene guidelines and to keep a safe distance applies in all regions.Exceptions to restrictions remain unchangedThe restrictions laid down in the decree do not apply to the activities of staff restaurants or to takeaway sales of food to customers. The restrictions on opening hours do not apply to food and beverage service businesses on vessels and aircraft that operate between Finland and other countries or abroad or to food and beverage service businesses that operate at distribution stations for liquid fuels.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi