NordenBladet — The government proposal on the introduction of a long-term national D visa in Finland promotes labour migration and includes the preparation of a fast track pledge. According to the proposal, the national D visa would first cover specialists, growth or start-up entrepreneurs and their family members.The Government submitted the proposal to Parliament on 16 September 2021.“The proposal is important because, for its part, it will facilitate labour migration. After necessary assessments, it will also create a foundation for extending the national D visa to cover researchers and students,” says Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto. “Finland needs more experts with diverse talent profiles to keep the wheels turning in society. The migration authorities must respond to this need by providing efficient services. In other Schengen countries, a national D visa is already in use for varying target groups,” says Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo.The national D visa is based on the Schengen Convention. Provisions on the conditions for issuing it and on its validity can be laid down nationally within the limits set by the Schengen Convention. A national D visa allows people to stay in the territory of the issuing country for up to one year. It enables longer stays in the country than the standard short-term Schengen visa.  D visa enables implementing the fast track planThe Government proposal on the introduction of a national D visa is related to the entry made in the government budget session in September 2020, according to which the preconditions for an accelerated residence permit process, the so-called fast track service for specialists, growth entrepreneurs and their family members, should be examined. The fast track will be ready in June 2022.The D visa proposed by the Government supports the implementation of the 14-day fast track service pledge in such a way that senior specialists or start-up entrepreneurs and their family members can travel to Finland immediately after they have been issued a residence permit, which means that they do not need to wait for a residence permit card abroad.  “The fast track is one way to make it easier for experts to move to Finland. A number of other measures are also under preparation to speed up and streamline residence permit processes. The new roadmap for education-based and work-based immigration includes a wide range of measures that will make the service paths easy and straightforward,” says Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen.The Government submitted its proposal on the amendment of the Aliens Act and sections 3 and 5 of the Act on the Processing of Personal Data by Migration Authorities to Parliament on 16 September 2021. The Act is scheduled to enter into force in spring 2022.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — Finland’s Climate and Energy Strategy, which will be completed towards the end of the year, has been assessed for its gender impact, in accordance with the Government Action Plan for Gender Equality. The report examines the different impacts that the proposed policy measures have on men and women. The researchers’ assessment shows that gender mainstreaming in the design of measures is important for both equality and the acceptability and effectiveness of climate action.In the Government Action Plan for Gender Equality 2020-2023, ministries named key projects in which the gender perspective will be included. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment decided to carry out the assessment in connection with the update of the Climate and Energy Strategy. A research group consisting of Oxford Research, Equality Research Helsinki and Gaia Consulting conducted the study. “The effects of energy and climate policy on gender have not been studied in Finland before. It is necessary to continue working to develop climate policy impact assessments from different perspectives”, says Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä.The report examined the gender impacts of the policy measures proposed for the Climate and Energy Strategy. The assessment includes 101 policy measures. They are preliminary proposals included in the preparatory phase in spring 2021, not the final measures to be selected for the Strategy. The research group examined the human impacts of the measures and how gendered they are in six sectors: energy production, construction and buildings, transport, industry, the service sector and agriculture. The most important conclusions of the researchers are:The policy measures mainly fall on male-dominated sectors, contain technical solutions that are of interest to men and have a greater impact on men’s consumer habits. From this perspective, the proposed measures and their consequences could be considered a greater burden to men.However, the overall impact on economic activity and employment is positive in male-dominated sectors (energy production, construction, transport, industry and forestry), even though male-dominated jobs related to fossil fuels, in particular, will disappear. Instead, the most significant negative impacts on employment will be felt in female-dominated service sectors. More consideration should be paid to this fact in climate policy. The impact of the proposed measures on service sectors highlights the importance of gender-aware budgeting for climate policy and the pressing need to dismantle gender segregation in sectors that benefit from climate measures. Increasing education of women both for (male-dominated) sectors benefiting from climate measures, and for energy-related tasks in the service sector should be among the objectives of the Climate and Energy Strategy.Women and young people are more prepared to make and support climate-friendly decisions. However, the proposed measures emphasise men’s inclusion in climate policy, because they mainly target male-dominated sectors, influence men’s consumer habits and include technical solutions that are interesting to men. In addition to technical solutions, more focus should be put on measures that increase women’s inclusion in climate policy. This could lead to higher emissions reductions. 

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — The government proposal on the introduction of a long-term national D visa in Finland promotes labour migration and includes the preparation of a fast track pledge. According to the proposal, the national D visa would first cover specialists, growth or start-up entrepreneurs and their family members.“The proposal is important because, for its part, it will facilitate labour migration. After necessary assessments, it will also create a foundation for extending the national D visa to cover researchers and students”, says Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — The aim is to amend the Money Collection Act so that voluntary carbon offsetting services would be excluded from the scope of the Act. In future no money collection licence would be required for voluntary carbon offsetting. The Government submitted to Parliament a proposal to amend the Money Collection Act on 16 September 2021.Voluntary carbon offsetting provides a mechanism for offsetting greenhouse gas emissions, for example from travel or products to be purchased by means of a payment. Aim is to clarify legislation and enable development of carbon offsetting servicesThe legislative amendment aims to clarify the relationship between the Money Collection Act and voluntary carbon offsetting. Companies and organisations that provide carbon offsetting services seem to find the current legislation unclear.Money Collection Act mainly regulates money collection for non-profit purposesThe Money Collection Act lays down provisions on organising the collection of money and supervising the appropriateness of the collection. Money collection means activities in which funds are collected without compensation by appealing to the public. Money collection requires either a money collection licence that is granted by the National Police Board or, in the case of a small-scale money collection, submission of a notification to the local police department. Companies may not be granted a money collection licence.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — The Government has amended the decree restricting the activities of food and beverage service businesses due to the COVID-19 epidemic. Owing to the improved epidemiological situation, the restrictions on opening and licensing hours will be lifted in Kainuu and in the Hospital District of South Savo, and eased in South Ostrobothnia.The amendment to the decree will enter into force on 17 September 2021.Restrictions on food and beverage service businesses in the regions that are at the community transmission phase of the epidemic — Southwest Finland, Pirkanmaa, Kymenlaakso, Uusimaa, South Karelia and Ostrobothnia — will be in effect from 17 September.Food and beverage service businesses may serve alcohol between 7.00 and 23.00 and be open between 5.00 and 00.00.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 businesses are restricted to 75 per cent of their normal number of customer seats in indoor and outdoor premises.All customers must have their own seats at a table or similar in both indoor and outdoor premises. Customers are instructed to stay seated in indoor premises. Businesses must draw up and provide their customers with instructions on how to enter or leave the premises or access the area designated for smoking or the toilets and washing facilities and how to collect their takeaway orders of food and drinks. In practice, dancing and karaoke, for example, are not allowed.Restrictions on food and beverage service businesses in the regions that are at the acceleration phase of the epidemic — Kanta-Häme, Päijät-Häme, North Savo, South Ostrobothnia, Central Ostrobothnia, North Ostrobothnia and Satakunta — and in the Hospital District of East Savo will be in effect from 17 September.Food and beverage service businesses may serve alcohol between 7.00 and 1.00 and be open between 5.00 and 2.00. Food and beverage service businesses that primarily serve alcoholic beverages are restricted to half of their normal number of customer seats indoors. Other food and beverage service business are restricted to 75 per cent of their normal number of customer seats indoors. As before, all customers must have their own seat by a table or counter when indoors. The number of customer seats in outdoor terraces is not limited. The baseline restrictions on food and beverage service businesses will be in force in the regions of Åland, Central Finland, Lapland, North Karelia and Kainuu, and in the Hospital District of South Savo from 17 September.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

NordenBladet — The aim of the family leave reform is to increase the wellbeing of children and families and to strengthen gender equality and non-discrimination in working life and in the daily lives of families. The measures to achieve this aim include more flexible and longer family leaves and equal quotas of daily allowance days for both parents, some of which can be transferred to the other parent. The new family leave model treats all children equally, irrespective of the type of the family.According to the government proposal for the family leave reform, amendments would be made to the Health Insurance Act, the Employment Contracts Act and the Act on Early Childhood Education and Care. In addition, amendments are proposed to the Act on Child Home Care Allowance and Private Care Allowance, the Unemployment Security Act, the Act on Client Fees in Early Childhood Education and Care and a total of 24 other Acts. The reform will also implement the Work-life Balance Directive. Because of the Directive, the Government proposes that employees be entitled to unpaid carers’ leave for a maximum of five days per calendar year. In finalising the legislative package, the Government took account of the feedback received during consultations with organisations and the spring 2021 consultation round and of the views of the Finnish Council of Regulatory Impact Analysis.The reform is due to enter into force on 1 August 2022.Minister of Social Affairs and Health Hanna Sarkkinen and Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen will hold a press conference on the family leave reform on Friday 17 September at 9.30. Watch the press conference live at: Live broadcast of the press conference on the Government’s YouTube channelRecording of the press conference on YouTube and at vn.fi/live The event will be interpreted into sign language. Simultaneous interpretation in Swedish will be available on Yle Arenan.Government proposal to Parliament for acts amending the Health Insurance Act, the Employment Contracts Act and the Act on Early Childhood Education and Care and for related Acts (family leave reform)

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — The Government has appointed Mikko Koivumaa as Director General of Communications at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs starting on 18 October 2021. The term of office will be five years. Koivumaa is currently Director of Communications at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.He has a long experience of communications tasks in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and of work with actors close to the Ministry. Koivumaa has worked at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment since 2018. In 2015–2018, he worked as Head of Communications at Finn Church Aid. Before that, in 2010–2015, he worked as Counsellor for Press and Culture Affairs at Finland’s Embassy in Tokyo. He has also worked for Finnfacts, an independent media service organisation, which is currently part of Business Finland. Koivumaa is a board Member of ProCom – the Finnish Association of Communications Professionals.He holds the degree of Master of Arts and Bachelor of Social Sciences from the University of Helsinki.“The Ministry for Foreign Affairs plays a crucial role in promoting Finland’s and Finnish people’s affairs around the world. It is particularly interesting to be able to join the Ministry now that the world is gradually opening up and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Koivumaa says.The Director General of Communications of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs directs the Department for Communications, is responsible for the strategic development of communications in the Ministry, and serves as a member of the Ministry’s Senior Management Group.The post attracted 27 candidates.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — Measures with an impact of more than EUR 100 million are considered significant for the national economy. Nine major operators in the real estate and construction sector advocated for such a measure by organising a joint challenge campaign ‘Away with Pens’.The challenge campaign encouraged the whole sector to become more efficient by starting to use electronic signatures. This was done by highlighting the financial and time savings and environmental impacts that can be achieved with this digitalisation step that may seem very small in scale. Companies in the real estate and construction sector used a benefit calculator to calculate the potential benefits to be gained from electronic signing for their operations. The impact was based on the euros, sheets of paper and working hours that were saved.
 
In connection with the campaign, KPMG Finland investigated the impact potential of starting to use electronic signatures. The conclusion was that electronic signing would have genuine and significant impacts on the national economy. According to the impact assessment, savings of more than EUR 300 million a year could be achieved in the real estate and construction sector if documents were signed electronically. This is about half of the annual investments in product development in the sector. Electronic signing would also save almost seven million working hours and more than 16 million sheets of paper every year.
 
“Many organisations in the real estate and construction sector responded to the challenge, but there is still a lot to be done in the digitalisation of processes. Digitalisation is not a value in itself, but the benefits to be gained must be assessed in a transparent and comprehensive way at the level of both the society as a whole and individual operators. From the perspective of impacts, there is a growing need for clear indicators,” says Vappu Id, Head of Community and Culture at KIRAHub, which designed and implemented the campaign.
 
The organisations that participated in the ‘Away with Pens’ challenge were the Confederation of Finnish Construction Industries RT, Finnish Association of Property Owners and Construction Clients RAKLI, Electrical Contractors´ Association of Finland STUL, Finnish Real Estate Management Federation, Real Estate Employers, Federation of Real Estate Agency, Building Information Foundation RTS, and Association of Finnish Architects’ Offices ATL and Finnish Real Estate Federation. The campaign was implemented by KIRAHub and co-funded by the Ministry of the Environment.The challenge calculator and KPMG’s report (in Finnish) are available at Kynatpois.fiDigitalisation of the built environment on the website of the Ministry of the Environment

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — County elections will be held on Sunday 23 January 2022. The new wellbeing services counties will constitute the electoral districts for the county elections. In these elections, the members and deputy members of county councils will be elected in each wellbeing services county. No county elections will be conducted in Helsinki.The advance voting period will be in Finland from 12 to 18 January and abroad from 12 to 15 January 2022.What are the county elections all about?The division into wellbeing services counties is mainly based on the current division into regions with the exception of Uusimaa, which is divided into four wellbeing services counties. The wellbeing services counties are autonomous, and the highest decision-making power in a county will be exercised by a county council. The county council will decide on the organisation of healthcare, social welfare and rescue services in each wellbeing services county as of 2023. The members and deputy members of the county councils will be elected in the county elections to be held in January. Voters will vote for the candidates standing for election in their own wellbeing services county, and the results are counted separately for each county.The first county elections will be conducted as separate elections, but as of 2025 they will be held in conjunction with the municipal elections.The residents of Helsinki will not vote in the 2022 county elections, because the City of Helsinki is not a wellbeing services county and it does not belong to any of the counties. However, advance voting and voting at institutions will be organised in Helsinki for people eligible to vote in other wellbeing services counties.Development of the epidemic will be taken into consideration in election arrangementsThe Ministry of Justice and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare are preparing measures required for ensuring that the upcoming county elections can be conducted safely regardless of the COVID-19 epidemic.The municipal elections of June 2021 were conducted in a safe and healthy manner in compliance with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Justice and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. A variety of special arrangements were made at the polling stations to ensure safe voting despite the epidemic.The county elections will be conducted in January 2022 following the arrangements required by the epidemiological situation.Information about the wellbeing services countiesFinnish Institute for Health and Welfare: Coronavirus COVID-19 – Latest Updates  
 

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — The number of new COVID-19 cases has been on a slow decline for the past four weeks. The total number of new cases reported between 6 and 12 September was 3,119. This is about 750 cases fewer than the week before when the figure was 3,887. The epidemic continues to spread especially among unvaccinated 20–49-year-olds.The incidence of new cases over the last two-week period was 126 per 100,000 inhabitants. This is 19 per cent less than in the preceding two-week period when the incidence of cases was 155 per 100,000 inhabitants. The number of COVID-19 tests was almost 30 per cent lower than the week before. Around 122,000 tests were taken between 6 and 12 September, compared to around 172,000 tests in the preceding before. The decrease in testing may partly explain the drop in confirmed COVID-19 cases. The percentage of positive COVID-19 cases of all samples was about 2.6 per cent between 6 and 12 September. Of all new cases, 5 per cent originated from abroad and 1 per cent were further infections resulting from them. It is important that people continue to get tested for COVID-19 in accordance with the testing and tracing strategy of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. Between 6 and 12 September, a total of 9,364 people were quarantined, which is nearly 2,500 people fewer than in the preceding week.65 per cent have received a full course of vaccinationIn Finland, 83 per cent of people over 12 years of age have received their first vaccine dose and 65 per cent a full course of vaccination.Over the past two weeks, between 30 August and 12 September, the incidence rate has been highest in relative terms among unvaccinated 20–49-year-olds, standing at about 345–375 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. However, the incidence of cases has been very low in all age groups of people who have received a full course of vaccination. Even among those who have received their first vaccine dose, the incidence was over 50 per cent lower than in unvaccinated people. The burden on specialised healthcare has remained unchanged over the past few weeks. However, there has been a rise in the number of patients in intensive care over the past week. In August and September, the high number of COVID-19 cases created an increase in the need for hospital care, but in relation to the number of cases, the increase was lower than during the epidemic peaks in autumn 2020 or spring 2021. The majority of those in need of hospital care are unvaccinated. The proportion of intensive care patients who have no underlying chronic disease has grown since last summer, and most of them have been unvaccinated or they had received their first vaccine dose. Based on the information provided by the hospital districts, a total of 95 people were receiving hospital care due to the COVID-19 disease on 15 September 2021. Of them, 16 were inpatients in primary healthcare, 50 inpatients in specialised healthcare and 29 inpatients in intensive care. On 15 September 2021, the total number of deaths related to the disease was 1,051.The epidemiological situation is monitored weekly. A report on the epidemic is published on Thursdays at 10.00.The monitoring report on the epidemic published today and the previous reports are available on the website of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.
 The COVID-19 epidemic: regional situation, recommendations and restrictions (Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare), in FinnishCoronavirus in numbers (Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa)Action plan for implementing the hybrid strategy to control the COVID-19 epidemic (Publications of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health 2021:21), description sheet in EnglishEffects of the COVID-19 epidemic on wellbeing, services and the economy (Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare), in FinnishProgress with the rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations (Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare), in Finnish and SwedishGuidelines for the controlled dismantling of restrictions and recommendations put in place due to the COVID-19 epidemic. Government memorandum 20 April 2021 (Prime Minister’s Office), in Finnish

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi