NordenBladet — On Wednesday, the European Commission unveiled a major package of legislative proposals on climate that would reduce the EU’s net emissions by at least 55 per cent by 2030. The Fit for 55 package contains 13 legislative proposals, eight of which would strengthen existing legislative instruments and five that are completely new regulations.

“The EU climate package is a huge leap towards a climate-sustainable society built on clean transport, sustainable housing and new green jobs. The EU’s effective climate measures will also help us achieve our own climate neutrality target and will level the playing field within the EU. This package will ensure that all sectors in all Member States participate in combating the climate crisis,” says Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Krista Mikkonen.

The legislative proposals cover a wide range of sectors of the economy, including emissions trading reform, burden sharing between countries, energy efficiency, renewable energy, the role of the land use sector and carbon sinks, emission limits for cars, energy taxes and carbon duties. In the autumn, the Commission will also submit its proposal for revising the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

“During the Finnish Presidency, we agreed that the EU would aim for climate neutrality by 2050. Finland has already had a very active influence on the EU’s shared climate policy in general. Our goal is to make the EU the most competitive, socially integrated climate neutral economy in the world. We have also highlighted our national characteristics so that the Commission would be able to take them into account when preparing the package. There is still work to be done, but it is great that in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the Commission has succeeded in laying this extensive groundwork, which we can now begin negotiating,” says Minister for European Affairs Tytti Tuppurainen.

“In order to achieve the more stringent targets, we need a package that functions well and takes into account the need for major investments in low-carbon solutions and technologies. The industrial and energy sectors require large amounts of capital invested over the longer term. With this in mind, we need predictable regulation and technology-neutral funding. We also have to ensure that citizens are involved and that the changes are perceived as fair,” Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä emphasises. Finland will formulate its own positions on each of the thirteen legislative proposals during the autumn, once Parliament has also returned from holiday.

Finland stresses importance of strengthening emissions trading
In line with the Commission’s proposal, emissions should be reduced by 61 per cent by 2030 from the 2005 level in the emissions trading sector. The Commission proposes tightening the target for the emissions trading sector by reducing the amount of annual allowances more swiftly than previously planned, among other measures. At the same time, the free allocation of allowances would be reduced.

“The effectiveness of emissions trading has been improved in recent years, and it is important that we continue to strengthen its impact. The reforms now being proposed are steps in the right direction. At the same time, we need to remember that not all emissions are involved in emissions trading, and we also need robust national plans for climate neutrality,” says Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Krista Mikkonen.

With the new package, emissions from maritime transport, which are not currently regulated by the EU climate legislation, would also be included in the emissions trading scheme. The goal is for distributors of heating fuels for buildings and fuels for road transport to be included in a separate emissions trading scheme from 2026.“Winter navigation is an important national issue for Finland as an export country, and we will call attention to it in further discussions on emissions trading in shipping,” Minister of Economic Affairs Lintilä says.

Tightening country-specific emission reduction targets will be taken into account in national plan
The development of emissions in non-ETS sectors – agriculture, property-specific heating and transport – is regulated by a burden-sharing agreement that imposes a specific obligation on each EU Member State. As a rule, Member States’ obligations are based on their gross national income.

In its proposal, the Commission has set a target of 50 per cent emission reductions for Finland and five other EU Member States by 2030 compared to the 2005 level. This target will have an impact on the medium-term climate plan and the energy and climate strategy currently under preparation, which are due to be completed in autumn 2021.

The Commission’s proposal includes various flexibilities for promoting the cost-effectiveness of climate policy. The proposal also aims to establish links between sectors to ensure that the targets are met.

Reforms in the land use sector will bring transparency
In addition to emission reductions, achieving climate targets will require the strengthening of carbon sinks in the short and long term. The Commission proposes introducing national targets for increasing carbon sinks in the land use sector (LULUCF sector). In line with the proposal, the EU Member States should commit to increasing the carbon removals from sinks to a total of 310 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030. According to the Commission’s proposal, the period 2021–2025 would still be subject to the current regulation. For 2026–2030, a quantitative target would be set for each Member State, along with the resulting trajectory to which the actual net emissions would be compared. In addition to strengthening carbon sinks, the reform would simplify the complex accounting framework currently in place and would increase the transparency of monitoring.A major reform included in the package is that agricultural emissions would be included as part of the land use sector from 2031. In line with the Commission’s proposal, this new AFOLU sector should be climate neutral in 2035. A more detailed legislative proposal on the AFOLU sector would be submitted in 2025.

Carbon border mechanism aims to prevent carbon leakage; car emissions will be reined in
The Commission is also proposing a new climate policy tool, the carbon border adjustment mechanism, which would prevent carbon leakage from the EU to countries with more lenient climate policies. The carbon border mechanism would apply to certain products entering the EU from third countries, such as steel and electricity. The amount of the carbon border mechanism would depend on the price of the EU emission allowance. The inclusion of electricity in the carbon border mechanism raises specific questions for Finland.

In addition, the Commission proposes tightening emission limits for new passenger cars and vans. This is also worthwhile in Finland’s view from the perspective of reducing transport emissions.Tightened limits would promote the electrification of transport in Europe.

More stringent requirements for renewable energy and energy efficiency
The package also includes a reform of the EU’s key energy legislation and would increase targets for renewable energy. The Commission’s proposal would see an overhaul of the Renewable Energy Directive, with the exception of individual articles. It would also expand the scope of the directive in relation to the use of renewable energy and hydrogen in industry and with regard to system integration, power purchase agreements and offshore wind power. The key themes for Finland in the reform are the heating and transport sectors and the use of forest biomass in energy production (including sustainability criteria). The targets for energy efficiency will be tightened by significantly limiting the current level of energy consumption by 2030 and by raising the annual savings target to almost double the current level.  In the future, public sector buildings will need to be renovated to nearly zero energy levels and the current number of renovations will need to be almost doubled.

What’s next?
The legislative proposals will now be submitted to the European Parliament and the Council for negotiations. The EU Ministers of the Environment will discuss the package for the first time next week at their informal meeting. Due to the number and scope of the legislative proposals, the negotiations are expected to last about two years.

NordenBladet — The EU Digital COVID Certificate, which is available in the My Kanta Pages, will also include a test certificate and a certificate of recovery as of 14 July. The EU COVID-19 vaccination certificate has been available in the My Kanta Pages since 22 June.

Save certificate on your mobile device or print it out
How to get your certificate from the My Kanta Pages:
Log on to your My Kanta Pages at kanta.fi using the identification token of your choice, such as online banking codes or mobile certificate.

Select ‘Koronatodistus’ (COVID-19 certificate) from the left-hand menu. There is also a direct link to the certificate section on the front page of the My Kanta Pages.Click on the pdf link to open the COVID-19 certificate. If you have a certificate, it will open in a new tab.

Save the pdf file on your mobile phone or other device. You can also print it out on paper.

All three types of the EU Digital COVID Certificate can be used when crossing borders within the EU. The aim is to facilitate safe and free movement. Each EU Member State can decide for itself on other uses of the certificate.

The information in the EU Digital COVID Certificates issued by Finland is in three languages, Finnish, Swedish and English. The certificate contains a QR code which can be used to verify the content and authenticity of the certificate. All EU certificates are free of charge.

Paper certificates also available from healthcare providers if necessary
Travellers must download the certificate from the My Kanta Pages before travelling. Efforts continue to be made to avoid a burden on the healthcare system. For this reason, people are advised to use primarily the My Kanta Pages. The My Kanta Pages customer service provides general advice on the COVID-19 certificates and helps with technical problems, but they cannot correct the information included in the certificate.

If a person is unable to get the certificate from the My Kanta Pages, they must contact their healthcare provider and request a certificate in printed form. Persons who do not have access to their My Kanta Pages or cannot for some reason authorise another person to use it on their behalf may obtain a paper version of the certificate from their healthcare provider.

A paper version of the EU Digital COVID Certificate will be available from some healthcare providers from 15 July onwards. The aim is for all public healthcare providers to be able to issue a paper version of the EU Digital COVID Certificate by mid-August. If a person is not yet able to get a paper version of the EU Digital COVID Certificate from their healthcare provider, they will be issued with a similar certificate that contains the corresponding information.

At the end of August, people who have been either vaccinated against or tested for COVID-19 in Finland but who do not have a Finnish personal identity code can get a certificate from their healthcare providers that meets the EU requirements. Until then, healthcare providers can issue people with a similar certificate that contains the corresponding information.

Travellers must check requirements of their destination country
Before travelling, it is important to find out which EU Digital COVID Certificate is needed to cross the border of your destination country. An EU COVID-19 vaccination certificate may be sufficient. Before travelling, you should also check the COVID-19 situation in your destination and, before returning home, you should check the situation in Finland and take care to follow the latest recommendations. The Re-open EU website (reopen.europa.eu) compiles information on travel instructions and restrictions in place in the EU Member States.COVID-19 tests carried out for the purpose of travelling abroad are administered by private healthcare providers. These COVID-19 tests are subject to a fee. The EU COVID-19 test certificate will appear in the My Kanta Pages regardless of whether your test was carried out by a private or public healthcare provider. Tests undergone upon return to Finland are administered by public healthcare services and are therefore free of charge. Please book your return test in advance using the FINENTRY service, for example.Exercise special caution when travelling in general. The COVID-19 situation in different countries and regions may change abruptly.

Vaccines administered and tests conducted abroad
The EU Digital COVID Certificate is issued by the country where the vaccine was administered. EU Member States must also issue the certificate retrospectively. In Finland, a certificate of COVID-19 vaccination can be issued only if the vaccine products were administered in Finland and they are in use in Finland.

Negative test results are valid for a short period of time. Because of this, it is not worth asking for these results from abroad but to take a new test in Finland if necessary. If a person had the COVID-19 disease abroad, a certificate of recovery from COVID-19 must be requested from the country where the test indicating a positive result was taken.

NordenBladet — This autumn and winter, Finnish ministers will tour the country to listen to Finns’ ideas and hopes for the future of Europe. The citizens’ messages will be passed on as part of an EU-level reflection on what kind of Europe we want to build.

“The EU has to respond to the needs and expectations of its citizens. We want to encourage Finns to make their thoughts heard. As ministers, we are committed to passing on their messages,” says Minister for European Affairs Tytti Tuppurainen.

The details of the tour are still being finalised, but several ministers have already arranged at least one discussion with citizens. The events will take place in various parts of the country, and one of Finland’s goals is to organise the northernmost event in the EU.

“Our ministers’ tour is part of the Conference on the Future of Europe. The idea behind the conference is to engage in lively and open discussions about the EU with citizens in all Member States and to build a future for Europe based on the issues raised by citizens. Finland has a strong tradition of discussion. With this in mind, we should now be active in making our voices heard in the EU,” says Minister Tuppurainen, challenging Finns to get involved. The themes raised at citizens’ events throughout the EU will be presented to the conference plenaries for discussion. The Finnish Government will be represented at the plenaries by Minister for European Affairs Tuppurainen and the minister whose mandate covers the topic in question. Each country has also appointed a citizens’ representative. Finland’s representative is Ninni Norra, who was selected by the Finnish National Youth Council Allianssi.

Anyone can comment at any time
An important component of the Conference on the Future of Europe is its multilingual digital platform, which is open to all and where everyone is free to share their thoughts. Citizens are encouraged to discuss topics such as values, climate change, the economy, health and education. Event organisers can use the platform to announce their events beforehand and to report on the discussions afterwards. Anyone who wants to organise an event is free to do so.

The dates and venues of the “We are Europe” tour will be announced on the platform well in advance. The events will also be announced in advance in the ministries’ press releases and newspaper advertisements and on their social media channels. After each event, members of the public can go to the digital platform to read about the challenges and opportunities that emerged in the discussion. Summaries of the discussions will also be delivered to the ministers for use at the conference plenaries.

NordenBladet — The Ministry of the Interior has issued a decree amending the cost of an identity card. The cost will rise by EUR 5 from 2 August 2021. The fees for a minor’s identity card and temporary identity card will increase by EUR 1.

The cost of an identity card applied for in person will rise from EUR 55 to EUR 60. The cost of an identity card applied for online will also rise by EUR 5 to EUR 54. However, the cost of an identity card will continue to be EUR 8 less if it is purchased at the same time as the passport. The fees for a minor’s identity card and temporary identity card will increase by EUR 1.

EU Regulation on identity cards leads to changes
The fee increases for identity cards are the result of supplementary amendments made to the Identity Card Act to be in line with the EU Regulation on identity cards. In future, the applicant’s facial image and fingerprints will be stored on the chip of the identity card. As a result of the amendments to the Identity Card Act, the identity card will include, in addition to the current Citizen Certificate, a new biometric certificate issued by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. Apart from the biometric certificate, additional costs will be incurred from renewing the design of the card and from the extra work needed for taking fingerprints.The applicant for an identity card pays the police for the identity card. The police will distribute the fees for the certificates to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. The Decree of the Ministry of the Interior on Chargeable Services of the Police is reviewed annually. Under the law, the amount of the fee to be charged must correspond to the total costs incurred by the State in providing the service.

NordenBladet — Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will attend the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on Monday 12 July. The main topics of discussion will be Ethiopia, the Strategic Compass, and the geopolitics of new digital technologies. In addition, the meeting will approve conclusions on a Globally Connected Europe.

The foreign ministers will meet Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs at a working lunch and Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs at a working breakfast. Minister Haavisto will also attend a meeting of the Nordic and Baltic counties in NB6 format and a meeting of Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany in the N3+1 format.

The foreign ministers will have an exchange of views on the current situation in Ethiopia and on the alternative courses of actions available for the EU, which are based on three pillars: the humanitarian situation; human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law; and the political track. In his capacity as an Envoy of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell in the region, Minister Haavisto visited Ethiopia and its neighbouring region on 22 February and 19 April 2021.

NordenBladet — On Thursday 8 July, the Government decided to appoint a new Director General.

The Government appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Marja Liivala to serve as Director General of the Department for Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs for a fixed term from 1 September 2021 to 31 August 2025.

Liivala will transfer to the post of Director General from the position of Roving Ambassador for Central Asia, which she has held since 2018. Liivala’s career has focused on various tasks and responsibilities related to Russia in both the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Moscow. In 2017–2018, she worked as Senior Adviser in the Unit for North America of the Department for the Americas and Asia. In 2013–2016, she was Director in the Department for Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The bilateral relations between Finland and Russia have featured prominently among her responsibilities. In 2008–2012, Liivala worked as Head of the Economy and Trade Section at the Embassy of Finland in Moscow.

Liivala joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1997. She holds a Master’s degree in Social Sciences.