Government appoints new ministerial working group on sustainable growth in Finland

At its plenary session on Thursday 14 January, the Government appointed a new ministerial working group on sustainable growth in Finland. Its task is to oversee the preparation of the Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland and the related national recovery and rehabilitation plan financed through the EU recovery instrument, and to guide and monitor their implementation.

The ministerial working group will also discuss reforms and investments related to the programme, and will address business and entrepreneurship policy issues when necessary. 

The working group will be chaired by Minister of Finance Matti Vanhanen. Its other members are Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari, Minister of Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson, Minister of Education Jussi Saramo and Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Krista Mikkonen. Permanent State Secretary Juha Majanen from the Ministry of Finance will serve as its Secretary-General. 

In its special meeting on 17–21 July 2020, the European Council agreed on the new multiannual financial framework and the Next Generation EU recovery instrument, which is being used to finance the Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland. A key element of the EU recovery instrument is the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). To benefit from the facility, each Member State must present a national recovery and rehabilitation plan covering reforms and investments to be made in 2021–2023. 

The reforms and investments included in the plan must correspond to the country-specific recommendations of the European Semester. They must also meet the other criteria of the RRF Regulation. In addition, the reforms and investments prioritised in the national recovery and rehabilitation plan must meet the criteria set out in the Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland. 

On 27 November 2020, the Government submitted a report to Parliament on the Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland.

Inquiries: Timo Lankinen, Permanent State Under-Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office, tel. +358 295 160 300