Preparation of EU matters

 

Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO)

The EPSCO Council, which brings together ministers from all EU Member States, decides on EU cooperation in employment, social policy, health, consumer affairs and equality. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for the EPSCO Council matters concerning health and social affairs. Finland is represented on the EPSCO Council by the Minister of Employment, the Minister of Social Affairs and Health, and the Minister of Social Security.

During the six-monthly rotating presidencies, the ministers usually meet twice to discuss employment and social policy matters and twice to discuss health topics. Additionally, the Presidency hosts one informal meeting for each field. The official meetings are held in either Brussels or Luxembourg. The informal meetings are held in the country that holds the Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Preparation of EU affairs at the national level

The central government has a special system for coordinating EU affairs. It aims to ensure that Finland can present a timely, coordinated position in line with its general EU policy on any issue under consideration in the EU, at any stage of consideration. The system consists of the Government EU Affairs Department at the Prime Minister’s Office, relevant ministries, the Ministerial Committee on European Union Affairs, and the Committee for EU Affairs with its sub-committees.

The Prime Minister’s Office is responsible for drawing up Finland’s general EU policy and for coordinating the preparation and consideration of EU-related matters in the ministries. Decisions on Finland’s EU policy are made by the Ministerial Committee on European Union Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister. Public officials carry out the coordination of EU affairs in the Committee for EU Affairs and its sector-specific sub-committees.

Parliament actively participates in the preparation of EU affairs. The Government informs Parliament on EU affairs and, before the Council convenes, the ministers present the meeting’s agenda to Parliament’s Grand Committee.

Sub-committees of the Committee for EU Affairs

The Committee for EU Affairs has 36 sector-specific sub-committees, which provide the foundation for the preparation of EU affairs by public officials. The chairperson and secretary of each EU affairs sub-committee usually represent the competent ministry.

The sub-committees can convene in a restricted or extended composition. The restricted composition includes public officials from the competent ministries, and representatives of other ministries and government agencies. The extended composition also includes representatives of various interest groups and stakeholders. In addition, each sub-committee has representatives from the Government EU Affairs Department at the Prime Minister's Office and the Government of Åland. The sub-committees meet as necessary.

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health chairs six sub-committees:

• EU16 insurance services
  • This sub-committee has representatives from Finland’s Permanent Representation to the EU, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Prime Minister's Office, Financial Supervisory Authority, Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom, Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority, Financial Stability Authority, Bank of Finland, Confederation of Finnish Industries EK, Finnish Confederation of Professionals STTK, Finnish Pension Alliance Tela, Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions SAK, Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland Akava, Finance Finland, Finnish Financial Ombudsman Bureau FINE, Finnish Pharmaceutical Insurance Pool, Motor Insurer’s Centre LVK, Finnish Workers’ Compensation Centre TVK, Eläkesäätiöyhdistys (Pension Trust Association), Vakuutuskassat ry (Insurance Funds Association) and Federation of Finnish Enterprises
  • Chaired by Jaana Rissanen, Deputy Director General; Secretary: Daniela Fredman, Senior Officer, Legal Affairs

• EU25 social affairs
  • Chaired by Markus Seppelin, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Social Affairs; Vice-chair: Eveliina Pöyhönen, Deputy Director General; Secretary: Tuomas Leppo, Senior Specialist

• EU26 occupational safety and health
  • Chaired by Raimo Antila, Director General; Secretary: Kaisu Ahtola, Senior Specialist, Legal Affairs

• EU27 social security issues related to the mobility of people
  • This sub-committee has representatives from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Education and Culture, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Government of Åland, Ministry for Foreign Affairs/Finland’s Permanent Representationto the EU, Federation of Unemployment Funds in Finland, Federation of Finnish Enterprises, Social Insurance Institution of Finland, Finnish Workers’ Compensation Centre, Finnish Centre for Pensions, Finnish Pension Alliance Tela, Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland Akava, Finnish Confederation of Professionals STTK, Employment Fund, Confederation of Finnish Industries EK, Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions SAK
  • Chaired by Henna Huhtamäki, Director; Secretary: Silja Dahlgren, Legal Adviser

• EU33 health
  • This sub-committee has representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of Education and Culture, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Finland’s Permanent Mission in Geneva, Finland’s Permanent Representation to the EU, Ministry of Finance, Prime Minister's Office Government EU Affairs Department, Ministry of the Environment, Government of Åland, Confederation of Finnish Industries EK, Finnish Medicine Agency Fimea, Social Insurance Institution of Finland, Consumers’ Union of Finland, Sailab – MedTech Finland, Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions SAK, SOSTE Finnish Federation for Social Affairs and Health, Finnish Confederation of Professionals STTK, Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities/Hyvil, Finnish Medical Association, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare THL, National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health Valvira
  • As chair, Taneli Puumalainen, Director General; as vice-chair Taru Koivisto, Director; and as secretary, Pirjo Pietilä-Kainulainen, Senior Specialist 

• EU39 narcotics
  • Chaired by Elina Kotovirta, Ministerial Adviser 

Email addresses of chairs and secretaries are in the format [email protected].