Finland’s recovery and resilience – Supported projects: Reforms

Disclaimer: This page exclusively serves information purposes and is not an exhaustive database of projects funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility. Notably, the map provides a snapshot of projects based on the current status of their implementation. It does not reflect the distribution of the projects funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility across the different areas within Finland. The map will be regularly updated to include additional projects and information. The showcase of the projects in this page is without prejudice to any future assessment by the Commission in the context of the verification of the satisfactory fulfilment of milestones and targets pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

The measure references mentioned below are those contained in the ANNEX to the Council Implementing Decision on the approval of the assessment of the recovery and resilience plan for Finland and allow for easy identification of the measures

For more info on the projects, please contact the Commission’s representation liina-maria [dot] munariec [dot] europa [dot] eu (liina-maria[dot]munari[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu) or marjut [dot] leskinenec [dot] europa [dot] eu (marjut[dot]leskinen[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)

Reform of the Climate Act and low-carbon industrialisation

(reference P1C2R1 in the Finnish Recovery and Resilience Plan)

The key objective of the new Climate Act is to ensure that Finland will achieve carbon neutrality by 2035 at the latest. The new Climate Act entered into force on 1 July 2022. It lays down provisions on climate change policy planning and the related monitoring and sets the national climate objectives. New emission reduction targets by 2030 and 2040 are included in the Act and the previous emission reduction target by 2050 is updated. The scope of the Act will be extended to also cover emissions from the land use sector, namely land use, forestry and agriculture, and it will for the first time include the objective to strengthen carbon sinks. Industry-specific low-carbon roadmaps will also be updated particularly for the four key energy intensive industries (energy, chemical, forest and technology) by 2025.

More information can be found at the links below:

Digital infrastructure for immigration processes - Streamlining the work- and education-based immigration process

(reference P3C1R3 in the Finnish Recovery and Resilience Plan)

The objective of the reform is to attract international talent by streamlining the administrative procedures for processing residence permit applications based on work and education. This is expected to increase immigration of skilled workers and to improve the opportunities for international degree students to find employment in Finland. Consequently, the reform shall contribute to addressing labour shortages in specific sectors, notably by supplying experts, students and researchers in leading and growth sectors. The measure consists in an extensive cross-administrative project on improving immigration legislation (namely, amendments to Chapter 5 of the Aliens Act 301/2004) and shortening residence permit processes. Along with a reduction in the average number of days required for processing residence permit applications, a “fast-track” shall be created for growth entrepreneurs, specialists and their family members.

The legislative reform is supported by an investment in digital infrastructure to ensure the readiness of the permit system and other information systems in the residence permit process to meet the needs of the work- and education-based immigration.

The digital infrastructure shall include the following areas of development:

new digital structures and functionalities;
system integration and data transfer interfaces;
system development related to the registration and processing of applications;
implementation of the “Fast Track”;
inter-sectoral knowledge-based management capabilities;
customer guidance and instructions, communications and marketing that support the reformed process;
improvements in usability and performance required by the reform, measures supporting deployment and increase in the automation code.

The reform will be completed by 31 December 2024.

A total of EUR 20 million in funding has been allocated to this project from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).

More information can be found at the links below:

people discussing around a meeting table — Copyright: Finnish Government

Reform of continuous learning

(reference P3C2R1 in the Finnish Recovery and Resilience Plan)

The objective of this reform is to improve employment opportunities of working age people (including those belonging to under-represented groups) by developing their skills and competences and to support the long-term growth potential of companies and the vitality of regions. The reform aims at increasing the matching between the provision of educational courses and the labour market’s needs through the following four measures:

creating a service centre for continuous learning and employment to promote the reform’s implementation,
creating a system for anticipating labour and competence needs,
carrying out training programmes which support the digital transition, the understanding of new ways of working, and citizens’ ability to manage new digital tools, as well as a just transition to a carbon-neutral society,
carrying out tailor-made training to improve the quality of guidance services, practices and tools.

The implementation of all four elements of this reform will be completed by 30 June 2025.

More information on the reform of continuous learning can be found here.

More information on the Service Centre for Continuous Learning (SECLE) can be found here.

More information on the calls on training programmes and their results can be found through the links below:

Preparation of the social welfare and health care reform in support of implementing the care guarantee

(reference P4C1R1 in the Finnish Recovery and Resilience Plan)

This reform aims to improve the accessibility of health and social services by promoting the implementation of the care guarantee. This reform will: (i) implement the care guarantee and strengthen the delivery of services; (ii) strengthen prevention and early identification of social and health care needs, and (iii) strengthen the knowledge base and improve guidance to support the cost-effectiveness of social and health care digital solutions.

The preparatory phase of this reform sees the entry into force of two legal frameworks (the first on 1 July 2021, and the second in early 2023). These frameworks have provided for the establishment of 22 regional welfare areas in Finland. The health and social services reform restructured the organisation of public healthcare and social welfare in Finland. Rescue services were also restructured as part of the reform. The responsibility for organising healthcare, social welfare and rescue services was transferred from municipalities and joint municipal authorities to wellbeing services counties on 1 January 2023.

The reform will be completed by 30 June 2023.

More information on the reform can be found by following the links below

Collage of three photos of people, a pensioner and carer, two children, a fireman — Copyright: Finnish Government