Minister Haatainen to meet Commissioner Breton
Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen will meet Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner for the Internal Market, in Helsinki on 6 February 2023. They will discuss the functioning of the internal market and the state aid rules.
In response to the new US climate legislation, which provides subsidies to clean energy, the European Commission recently proposed that the EU create an industrial programme to speed up the green transition, release funds from existing EU funds and introduce new support instruments. The Commission provided more details on its Green Deal Industrial Plan last week.
Finland has taken a critical view of the Commission’s proposals to relax the state aid rules and has communicated this view to the Commission together with nine other Member States. Finland’s position on EU state aid has been consistent in the past years. In Finland’s view, more flexible rules are a temporary instrument for urgent crisis management, and it is important to allocate the support correctly.
“Instead of creating new support instruments, we must ensure that the EU is the best place for companies to invest. This can be achieved with the help of skilled labour, innovations and high technological expertise,” says Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen.
During the visit, Breton will also meet Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka, Nokia’s chief executive officer Pekka Lundmark and management of space technology company Iceye. In addition, he will give a speech at the launch event of Business Finland’s new 6G Bridge Program named Elements of 6G Unleashed.
Inquiries:
Piritta Jokelainen, Special Adviser to the Minister of Employment, tel. +358 295 047 353
Leila Vilhunen, Adviser to the Minister of Employment (EU and international affairs), tel. +358 295 047 120