Minister of Economic Affairs Wille Rydman will attend the European Commission’s Cohesion Forum in Brussels on 11–12 April 2024. The 9th Cohesion Forum will discuss the importance of the European Union’s cohesion policy for the wellbeing of regions and their inhabitants.

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.

The EU ministers responsible for competitiveness will meet at informal meetings in Stockholm in early February 2023. Thematically, the internal market and industrial policy meeting will focus on the ongoing debate on the EU economy and global competitiveness, especially as concerns the internal market and green transition. The research and innovation meeting will discuss research infrastructures and scientific publication.

The Commission will have extensive powers to investigate the effects of subsidies from third countries on the internal market. In addition, the Commission must be notified in advance of major acquisitions and public procurement contracts. The aim is to ensure a level playing field for companies in the EU’s internal market. The regulation entered into force on 12 January 2023 and its application will begin in stages. 

On 12 May 2022, the European Commission decided that the more flexible state aid rules that were introduced to mitigate the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic would largely end on 30 June 2022. The decision was based on the Commission’s assessment that the coronavirus pandemic no longer has a negative impact on the EU economy. However, the measures under the temporary state aid rules to support the recovery of the EU will remain in force until the end of 2022 and 2023.