Application of SGEI regulation in Finland

So far, the use of the general SGEI legislation has been limited in Finland. In practice, it has only been applied at national level based on special legislation. The following website includes information on all arrangements in accordance with the European Commission’s SGEI Decision as reported to the Commission by Finland and the other EU Member States.

The same website also includes the Commission’s SGEI Guide.

SGEI legislation can be applied at local, regional and national level. The guide “Service obligation in rural areas – a tool for providing SGEI” (only available in Finnish and Swedish) contains useful information on assigning service obligations at the municipal level.

Division of duties in the regulation of SGEI

The authority in charge of an aid measure is responsible for determining whether it falls within the scope of SGEI legislation. The Ministry of Employment and the Economy is responsible for overall coordination. 

The Ministry coordinates the preparation of the country report that Finland has to submit to the Commission every other year under the SGEI Decision (2012/21/EU) and participates in the development of regulation in the field within the EU institutions. The Ministry is also responsible for the State aid notification procedure, including aid measures that require prior notification to the Commission under the SGEI Framework (2012/C8/03).

The European Commission has exclusive competence to assess the compatibility of EU State aid regulation. The Commission may intervene in “manifest” errors in SGEI arrangements, assessing whether the nature of the service in question meets the SGEI criteria or whether the compensation has been excessive. 

Further information: elisa.fagerstrom(at)gov.fi and samuli.miettinen(at)gov.fi