Applying for the EU’s regional and structural policy funding and implementing projects during programme period 2021–2027 and programme period 2014–2020
Processing of personal data
The project processes of the EU’s regional and structural policy are managed through the EURA 2014 and EURA 2021 systems from applying for funding to payment and recovery. The systems are also used to produce reports for national purposes and purposes required by the European Commission. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment is the controller of personal data.
The EURA 2014 information system is a management system for the funds and projects of the European Social Fund (ESF) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in Finland in the 2014–2020 programme period. The implementation of these projects may continue until 2023.
The EURA 2021 information system is a management system for the funds and projects of the European regional and structural policy (cohesion policy) funds (ERDF, ESF and JTF) in Finland in the 2021–2027 programme period.
Data are obtained primarily from the project applicant/implementer themselves. In addition, data are obtained from the Suomi.fi authentication service of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, the Tuki 2014 system of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, and the Eval system of the Business Finland Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation, the obligation management report app (VHS) maintained by the Tax Administration, as well as the customer information system (ATV) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.
What personal data do we collect in connection with applying for and implementing projects within the EU’s regional and structural policy?
The personal data that are essential for the project process are stored on the project applicants and implementers in the EURA 2014 and EURA 2021 systems. Such data include the name of the project’s contact person, responsible person and project manager, their position in the organisation, email address and phone number, as well as users’ IP addresses.
In addition, the names, citizenship and date of birth of the beneficiaries are stored in the EURA 2021 system. If a person owns more than 25 per cent of the company’s shares directly or indirectly through another company, the names of the owners of the business subsidy applicants and their personal identity code/ID of a foreign national are stored if the company is owned by a private person.
During the 2021–2027 programme period, the following information is stored about the participants of the ESF and JTF projects: the project code; personal identity code; gender; names; address details; email address; participation start date; highest level of education; information about the labour market position on the start date; the participation end date; information about the labour market position on the end date; and information about any degree earned or vocational qualification achieved during the project.
The following personal data are stored in the systems about users that are authorities: user ID; name; date of birth; job title; email address; telephone number; name of organisation; name of location; street address; and IP address.
Some of the data stored in the system are retained permanently pursuant to the Archive Act. The project data are retained in accordance with the systems’ information management plan for a minimum of 20 years from the closing of the project.
What is our data processing based on?
We process your personal data to comply with our statutory obligation or to perform a task concerning the public interest.
The legal basis of the EURA 2014 system is laid down in, among others:
- Regulation No. 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council
- Section 23 of the act on regional development and the funding of structural fund projects (Alueiden kehittämisestä ja rakennerahastohankkeiden rahoittamisesta annettu laki)
- Decree of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment on the Rules of Procedure of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment
The legal basis of the EURA 2021 system is laid down in, among others:
- Article 63 of the Regulation (EU/1060/2021) of the European Parliament and of the Council
- Section 50 of the act on the provision of funding for regional development and the EU cohesion policy’s projects (757/2021)
- Decree of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment on the Rules of Procedure of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment
Disclosure and transfer of personal data
Service providers conduct data transfers in accordance with an agreement pursuant to the General Data Protection Regulation or otherwise in accordance with the requirements of Chapter V of the General Data Protection Regulation.
We may disclose personal data, upon request, in accordance with the Act on the Openness of Government Activities.
We do not disclose your data for direct marketing or market and opinion polls.
For more information about the EURA 2014 and EURA 2021 systems, please contact Keijo Hämäläinen. ([email protected]).
Your data protection rights
Projects funded by the European Social Fund for the 2014–2020 programme period
Processing of personal data
The allocation of funding in accordance with Finland’s programme document, approved by the European Commission, and the implementation of the objectives set for Finland in the programme document are monitored by collecting information about the persons who participated in the projects. Information is therefore collected about the persons who participated in projects funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) in the ESF register. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment is the controller of personal data. The implementation of projects may continue until 2023.
We receive the required information directly from the participating persons through notification forms for the start and end of each measure.
What personal data do we collect in the ESF person register?
In the ESF register, we store the following data concerning the persons who participated in ESF projects: name; personal identity code; address; email address; phone number; details related to dependents and the number of adults living in the household (data were collected until 7 August 2018); foreign origin; minority; disability; the person’s own assessment of their work ability and/or the impacts of the project; and their gender, age, education level and household status.
The data will be retained for the period required by the European Commission. The length of the retention period is determined only after Finland has received the final payment for the 2014–2020 programme period from the EU. It is likely that the data should be retained until 2029.
What is our data processing based on?
We process your personal data to comply with our statutory obligation or to perform a task concerning the public interest.
The provisions on the European Social Fund are laid down in the following, among others:
- The ESF Regulation EU No 1304/2013
- Regulation EU No 1303/2013
Disclosure and transfer of personal data
Service providers conduct data transfers in accordance with an agreement pursuant to Article 28 of the General Data Protection Regulation or otherwise in accordance with the requirements of Chapter V of the General Data Protection Regulation.
Information about the eligibility to assistance under the ESF can be disclosed to TE Offices on request.
We may disclose personal data, upon request, in accordance with the Act on the Openness of Government Activities.
We do not disclose your data for direct marketing or market and opinion polls.
For more information about the ESF person register, please contact Keijo Hämäläinen ([email protected])