On 12 February 2024, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment published a report on the changes to the distribution obligation of transport fuels. AFRY Management Consulting Oy produced the report on behalf of the Ministry. The report’s purpose was to evaluate the effects of the proposed changes to the distribution obligation outlined in the Government Programme.

Together with 14 other Member States, Finland has published views on the development of the EU Single Market in the coming years. The European Commission and EU Member States agree that the Single Market faces increasing expectations, including due to the digital and green transitions.

The price of exchange electricity – the spot price of electricity sold on the power exchange – will rise to record levels on Friday 5 January 2024. Even at its lowest, the hourly changing price of electricity, including the Finnish value added tax, will be more than a euro per kilowatt-hour (kWh) between 6.00 and 21.00 and more than two euros between 15.00 and 20.00.

The implementation of the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will begin on 1 October. CBAM is a new kind of EU policy tool that imposes an emissions-based price on certain products from outside the EU equivalent to that imposed by the EU emissions trading scheme on similar products manufactured in the Union.

Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, approximately one third of the energy used in Finland was imported from Russia. That share was reduced almost to zero in a few months, and the energy war launched by Russia increased consumer prices remarkably. As the energy markets have changed, it is the time to look how Russian energy was replaced and what more permanent effects trade changes will have, writes Director General Riku Huttunen in his column.