Abolishing regional sports councils
Act repealing section 7 of the Sports Act
Regional sports councils will be abolished as a result of the reform of central government regional administration. Regional administration of sports matters will be centralised in the national Licensing and Supervisory Agency without separate regional expert bodies.
- Status
- Passed
- Submitted
- 12 Mar 2026
- Latest event
- 30 Apr 2026
- Votes
- 2
- Speeches
- 44
- Confirmed
- 29 May 2026
- Statute
- 452/2026
- Source
- eduskunta.fi ↗
What is proposed
The section concerning the regional sports council will be repealed from the Sports Act, ending the activities of six regional sports councils. The division of duties and administration will be adapted to the structure of the new national Licensing and Supervisory Agency, which replaced the previous Regional State Administrative Agencies.
What it means
The amendment will enter into force in spring 2026 and will abolish the expert duties of 73 council members. The reform will bring the central government direct annual savings of approximately 25,000 euros in meeting costs and will free up around 0.4 person-years of civil servants' working time for other tasks. Opinions on municipal sports facility construction grant projects will be requested directly from regional councils, and regional expertise will be safeguarded through the multi-locational personnel of the Licensing and Supervisory Agency.
How Parliament voted
2nd reading · 28 Apr 2026Parliament passed the act by 153–26.
Only the Centre against. 20 MPs were absent. Minutes ↗
Filled dot = yes, ring = no, grey = absent. Point at a dot to see the MP. Seats follow the current seating plan (updated 18 Sep 2026).
A passed act does not enter into force immediately: the President of the Republic confirms it, and it enters into force on the date set in the act. This act was confirmed on 29 May 2026.
Debate in the chamber
What was argued and where each group stood, followed by MPs' speeches verbatim from the parliamentary record. Speeches are shown in their original language.
44 speeches · 3 debates
Key points of the debate
The debate centred on the abolition of regional sports councils as part of the overall reform of central government regional administration. The government parties considered the reform a necessary clarification and streamlining of administration, transferring resources from structures to the promotion of physical activity itself. In the opposition, the proposal raised concerns about the loss of regional expertise and the centralisation of decision-making.
- Will abolishing the councils weaken regional expertise and participation?
- Should the councils have been developed as expert networks instead of being abolished?
- Will the statements of regional councils and the agency's multi-locational presence ensure sufficient regional knowledge?
- National Coalition PartyIn favour
The reform modernises and streamlines administrative processes without cumbersome council structures. Regional expertise and perspectives will be preserved as the competence of officials and the consultation procedures of regions are safeguarded.
”Ydinviesti tässä olisi ehkä se, että 2020-luvun yhteistyötä ei tehdä 1990-luvun rakenteilla.”
— Sinuhe Wallinheimo - Finns PartyIn favour
It is justified to cut back administration and bureaucracy so that resources can be transferred from meeting structures directly to promoting practical exercise and functional capacity.
”Tarvitsemme siis vähemmän hallintoa ja enemmän liikettä, vähemmän rakenteita ja enemmän tekoja.”
— Jaana Strandman - Christian DemocratsIn favour
The proposal clarifies administration and eliminates unnecessary overlapping regional structures with the new central agency. Regional expertise will be ensured through the agency's multi-locational presence and opinions from regional councils.
”Esityksen tavoitteena on selkeyttää hallintoa ja päivittää liikuntalaki vastaamaan uuden Lupa- ja valvontaviraston todellista tehtävä- ja ohjausrakennetta.”
— Mika Poutala - Social DemocratsIn favour with reservations
The group took a reserved view of the reform and was concerned about how local knowledge, cross-municipal cooperation and the regional voice can be safeguarded in practice when the councils are removed.
”Vaikka hallinnon uudistamisen tavoitteet ovat ymmärrettäviä, esitetty malli vaarantaa alueellisen asiantuntemuksen ja osallisuuden.”
— Lotta Hamari - Centre PartyAgainst
Abolishing the councils is harmful centralisation policy that eradicates a cross-administrative expert network and jeopardises regional equality in sports facility construction.
”Keskustan sivistysvaliokuntaryhmä ei kannata hallituksen esitystä alueellisten liikuntaneuvostojen lakkauttamisesta.”
— Markku Siponen
This digest was generated by AI from 44 speeches 13 Sep 2026. Group positions are read from the speeches, not from votes; quotations were checked verbatim against the record.
Keskustelu päättyi. Asia lähetettiin sivistysvaliokuntaan.
Yleiskeskustelu päättyi. Eduskunta hyväksyi hallituksen esitykseen HE 23/2026 vp sisältyvän lakiehdotuksen sisällön mietinnön mukaisena. Lakiehdotuksen ensimmäinen käsittely päättyi.
Keskustelu päättyi ja asian käsittely keskeytettiin.
Stages of consideration
The bill's path from the preliminary debate to the decision, as recorded by Parliament.
- 12 Mar 2026Eduskuntakäsittelyn vireilletulo · Opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriö
- 18 Mar 2026Lähetekeskustelu · Täysistunto
- 16 Apr 2026Valiokunnan mietintö tai lausunto · sivistysvaliokunta
- 22 Apr 2026Ensimmäinen käsittely · Täysistunto
- 29 Apr 2026Toinen käsittely · Täysistunto
- 29 Apr 2026Eduskunnan vastaus ja kirjelmä
Decisions by law proposal1
- 1Laki liikuntalain 7 §:n kumoamisestaHyväksytty · 452/2026 · 29 May 2026
Proposed law text
The law proposals in the bill as the Government presented them. The final act may differ after committee consideration.
The law text is shown in Finnish or Swedish from Parliament's official documents; it is not translated into English.
Laki liikuntalain 7 §:n kumoamisesta
Eduskunnan päätöksen mukaisesti säädetään:
1 §
Tällä lailla kumotaan liikuntalain (390/2015) 7 §, sellaisena kuin se on osaksi laissa 618/2025.
2 §
Tämä laki tulee voimaan päivänä kuuta 20 .
Main content of the bill (official)
The summary and title were produced with AI on 25 Aug 2026. They are not official documents – check the details in the original bill. The title and summaries are machine translations of the Finnish AI summaries. Speeches and quotations are always shown in their original language.