Digitalising and centralising public administration archiving

A new Archiving Act will be enacted in Finland, bringing public administration archiving into the digital age and centralising permanently preserved electronic data in the National Archives of Finland. The reform makes it easier to find public authority materials and enables municipalities and wellbeing services counties to transfer their electronic archives into the central government's shared repository.

Reforming banking regulation and supervision

Finnish legislation on credit institutions will be brought into line with the EU's latest banking package to improve the stability of the financial system. Banks will face new risk management obligations and supervisory authorities will be granted broader powers.

Restricting activation plans for rehabilitative work

Activation plans for rehabilitative work activities will only be drawn up for unemployed persons whose primary income is social assistance. For recipients of unemployment benefits, services will be organised according to individual need through a multidisciplinary employment plan.

Digitalising and clarifying occupational disease notifications

The obligation of doctors to notify the occupational safety and health authority will be limited to occupational diseases, and notifications will be transmitted electronically via Kanta services. Reporting other work-related illnesses will become voluntary, and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health will receive research data centrally from Kela.

Streamlining further training for nurses

Nurses will be able to qualify as paramedics, midwives and public health nurses through separate supplementary education without completing a second full university of applied sciences degree. Paramedic and public health nurse qualifications can still also be completed directly as an integrated programme in connection with nursing studies.

Permitting wolf hunting

The year-round protection of wolves will be discontinued, and wolf hunting will be permitted during a defined hunting season. Quotas can be set or hunting licences issued for hunting without strict derogation procedures.

Taxing offshore wind in economic zone

Property tax and income tax will be introduced for offshore wind turbines built in Finland's exclusive economic zone, with the majority of the revenue allocated to the state and one-fifth to neighbouring coastal municipalities. At the same time, property tax on offshore wind power will be reduced so that its taxation corresponds better to that of onshore wind power.

Restricting logging during bird nesting season

Obligations and restrictions will be added to the Forest Act and the Nature Conservation Act to safeguard bird nesting in forestry. Timber harvesting will be prohibited during the bird nesting season in lush deciduous-dominated forests, spruce mires and riparian forests, and trees important to birds must be retained during logging.

Supplementing the second 2026 supplementary budget

The Government's supplementary proposal to the second supplementary budget for 2026 (HE 102/2026). It updates the supplementary budget proposal before Parliament decides on it; it will be considered together with the actual supplementary budget.

Clarifying criteria for disability services

A provision will be added to the Disability Services Act to help distinguish the need for assistance typical of a stage of life from a specific need for support resulting from a disability. Disability services will be granted in situations where the need for support differs from that typical of people of the same age and general social services are insufficient.

Tightening taxi sector regulation

Regulation of the taxi sector will be tightened by introducing mandatory taximeters, dedicated taxi registration plates and mandatory training for drivers. At the same time, new criminal convictions will be added as grounds for refusing licences to taxi entrepreneurs and drivers.

Establishing a police reserve

A police reserve will be established in Finland for serious disruptions and emergency conditions. The reserve will consist of police students and police-trained individuals who do not work as police officers.

Facilitating fixed-term employment contracts

Employers will be able to hire a new employee on a fixed-term employment contract for up to one year without a justified reason. In addition, the lay-off notice period will be shortened from 14 days to seven days, and the obligation to re-employ dismissed employees will be removed for businesses with fewer than 50 employees.

Valtion talousarvioksi vuodelle 2027

Supplementary budget for 2026

The supplementary budget for 2026, meaning changes to the central government budget for the current year. The votes mainly concern individual appropriation items and proposals in the opposition's dissenting opinions.

Tackling problems in housing companies

Housing companies will receive better means to tackle nuisances from short-term letting and other housing disruptions, as well as take possession of flats using electronic service of notice. In addition, the controlled winding-down of struggling housing companies will be made lighter, and the division of maintenance responsibilities will be clarified.

Lowering taxes on transport fuels

Taxes on transport fuels will be lowered in 2026 and 2027. The change will reduce the price of petrol and diesel by about three cents per litre.

Opening the gambling market to competition

Finland's gambling system will be partially opened to competition by moving to a licensing system where companies can offer online gambling under a licence granted by the supervisory authority. Part of gambling, such as lotteries and physical slot machines, will remain the exclusive right of the state-owned company Veikkaus.

Speeding up defence plant construction

Permitting and construction of production plants important for national defence, such as ammunition and explosives factories, will be accelerated. New plants can be sited outside detailed plan areas under a separate siting permit without a slow planning process.

Reforming packaging waste regulation and supervision

Finnish legislation will be amended to align with the EU's new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. New financial obligations will be imposed on packaging producers, and the supervisory duties of public authorities will be specified.

Strengthening primary producers' position

Favouring retailers' private labels and unfair contract terms will be prohibited in the food supply chain to protect farmers and food companies. In addition, the protection of suppliers' business information and recipes against demands from buyers will be strengthened.

Demonstrating the sustainability of low-carbon fuels

Finland will introduce a system allowing companies to demonstrate the sustainability of low-carbon fuels and hydrogen as well as greenhouse gas emission reductions of at least 70 per cent. The change will also enable these fuels to be verified as zero-emission in emissions trading.

Expanding disclosure of intelligence information

The Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (Supo) and military intelligence will be permitted to disclose information on suspected serious offences more extensively to the police and other crime prevention authorities. In addition, Supo will be able to disclose information directly to the Nato defence alliance and certain EU bodies.

Stricter penalties for labour exploitation

Penalties for the exploitation of workers will be toughened by introducing new provisions in the Criminal Code on extortion in working life and aggravated extortion in working life. Punishing abuse will no longer require demonstrating grounds for discrimination.

Implementing the European health data space

Finnish legislation will be aligned with the EU's new regulations on the health data space. The transfer and use of citizens' health data between EU countries will be facilitated through the Kanta services, and the Kanta services' Personal Health Record will be discontinued.

Tightening requirements for citizenship

The conditions for obtaining Finnish citizenship will be tightened and the grounds for loss of citizenship expanded. Obtaining citizenship will require, among other things, independent means of support and a longer period of good conduct following offences.

Pledging fishing quotas as loan collateral

Commercial fishers will be able to pledge the rights of use to their fishing quotas as collateral for bank loans for investments. At the same time, the conditions for trap net fishing of Baltic herring will be eased and the forfeiture of fishing rights to the state will be prevented where fishing has been hindered by fishing bans or poor catches.

Introducing digital identity cards and wallets

Finland will introduce a phone-based digital identity card and a European digital identity wallet application. The reform will make it possible to prove identity, manage digital permits and certificates, and provide official electronic signatures using a mobile device.