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Rescue services reform aimed at improving services Under the Act on Organising Rescue Services, adopted in June 2021, the wellbeing services counties and the City of Helsinki are responsible for organising rescue services from the beginning of 202...

Rescue service operators and responsibilities Rescue departments carry out rescue service duties in their respective regions There are 21 regional rescue departments in Finland. Rescue departments carry out rescue service duties in their respectiv...

13.5.2026 | The rescEU Medical Stockpile hosted in Finland reached its full material readiness at the end of April. All products specified in the original plan have now been purchased and stored and they are ready to go. The project was completed on schedule, thanks to seamless cooperation among the different parties.

Joint EU reserve: rescEU The European Union’s rescEU system consists of reserves designed to prepare for various disasters. There are two rescEU stockpiles in Finland: the rescEU CBRN Stockpile , which prepares for chemical (C), biological (B), ra...

Whistleblower protection Whistleblower protection safeguards people who report certain types of misconduct. In this case, a ‘whistleblower’ is a person who, in the course of their work, discovers a breach of European Union or national law concerni...

10.12.2025 | An independent group of experts has conducted a broad-based interim evaluation of the wellbeing services county reform, which was published on 10 December. Minister of Social Affairs and Health Kaisa Juuso, Minister of Local and Regional Government Anna-Kaisa Ikonen and Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen consider the findings valuable.

Questions and answers on gambling system reform General information on the gambling system reform Why switch over to a licensing system and retain a partial monopoly system instead of, for example, strengthening the current system based on the Vei...

10.12.2025 | The wellbeing services county reform is progressing towards the set objectives throughout Finland, but there are still many issues left to address. This is according to a broad-based interim evaluation of the wellbeing services county reform made by an independent expert group.

5.9.2025 | Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen and Minister of Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen met with public authorities and experts on 5 September to discuss the synthetic drug alpha-PVP. The discussions highlighted that the spread of alpha-PVP is a complex problem and tackling it requires broad-based cooperation.

2.9.2025 | The Government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has reached a decision on its budget proposal for 2026. The Government’s decisions aim to support economic growth, which is picking up. Supporting economic growth and continuing responsible fiscal management is necessary to ensure the security of people in Finland and safeguard their access to important services going forward.

23.6.2021 | The Government proposal for legislation on establishing wellbeing services counties and reforming the organisation of healthcare, social welfare and rescue services was adopted by Parliament on 23 June 2021. The proposed wellbeing services counties will be established as soon as possible after the passing and approval of the relevant acts. The acts will enter into force in stages, the first ones on 1 July 2021 and the last ones on 1 January 2023.

3.9.2024 | The 2025 budget proposal of Prime Minister Orpo's Government bolsters conditions for economic growth. Economic growth driven by the private sector will also serve to secure the financing base for central government finances. The fast-acting measures to curb indebtedness that were decided on due to the difficult situation in central government finances will move forward.

8.12.2020 | The Government proposes that wellbeing services counties be established and healthcare, social welfare and rescue services be reformed. The proposed counties would be established as soon as possible after the passing and approval of the relevant bills. The bills would enter into force in stages, the first ones on 1 July 2021 and the last ones on 1 January 2023. However, Parliament needs to pass the legislative package before the reform can enter into force.

5.6.2020 | The Government has finalised the policy outlines for the health and social services reform, on the basis of which preparations for the reform will continue. The aim is to circulate the draft bills on the restructuring of health and social services for comments in June.

13.10.2020 | The Ministerial Working Group on Health and Social Services has reviewed the opinions submitted in the round of comments held from 15 June to 25 September 2020 on its draft government proposal. As a result, the Government has made a number of policy adjustments and amendments to the draft. A total of 804 comments were received. The draft proposal will be submitted to the Finnish Council of Regulatory Impact Analysis on 14 October 2020 and presented to Parliament in early December 2020.

5.6.2020 | On 5 June, the Government published its policy on the reform of rescue services. The Government proposes that the responsibility for organising rescue services would rest with health and social services counties and the City of Helsinki. Rescue services would continue to be a separate sector working in parallel with the healthcare and social welfare sector.

21.10.2020 | A summary of comments received on the draft government proposal on the organisation of health, social and rescue services is published. Respondents welcome the objectives of the reform and agree on its necessity.

20.12.2023 | Additional common EU reserves will be established in Finland. The new reserves will contain supplies such as medicines, medical supplies and medical devices, and they are part of the rescEU project. Finland has received a total of EUR 305 million in funding from the European Commission for the establishment of the reserves

15.6.2020 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of the Interior request comments on the draft government proposal concerning the health and social services reform and the organisation of rescue services from the municipalities and joint municipal authorities of mainland Finland and other parties mentioned in the request for comments. The deadline for submitting comments is 25 September 2020.

8.4.2022 | On assignment by the Government, the Finnish Immigration Service has prepared a procedure where persons in temporary protection are granted the reception services they need without municipalities establishing a reception centre. Municipalities will receive compensation from the central government for providing the agreed services.