Policy Profile Finland
Menu
Policy Profile Finland
Finland is a member state of the European Union and is therefore required to implement all EU directives, laws, regulations and policies, including those related to heritage and culture.
The European Commission has a Representation Office and the European Parliament a Liaison Office, both in Helsinki. The Finish Government has a Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels.
In Finland, the Government and its ministries are responsible for the country’s day-to-day administration and decision-making: policy initiation, planning and implementation. Concerning its cultural framework, it is the Opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriö (OKM) (Ministry of Education and Culture) which is in charge of preparing acts, decrees and decisions, as well as financial matters for artistic and cultural activities, including cultural heritage and cultural environments. It must also ensure that the political decision-makers have all the necessary information at their disposal when making decisions, and represent Finland internationally. The Ministry is divided into 5 departments, including the kulttuuri- ja taidepolitiikan osasto (Department for Art and Cultural Policy) led by the Tiede- ja kulttuuriministeri (Minister of Science and Culture).
The Ministry also guides the activities within its administrative branch, composed of 11 agencies operating in different areas. Concerning the cultural sector, the relevant agencies are: the Kansallisarkisto (National Archives of Finland), the Kansallinen audiovisuaalinen instituutti (National Audiovisual Institute), the Museovirasto (Finnish Heritage Agency), the Suomenlinnan hoitokunta (Governing Body of Suomenlinna), and the Taiteen edistämiskeskus, taideneuvosto, valtion taidetoimikunnat ja alueelliset taidetoimikunnat (Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Central Arts Council, national arts councils, and regional arts councils).
However, the final legislative and budgetary powers rest in the hands of the eduskunta (Parliament of Finland) which oversees the Government’s decisions. It is composed of 16 permanent special committees. The Sivistysvaliokunta (Education and Culture Committee) is responsible for cultural policy issues. However, the Valtiovarainvaliokunta (Finance Committee), with the Valtiovarainministeriö (Ministry of Finance), checks and sets budget proposals and other issues related to budgetary finance of different sectors, including culture through its Sivistys- ja tiedejaosto (Education and Science Division).
While the Government is mainly responsible for national cultural and art institutions, international cultural co-operation, and university level cultural and arts education, the municipalities hold financial responsibility for maintaining performing arts institutions and cultural services locally, as well as primary and secondary cultural education.
There are around 300 municipalities in Finland. They are self-governing entities but can also receive central government subsidies for infrastructure investments. The bodies dealing with cultural matters are the aluehallintovirastot (AVI) (Regional State Administrative Agencies) and the elinkeino-, liikenne- ja ympäristökeskukset (ELY) (Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment).
Services produced by museums, theatres and orchestras are usually local or regional, and there is also a great number of civil society activities going on in the different regions, which are supported by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
View all Finland policies gathered so far
* = This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence
