Finland hit the counter with a list of demands for the EU – At the top is the restoration regulation of more than half a billion euros

Prime minister Petteri Orpon The government led by (kok) has submitted to the Commission a 43-item list of EU regulations that Finland wants to lighten or simplify. The goal is to change especially regulations that cause unreasonable costs for companies, industry and the economy.

The list sent on Thursday is also part of the preparation for the European Council to be held in March, where competitiveness and the functioning of the internal market are at the center.

Along with the list for the chairman of the commission Ursula von der Leyenille Orpo’s letter also went out, in which Finland emphasizes the need to strengthen the operating environment of European companies.

According to Orpo, Europe needs to lighten the administrative burden on companies so that the Union can succeed in global competition. According to him, Finland wants to be actively involved in mitigation efforts, and therefore wants to highlight regulations that cause unreasonable costs for companies and industry.

The extensive list of reductions was compiled from the ministries’ proposals at Orpo’s request. Each ministry examined the EU regulation of its own administrative area, especially from the point of view of companies, and identified rules that are overlapping, difficult to interpret or lead to exceptionally high costs.

Restore setting at the tip

In his letter, Orpo highlighted Finland’s special concern about the nature restoration regulation approved in 2024, which Finland estimates to be exceptionally expensive to implement.

This is because there are many forests, marshes and water bodies in Finland that are covered by the restoration decree.

Relatively speaking, the costs for Finland are the highest in the EU. According to the Commission’s estimate, they would be around 0.39 percent of the gross domestic product. The amount would be approximately EUR 500–700 million per year.

Finland requires the Commission to simplify the regulation and minimize the administrative burden.

Laundry list

In addition to the restoration decree, Finland also presents relief for several other sectors.

With regard to digital regulation, Finland considers that the EU’s data, artificial intelligence and data protection legislation has grown heavy and partially overlapping. That’s why the government demands, in particular, the dismantling of obligations that overlap with the EU data protection regulation (gdpr) and the lightening of the burden on SMEs.

In terms of environmental and circular economy regulation, the requests for lightening are aimed at, among other things, the packaging and packaging waste regulation, the waste directive and the single-use plastic directive. The government emphasizes that the goals of the green transition can be promoted with regulation that is clearer, more predictable and less administratively burdensome than the current regulation.

Finland also proposes easing the regulation of defense procurement, so that processes can be accelerated and the production of the defense industry can be increased quickly, which is important in the current security situation.

Finland also wants clarification regarding the regulation of financial services: the goal is to reduce the number of reporting obligations and clarify delegated regulations without jeopardizing investor protection or sustainability goals.

Preemptive influence

The Commission is currently preparing new, so-called omnibus packages aimed at simplifying EU regulation and easing the administrative burden on companies.

The government wants to influence the content of the simplification proposals by submitting its own proposals in advance. In addition, the government intends to continue discussions with the commission during the spring.