17.10.2022
Meeting press release of the the Board of the Regional Assembly
At the meeting, Regional Director Pauli Harju announced that he would resign from the position of Regional Director as of 31 March 2023. Harju has led the Regional Council since 2008. The Provincial Government will discuss the resignation and is expected to start the recruitment process for the new Provincial Director at its next meeting on 14 November 2022.
There was a lot of discussion about lobbying. Regional Director Pauli Harju told about the promotion of the energy transition in the Raahe region after the fall of Fennovoima Oy's Hanhikivi nuclear power plant project. Rail traffic as well as the Postal Act and the role of local media in the province were also raised.
Results reported for the 2014-2020 Structural Funds programming period
A report has been prepared on the implementation and results of projects funded by the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia under the Structural Funds Programme 2014-2020. The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia funded ERDF projects that were part of the priorities for the competitiveness of SMEs and the production and use of new knowledge and know-how. The REACT-EU programme, adopted in 2021, supported regions in repairing the damage caused by the COVID-19 crisis. (For more detailed information on the report, please contact the Press Officer Ville Koivuniemi, tel. +358 40 685 4018)
Allocation of regional and structural policy funds for 2022-2024
The Regional Financing Plan 2022-2024 of the EU Regional and Structural Policy Programme 2021-2027 describes the allocation of regional and structural policy funds by priority axis, specific objective and authority. In addition, the plan provides an estimate of municipal funding and other public funding, as well as a possible allocation of funds to trans-regional activities. The JTF financial tables are being prepared for the first time. The implementation of the JTF will not start until 2023. As a result, a total of EUR 88.601 million will be available for JTF allocation in Northern Ostrobothnia next year. The JTF allocation mandate for the whole programming period amounts to EUR 118.523 million, which means that up to 75 % of the JTF funding for the whole programming period is available.
Regional Development Discussions 2023 will take place in February
Regional development debates will be organised in 2023 as thematic debates common to all rather than regional debates. The discussions will take place in February 2023. The parliamentary elections to be held next year will set different framework conditions for discussions than in other years. No new national openings are expected at the end of the government term, and a new regional development decision by the Government will be prepared after the Government Programme formed after the elections in April.
The reunification of the Regional Youth Council is progressing
The Regional Youth Council of Northern Ostrobothnia operates in the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. In order to ensure the participation and influencing opportunities of young people, a youth council or equivalent of the wellbeing services county must be set up in the wellbeing services counties. The North Ostrobothnia Welfare Region and the Regional Council propose the merger of youth councils. A cooperation agreement has been prepared for the dissolution of the current youth council and the establishment of a new youth council, as well as for the work of the youth council, which was approved today by the provincial government for its part. According to the agreement, the activities of the Youth Council of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia will end on 31 December 2022. The current members of the Youth Council of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia will serve as members of the Youth Council of the wellbeing services region to be established on 1 January 2023. Members' current representation and expert duties as well as steering group memberships will be retained.
In brief
- Matti Väänänen was appointed as the representative of the Joint Municipal Authority for Education and Research (JEDU) and Erkki Juola as the deputy representative.
- Carolyn Tourunen was appointed as an alternate member of the North Ostrobothnia Region Cooperation Group of the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK).
- Iina-Lotta Littow was appointed as Kärsämäki's representative to the Northern Ostrobothnia Youth Council and Aatu Kovalainen was appointed as his deputy.
- The third interim report for 2022 was recorded for information. During the period under review, the Union's economy has materialised as planned and there are no significant deviations from the budget.
- The decision was made to approve the invoices for the ENI programme by Programme Director Henna-Mari Laurila and to replace him by Development Director Tiina Rajala.
- The revised teleworking guidelines and the related teleworking agreement were approved for implementation as of 1 November 2022.
- In the spring of 2023, the meetings of the Provincial Government take place on 16 January, Mon 13 February, Mon 13 March, Tue 11 April, Mon 8 May and Mon 5 June. The dates and places of the meetings of the Regional Council and Government are announced on the website of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia.
- The meeting of the Provincial Government in December 2022 will be held on 20 December.
