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Regional development discussions between the regions and the Government will take place in March 2025 . The regional development situation and development picture, which was prepared in late 2024, serves as a starting point for regional development discussions between the state and the regions. On Wednesday 15 January 2025, the Regional Director presented the situational picture of Northern Ostrobothnia to the representatives of the Government. The themes were population development, unemployment, RDI expenditure, energy transition and accessibility. The situation and development picture is a key part of the dialogue between the regions and the Government in regional development. The aim is that the situation and development picture work will bring added value to all parties involved in the preparation and enable the regional synergies of actions in different administrative sectors to be examined. The situation and development picture is based on both quantitative statistical data and qualitative expert analyses, and it was developed together in cooperation with experts from the Regional Regional Assembly of Finland and the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Northern Ostrobothnia.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has set up fourteen project teams to coordinate current issues and initiatives. The aim of the project groups is to ensure the preparation and political guidance of the initiatives from planning to implementation. Each group shall be chaired by a member of the Commission, who shall be responsible for carrying out the mandate of the group. The project teams cover a wide range of areas, including clean industry, artificial intelligence, foreign affairs, economic security, defence union and affordable housing. The groups are designed to broadly reflect the responsibilities of the College of Commissioners and reflect von der Leyen’s political guidelines. Finnish Commissioner Henna Virkkunen leads a working group focusing on artificial intelligence. Project groups are initially planned for a one-year period, but their term of office may be extended or renewed as necessary.

The statutory evaluation of the regional programmes for Northern Finland was completed in December 2024. The external evaluation carried out by Owal Group Oy examined the realisation and impact of the objectives of four regional programmes - Northern Ostrobothnia, Kainuu, Central Ostrobothnia and Lapland - in 2022-2025 and formed development recommendations on the priorities of the future regional programme. The evaluation also includes development proposals for the regional programmes to be drawn up for 2026-2029. The proposals include recommendations common to all four regions as well as regional recommendations. Representatives of regional Regional Assemblys, parties involved in the implementation of regional programmes and key stakeholders were extensively consulted. Views were collected through expert and stakeholder interviews, an electronic questionnaire for a wider group of stakeholders, and joint and regional workshops where the findings of the evaluation were worked on and developed further. The evaluation was carried out by the Owal Group in autumn 2024. Evaluation results and development proposals The regional programme works…

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The Advisory Board of Eastern and Northern Finland met on Thursday 19 December 2024 in Helsinki. The meeting resulted in a joint statement on the future financing model of the European Union. The common intention of the regions of Eastern and Northern Finland is that the principle of area-based development will be safeguarded also after 2028. The European Commission is preparing to present a proposal for a new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) in spring 2025. The Commission's aim is to move from the current funding package of more than 500 funding programmes to a model of 27 funding programmes. That is, one plan per Member State, including all funds allocated nationally. There would also be one Interreg programme for the whole of Europe. The aim of the amendments is administrative simplification. The Advisory Board of Eastern and Northern Finland welcomes the fact that the EU is developing and reforming funding models. On the other hand, the Advisory Board does not consider the development of the implementation of cohesion policy… to be good.

The Northern Ostrobothnia Regional Youth Regional Assembly convened for the Nominating Meeting of the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region on Wednesday, 11 December 2024. The meeting was chaired by Liina Mäkelä, Chair of the Regional Youth Regional Assembly, from Oulainen. At its meeting, the Regional Youth Regional Assembly focused on the ways and forms of influencing. Alma Jokinen from the Baltic Sea Region Youth Forum gave a presentation on the Baltic Sea Region Youth Forum and international youth engagement. Jokinen introduced organisations that open up places of international Influencing for young people. In particular, he emphasised the need for representatives from Northern Finland in various forums and encouraged youth delegates to apply boldly for various positions. Marjo Riitta Tervonen, Director of Cooperation, presented Pohtinen's measures to promote the Participation and Inclusion of young people. The members of the Regional Youth Regional Assembly were also able to directly Influencing the scenario work of the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region. The Regional Regional Assembly's R&D Manager Mikko Väisänen and Senior Specialist Ari Näpänkangas conducted a workshop where young people were able to express their views on the Regional Regional Assembly's scenario options for 2050. Väisänen told that the results of the workshop…

On Wednesday, 11 December, the Finance Committee decided on the targets for so-called Parliament's Christmas gift money. The municipalities of Northern Ostrobothnia will receive a total of approximately EUR 3 million in Christmas gift money, most of which will be allocated to transport projects. Among the road projects that have received funding is the Salonpää underpass in Varjakka, Oulunsalo. Other road projects can also be implemented thanks to the allocation funds, such as the Jokiniihour light traffic route in Alavieska. “Transport projects are the most presented as Christmas gift money projects, and their funding is thus the most competitive nationwide. We can be satisfied in cooperation with the funding received for the region, for which we thank our Members of Parliament from the region," says Jussi Rämet, Regional Director, and continues: "There is still work to be done to finance the major infrastructure projects in Northern Ostrobothnia. The national Transport 12 plan and the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency's annual investment programme are a channel through which major transport projects can be mobilised and financed by the state …

The Regional Assembly of Oulu Region continues its active work as the coordinator of the EUSBSR Policy Area Tourism in cooperation in cooperation with the Pomorskie Region of Poland. The The Regional Regional Assembly received a positive funding decision for a two-year project under the Baltic Sea Interreg programme on 14 November 2024. The Baltic Sea Strategy's tourism policy area actively coserve ass in cooperation with tourism projects in the Baltic Sea region. The coordinators support those applying for funding in both the application and implementation phases. In addition, the coordinators collaborate in cooperation with funding programmes and share news in the project's newsletter and social media channels. The last call for applications for the Baltic Interreg programme ended in November 2024, when the programme monitoring committee decided to fund a total of 21 projects. Among them is the CliNeDest tourism project led by Visit Tampere. More information on the funded projects can be found on the website of the Interreg Baltic Sea Programme. The next call for funding under the Baltic Sea Interreg programme is …

By working closely in cooperation with organisations, municipalities can gain significant benefits for the provision of services, as well as for increasing vitality and the well-being of their residents.   “We need to invest more in the development of cooperation now that the business environment of municipalities has changed dramatically and the economic situation has tightened. That is why we set out in the Northern Ostrobothnia NGO Advisory Board to draw up guidelines for municipalities to strengthen cooperation," says Esa Aunola, Chair of the NGO Advisory Board and Executive Director of the Northern Ostrobothnia Village Regional Regional Assembly.  The guidelines are a concrete list of five measures.  Associate person: A person responsible for organisational cooperation is appointed in the municipality, and his/her role and resources are clearly defined.   Use of facilities: The municipality provides organisations in cooperation with free and accessible facilities for activities of general interest on the basis of fair and transparent principles.  Grants: Organisational grants are seen as an investment in the well-being and vitality of the municipality. The application processes are made clear and…

The eighth application period for ERDF projects for the 2021-2027 programming period of the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region has closed on 30 November 2024. During the application period, 55 new applications were received by the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region. The applications sought funding from the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region totalling approximately EUR 18.41 million. The solutions for applications progressing to positive further processing will be received in February 2025. The next call is planned to open in March 2024. The timetable for the application period and the specific objectives to be opened will be specified during the winter.