Preparations for the EU programming period starting in 2028 started
Last year, the regions of Eastern and Northern Finland decided to organise themselves regionally to prepare for the future EU programming period. In order to start the preparations, funding for the two-year AKKE project was applied for in the spring.
The Regional Council of Lapland, the Regional Council of Kainuu, the Regional Council of Central Ostrobothnia, the Regional Council of North Savo, the Regional Council of South Savo and the Regional Council of North Karelia, as well as the Regional Council of North Ostrobothnia, which coordinates the work, participate in the preparation. Hanna Honkamäkilä is the project manager and the Secretary General responsible for the preparation of the 2028+ programme in Eastern and Northern Finland.
The need for coordinated preparation is based on the needs identified in the region and, in particular, on the recommendations of the OECD report on the northern sparsely populated region. The aim of the project is to organise regional preparation and agree on the principles of programming. The preparation is carried out in accordance with the partnership principle, so that each regional council is responsible, as a regional development authority, for the involvement of stakeholders in its area.
European Commission proposes major overhaul of EU budget
In July, the European Commission published its proposal for the multiannual financial framework (MFF) for the period 2028-2034. The Commission proposes to merge the Regional Development Fund, the Social Fund, the Agricultural Guarantee Fund and the Rural Development Fund, the Fisheries Fund and the Home Affairs Funds into a single major fund.
The proposal cuts cohesion funding and agriculture by about 20% compared to current levels and increases competitiveness funding by about 20%. The proposal represents a significant redistribution of funding within the EU and geographically.
The Commission also proposes that future EU funding should be based on programmes that include reforms and investments. Funding for final beneficiaries, i.e. project operators, would be based on a performance-based approach. The EU would disburse funding against implemented plans and results, not on the basis of actual costs and receipts.
Impact on regional development and financing
The Commission proposes that each Member State draw up its own plan for the use of the money from the Grand Fund. The member country's own plan is called the national and regional partnership plan, the abbreviation of which is NRPP.
Finland would contribute a total of EUR 9.7 billion to the new fund between 2028 and 2034. This includes the €1.6 billion earmarked in the Commission's proposal for border management and home affairs and €4.8 billion for direct income support for agriculture.
The remaining EUR 3 billion could be used for cohesion policy, the Social Fund, rural development and other mandatory 30 specific objectives listed in the Regulation.
Until now, the EU Commission's proposal has always included special funding for northern sparsely populated areas (NSPA) based on Finland's Accession Treaty, but now it is not presented separately in the budget.
The future EU budget will continue to provide robust support to northern sparsely populated regions, taking into account their specific needs and challenges, such as natural and demographic handicaps, in particular in terms of connectivity and accessibility. NSPA support has a strong contract law and social foundation, and Eastern and Northern Finland is seeking its continuation.
