Priorities for development in Western Finland

Finland has launched an EU regional and structural policy programme, Innovation and Skills in Finland 2021−2027, which includes measures of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and the Just Transition Fund (JTF). The programme applies to continental Finland. Åland has its own programme.

The regions’ own regional programmes and priorities in smart specialisation play a key role in the policy programme’s implementation. Smart specialisation carries increasing weight, and in some projects, addressing it is a prerequisite for funding. You can read more about the regional priorities on the regions’ pages.

Regional cooperation groups

Each region has a statutory regional cooperation group, which coordinates structural fund activities in the region. The group also supervises and monitors the systematic implementation of structural fund programmes. Composed of representatives of central organisations, the region’s authorities and municipalities, the regional cooperation group makes decisions on projects related to the EU’s regional and structural policy programme. The cooperation group’s secretariat prepares matters handled by the cooperation group and makes independent decisions on some of the issues. The regional board appoints the cooperation group for the term of the local councils.