- Finance Finland is committed to open lobbying and publishes a report of its lobbying activities annually.
- We disclose the names of the political decision-makers we have lobbied in our key priorities. These include members of the Finnish Parliament, ministers and state secretaries to the ministers, members of the EU Parliament and Commission officials.
- The recent launch of the statutory transparency register in Finland sends a strong signal of how highly transparent lobbying is valued.
- The report covers our lobbying activities for the period of July 2023 to March 2024.
The Finnish Transparency Register Act, which entered into force at the start of 2024, obligates all actors that carry out lobbying or lobbying consultancy targeted at the Finnish Parliament and the ministries to register with the Finnish Transparency Register. The first reporting period began on 1 April 2024.
Finance Finland was the first organisation to sign up for the register. Even before this, we were already ahead of the curve with our annual reports of lobbying activities.
Director of Public Affairs Tuomo Yli-Huttula has been actively working on both Finance Finland’s own transparency report and the Finnish Transparency Register as the chair of its Advisory Board. Among the tasks of the Advisory Board are to work on proposals to improve the register and to draw up recommendations for good lobbying practice. The recommendations will be published by mid-year 2024.
“A lobbyist must be very clear on whose interest is being promoted and to what end. Transparency benefits open society and the lobbyist alike: it works to affirm lobbying as a valid and respectable part of democratic law- and decision-making”, Yli-Huttula says.
This is the fourth year Finance Finland publishes its transparency report. The latest report covers the period of July 2023 to March 2024. The names of the persons listed in the lobbying report have been published due to their significant political position.
“A lobbyist must be very clear on whose interest is being promoted and to what end. Transparency benefits open society and the lobbyist alike: it works to affirm lobbying as a valid and respectable part of democratic law- and decision-making”
TUOMO YLI-HUTTULA, Director of Public Affairs
2024 is the year of the EU
This year, Finance Finland’s main lobbying focus is on the European elections held in June. Although the new Finnish act only obliges lobbyists to report their activities in Finland, we consider it important to also disclose its lobbying activities in Brussels. Finance Finland is a long-time member of the EU Transparency Register.
“In our transparency report, we want to go over and beyond the minimum and also disclose the members of Parliament and Commission officials we have met”, says Yli-Huttula.
Finance Finland is also increasing its presence in Brussels this year. In March, the organisation appointed Miikkael Azaize as its new Head of EU Affairs. From June onwards, Azaize will be posted at the Brussels office shared by Nordic financial sector organisations. The majority of financial sector legislation is created in the EU, so it is important to have someone follow the ins and outs of decision-making and network right at the heart of things.
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