COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2025 Rule of Law Report Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Finland Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2025 Rule of Law Report The rule of law situation in the European Union
Date: 2025-07-08
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: Finland, administrative transparency, corruption, democracy, freedom of the press, human rights, independence of the judiciary, pluralism in the media, rule of law, whistleblowing

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Strasbourg, 8.7.2025  SWD(2025) 926 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2025 Rule of Law Report                                Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Finland Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2025 Rule of Law Report                                  The rule of law situation in the European Union {COM(2025) 900 final} - {SWD(2025) 901 final} - {SWD(2025) 902 final} - {SWD(2025) 903 final} - {SWD(2025) 904 final} - {SWD(2025) 905 final} - {SWD(2025) 906 final} - {SWD(2025) 907 final} - {SWD(2025) 908 final} - {SWD(2025) 909 final} - {SWD(2025) 910 final} - {SWD(2025) 911 final} - {SWD(2025) 912 final} - {SWD(2025) 913 final} - {SWD(2025) 914 final} - {SWD(2025) 915 final} - {SWD(2025) 916 final} - {SWD(2025) 917 final} - {SWD(2025) 918 final} - {SWD(2025) 919 final} - {SWD(2025) 920 final} - {SWD(2025) 921 final} - {SWD(2025) 922 final} - {SWD(2025) 923 final} - {SWD(2025) 924 final} - {SWD(2025) 925 final} - {SWD(2025) 927 final} - {SWD(2025) 928 final} - {SWD(2025) 929 final} - {SWD(2025) 930 final} - {SWD(2025) 931 final}  
 
 
ABSTRACT 

The level of perceived judicial independence in  Finland continues to be very high. The 
working  group  aiming  to  strengthen  the  independence  of  the  justice  system  proceeded 
with  their  work,  and  limited  steps  were  taken  on  the  issue  of  the  appointment  of  lay 
judges.  The  reliance  on  the  appointment  of  non-permanent  judges  is  a  concern  for 
stakeholders. The Government took steps to strengthen victim protection in the context of 
alternative  dispute  resolution  in  criminal  cases.  The  project  of  digitalising  case 
management for general courts was concluded in 2024, with a further development of the 
system ongoing. The level of legal aid fees for private legal practitioners was increased. 
While the justice system functions efficiently overall, the latest figures indicate a slight 
increase in the length of proceedings in certain areas. 

The perception among experts, citizens and business executives is that Finland is one of 
the least corrupt countries in the world. The new anti-corruption Action Plan for 2024–
2027 was approved in 2025. Cooperation between the police and prosecution continues 
smoothly, with adequate resources allowing them to efficiently perform their tasks. The 
government  is  planning  to  propose  legislation  to  criminalise  trading  in  influence  and 
revise the foreign bribery offence once the proposed EU Directive against corruption is 
agreed. Further initiatives are taking place to potentially further strengthen the integrity 
framework  for  Ministers  with  a  Code  of  Conduct.  The  Transparency  Register  Act  is 
reported  to  function  well.  A  legislative  proposal  on  limiting  ‘revolving  doors’  for 
Ministers  has  been  submitted  to  Parliament  and  legislative  amendments  on  developing 
transparency in political party financing legislation entered into force. New initiatives are 
aimed at tackling corruption risks in the public procurement area, which remains a high-
risk area for corruption, just as urban and land use planning. 

The national  media regulatory authorities are undergoing structural  changes while their 
independence  remains  stable.  The  updates  of  ethical  rules  for  the  press  have  started  to 
apply  and  the  self-regulatory  Finnish  Council  for  Mass  Media  continues  to  deal  with  a 
high number of complaints about journalistic ethics. The government has proposed new 
legislation to further strengthen the independence of the public service media while also 
reducing  its  funding.  Some  steps  have  been  made  to  strengthen  the  right  of  access  to 
information. The framework for the protection of journalists has remained stable. 

The  law-making  process  is  overall  inclusive,  though  stakeholders  highlight  areas  for 
improvement,  such  as  ensuring  that  the  minimum  length  of  consultation  periods  is 
observed  in  practice.  The  civil  society  framework  remains  open,  although  some 
stakeholders  continue  to  report  a  change  in  the  narrative  concerning  the  role  of  civil 
society actors.  

 
 
 
 
RECOMMENDATIONS 

Overall, concerning the recommendations in the 2024 Rule of Law Report, Finland has 
(made): 

•  Fully  implemented  the  recommendation  to  continue  the  work  of  the  working  group 
‘Rule  of  Law  Guarantees  and  Development  of  the  Judicial  System’  with  a  view  to 
strengthen  the  independence  of  the  justice  system  and  increase  the  quality  of  legal 
protection.   

•  Limited  progress  on  reforming  the  appointment  of  lay  judges,  taking  into  account 

European standards on judicial independence. 

•  Limited  progress  on  adopting  legislation  on  trading  in  influence  and  proposing  a 

revision on the criminal offence of foreign bribery. 

•  Limited  progress  on  strengthening  the  integrity  and  accountability  framework 
applicable  to  ministers  and  other  persons  entrusted  with  top  executive  functions  by 
adopting a code of conduct for them. 

•  Some  further  progress  on  further  advancing  with  the  reform  of  the  Act  on  the 
Openness  of  Government  Activities  to  ensure  effective  and  wider  access  to 
documents  taking  into  account  the  European  standards  on  access  to  official 
documents. 

On  this  basis,  and  considering  other  developments  that  took  place  in  the  period  of 
reference, it is recommended to Finland to: 

•  Advance the reform of the appointment of lay judges, taking into account European 

standards on judicial independence.  

•  Take forward the revision of the criminal offence of foreign bribery.     
•  Continue efforts to strengthen the integrity and accountability framework applicable 
to  ministers and other persons entrusted with  top executive functions by adopting a 
code of conduct for them.   

•  Advance  with  the  reform  of  the  Act  on  the  Openness  of  Government  Activities  to 
ensure effective access to documents taking into account the European standards on 
access to official documents.   

 
 
 
 
 
I. 

JUSTICE SYSTEM1 

Independence  

The  level  of  perceived  judicial  independence  in  Finland  continues  to  be  very  high 
among both the general public and companies. Overall, 89% of the general population 
and  90%  of  companies  perceived  the  level  of  independence  of  courts  and  judges  to  be 
‘fairly  or  very  good’  in  20252.  The  perceived  judicial  independence  among  the  general 
public has  increased in  comparison  with  2024 (83%), as well as with  2021 (83%). The 
perceived judicial independence among companies has slightly decreased in comparison 
with 2024 (91%) and has increased in comparison with 2021 (86%).  

The  recommendation  to  continue  the  work  of  the  working  group  aiming  to 
strengthen  the  independence  of  the  justice  system  was  fully  implemented3.  The 
working  group  ‘Rule  of  Law  Guarantees  and  Development  of  the  Judicial  System’4 
continues  with  its  project  to  strengthen  the  independence  of  the  judiciary  and  promote 
high-quality, user-oriented legal protection5. The comments received on the preliminary 
proposals, presented by the working group in 2024, will be further examined in 2025 and 
20266.  In  order  to  properly  assess  the  necessary  constitutional  and  other  legislative 
changes  required  to  strengthen  the  independence  of  courts  and  judges,  a  dedicated 
‘Independence  working  group’  was  established7.  The  working  group  is  focused  on 
identifying  possible  constitutional  and/or  legislative  amendments,  in  particular  with 
regard to the number of judges in the highest courts, the appointment process for judges, 
judges’  right  to  remain  in  office,  and  judicial  misconduct.  Stakeholders  welcome  the 
objectives of the working group and emphasise notably the importance of addressing the 
number of judges in the highest courts, and the appointment process for permanent and 
fixed-term  judges,  as  well  as  for  lay  judges.  They  also  note  that  instead of  preparing  a 
legislative  draft,  as  originally  envisaged,  the  working  group  will  issue  a  memorandum, 
which  may  delay  the  process  of  adoption  of  the  proposals8.  Since  the  working  group 
continues with its project and is envisaged to issue a memorandum proposing legislative 
changes to  strengthen the independence of the justice system,  this  recommendation has 
been fully implemented.  

1   An overview of the institutional framework for all four pillars can be found here.  
2   Figures 50 and 52, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard and Figures 49 and 51,  2023 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
The  level  of  perceived  judicial  independence  is  categorised  as  follows:  very  low  (below  30%  of 
respondents  perceive  judicial  independence  as  fairly  good  and  very  good);  low  (between  30-39%), 
average (between 40-59%), high (between 60-75%), very high (above 75%). 

3   The 2024 Rule of Law Report recommended to Finland to “[c]ontinue the work of the working group 
‘Rule  of  Law  Guarantees  and  Development  of  the  Judicial  System’  with  a  view  to  strengthen  the 
independence of the justice system and increase the quality of legal protection.” 

4   The working group consists of six subgroups, with a working plan for the years 2023–2027.  
5   2024 Rule of Law Report, Finland, p. 4. 
6   Finnish Government (2025), written input, p. 7. The conclusions of the whole project are expected to 

be presented in 2027. 

7   The mandate of this working group  ‘Constitutional guarantees for the independence of the judiciary‘ 

runs until the end of 2026. 

8   Country visit Finland, Supreme Administrative Court,  Supreme Court, Chancellor of Justice, Finnish 

Bar Association. 

 
 
 
 
Limited  progress  has  been  made  to  reform  the  appointment  of  lay  judges9.  Lay 
judges, who participate in certain non-criminal cases and in serious criminal cases where 
the  maximum  penalty  exceeds  two  years  of  imprisonment,  are  currently  appointed  by 
political  parties,  with  the  number  of  appointments  allocated  according  to  the  results  of 
the local elections. The Ministry of Justice issued an assessment memorandum in  April 
2025,  comments  were  received  on  the  assessment  memorandum  and  a  summary  of 
opinions  will  be  prepared  later  in  202510.  The  matter  is  also  under  assessment  in  the 
working  group  on  ‘Rule  of  Law  Guarantees  and  Development  of  the  Judicial  System’. 
While  there  is  broad  consensus  among  stakeholders  on  the  need  to  revise  the  selection 
procedure for lay judges11 as the involvement of political parties raises independence and 
impartiality concerns, some have called for the abolishment of the institute of lay judges 
altogether12.  In  light  of  the  current  situation,  limited  progress  has  been  made  on  the 
recommendation.  

The  reliance  on  the  appointment  of  non-permanent  judges  is  a  concern  for 
stakeholders  due  to  perceived  challenges  for  judicial  independence.  The  current 
system  of  selection  of  judges  allows  for  appointing  judges  for  a  fixed  term  of  service, 
which allows for a faster selection and appointment procedure as opposed to permanent 
judges13.  The  possible  extension  of  the  term  of  a  non-permanent  judge  depends  on  the 
assessment of his or her performance, effectiveness and social skills, carried out by the 
supervising  head  of  department  or  President  of  the  court14.  In  2024,  16  %  of  the  total 
number of judges in Finland held a non-permanent position, while in the District Court 
Helsinki  they  constitute  approximately  a  third  of  the  total  number  of  judges15.  Non-
permanent  judges  may  also  be  appointed  to  the  highest  courts.  Stakeholders  perceive 
potential  challenges  for  judicial  independence  in  this  regard,  also  due  to  the 
interconnectedness  of  the  design  of  the  appointments  and  the  court’s  budget16.  They 
noted that a more comprehensive reform of the procedure of selection of judges would be 
instrumental  in  achieving  a  better  balance  between  permanent  and  non-permanent 
posts17.  

Quality  

The  Government  took  steps  to  strengthen  victim  protection  in  the  context  of 
alternative dispute resolution in criminal cases. Mediation between the suspect and the 
victim  is  possible  when  certain  conditions  are  met18,  aiming  to  reconcile  the  two  sides 
while  alleviating  the  workload  of  courts  and  law  enforcement  authorities.  Mediation  is 
voluntary, free of charge, conducted by local mediation offices and subject to the consent 
of both parties19. Mediation is available for all types of crimes, including serious offences 

9   The  2024  Rule of  Law  Report  recommended  to  Finland  to  “[r]eform  the  appointment  of  lay  judges, 

taking into account European standards on judicial independence.” 

10   Country visit Finland, Finnish Government.  
11   Country visit Finland, National Courts Administration.  
12   Country visit Finland, Parliamentary Ombudsman, Association of Judges.  
13   Court’s Act. 
14   Country visit Finland, Association of Judges.  
15   National  Administration  of  Courts,  additional  written  input.  Country  visit  Finland,  Association  of 

Judges. 

16   Country visit Finland, Association of Judges, Supreme Administrative Court. 
17   Country visit Finland, National Administration of Courts, Association of Judges. 
18   This matter is stipulated in the Act on the Mediation of Criminal Matters and Certain Civil Matters.  
19   Mediation may be initiated by the victim, the suspect, but also ex officio by the police officer or public 
prosecutor,  with  a  wide  margin  for  discretion.  The  initiation  of  mediation  may  lead  to  mitigating 
punishment, limiting pre-trial investigation, discontinuing prosecution and is considered as a factor in 

 
 
 
 
and, in some cases, crimes against minors. Despite legal safeguards in place, stakeholders 
raised  concerns  that  the  use  of  mediation  may  be  promoted  to  avoid  fully-fledged 
criminal  investigations,  and  that  mediation  is  not  suitable  for  assault  or  serious  crimes 
against  life  and  health20.  In  response,  an  amendment  excluding  cases  of  domestic 
violence from mediation entered into force in January 2025, which was welcomed by the 
stakeholders21.  

The  project  of  digitalising  case  management  for  general  courts  was  concluded  in 
2024,  with  a  further  development  of  the  system  ongoing.  The  project  aimed  at 
digitalising  case  management  in  general  courts  and  prosecutors’  offices  (‘AIPA’),  was 
concluded in  2024, marking  the end of  an intensive project phase.  In the final  stage of 
implementation, the system was introduced also for criminal cases at district courts and 
rolled out to appellate courts as well22. A transitional period remains for prosecutors, who 
currently  operate  two  parallel  systems,  with  full  integration  expected  by  late  202523. 
While stakeholders welcome the progress achieved, they also note that there is room for 
further  improvement24.  There  has  been  no  development  on  the  envisaged  electronic 
portal for attorneys and other legal representatives which is considered an important tool 
to increase transparency, equality of arms and overall efficiency in court proceedings25. 

The level of legal aid fees for private legal practitioners was increased. In January 2025, the 
Ministry  of  Justice  increased  the  level  of  legal  aid  fees  for  private  legal  practitioners, 
which  had  remained  unchanged  since  201426.  Following  the  reorganisation  of  the  legal 
aid  and  public  guardianship  districts  carried  out  by  the  Ministry  of  Justice,  a  National 
Legal  Services  Authority  became  operational  on  1  January  202527.  Stakeholders 
generally  welcome  this  development.  As  regards  the  level  of  court  fees,  some 

sentencing.  Parties  to  the  mediation  may  reach  an  agreement,  or  the  process  may  be  interrupted  in 
favour of going to court, or there might be no agreement. 

20   Deputy Chancellor of Justice(2020), p. 143. 
21   Country visit Finland, National Prosecution Authority, Supreme Court, Parliamentary Ombudsman. 
22   Finnish Government (2025), written input, p. 11.  
23   Finnish  Government  (2025),  written  input,  p.  11.  Country  visit  Finland,  National  Prosecution 

Authority.  

24   Country  visit  Finland,  Supreme  Court,  National  Courts  Administration,  National  Prosecution 
Authority. Supreme Administrative Court noted positive experience with the system for administrative 
courts (‚HAIPA‘), with some room for improvement. 

25   Council  of  Bars  and  Law  Societies  of  Europe  (2025),  written  input,  p.  2.  Country  visit  Finland, 

Association of Judges.  

26   The Supreme Court concluded in 2024 (KKO:2024:71) that the previous amount applicable since 2014 
was no longer reasonable and disapplied the Government decree setting the fee which was in force at 
the time. However, the Supreme Administrative Court issued a diverging ruling (KHO:2024:129) and 
continued  to  apply  the  said  decree.  Subsequently,  the  Ministry  of  Justice  amended  the  decree 
increasing  the  hourly  fee  to  120  euro.  This  new  amount  was  considered  to  be  insufficient  by  some 
stakeholders.  Council  of  Bars  and  Law  Societies  of  Europe  (2025),  written  input,  p.  2.  The  new 
amount was below the threshold set by the Supreme Court ruling,  which temporarily contributed to a 
continued  lack  of  uniform  application.  Finnish  Bar  Association  (2025),  written  input,  p.  2.  Country 
visit  Finland,  Finnish  Bar  Association,  Supreme  Court,  Supreme  Administrative  Court.  However,  in 
April 2025, the Supreme Court found the new fee compatible with the Legal Aid Act (KKO:2025:38), 
removing the need for further legislative amendments. Finnish Government (2025), written input, p. 9. 

 
 
 
 
stakeholders  pointed  out  that  in  intellectual  property  matters  at  the  Market  Court28,  the 
levels amount to EUR 2 440, which could affect access to justice29. 

Efficiency 

While  the  justice  system  functions  efficiently  overall,  the  latest  figures  indicate  a 
slight increase in the length of proceedings in certain areas. The disposition time in 
civil and commercial cases at first instance saw an increase from 327 in 2022 to 349 days 
in  2023.  For  administrative  cases  at  first  instance,  the  disposition  time  was  lower  and 
decreased from 281 in 2022 to 263 in 2023. Some stakeholders continue to see room for 
improvement as regards the length of proceedings30, including business stakeholders with 
respect to commercial matters31. The Supreme Court has now the possibility, since April 
2025, to issue preliminary rulings on cases referred to it by lower courts, with the aim to 
steer  legal  questions  of  a  precedential  nature  more  effectively32.  This  step  is  generally 
welcomed  by  stakeholders,  who  view  this  as  a  way  to  unify  jurisprudence  across  the 
country. They also note that while this institute limits the parties’ right to appeal, consent 
of the parties is required for such referral33. In 2024, the Ministry of Justice closed down 
three venues of district courts, and the closing of three more detached court premises is 
under  consideration,  with  the  aim  to  increase  the  efficiency  of  the  judicial  system34. 
Stakeholders view these changes as generally acceptable but note the need to maintain a 
sufficient level of access to courts35. 

II. 

ANTI-CORRUPTION FRAMEWORK  

The  perception  among  experts,  citizens  and  business  executives  is  that  Finland  is 
one  of  the  least  corrupt  countries  in  the  world.  In  the  2024  Corruption  Perceptions 
Index  by  Transparency  International,  Finland  scores  88/100  and  ranks  2nd  in  the 
European  Union  and  2nd  globally36.  This  perception  has  been  relatively  stable  over  the 
past  five  years37.  The  2025  Special  Eurobarometer  on  Corruption  shows  that  21%  of 
respondents consider corruption widespread in their country (EU average 69%) and 9% 
of  respondents  feel  personally  affected  by  corruption  in  their  daily  lives  (EU  average 
30%). As regards businesses, 28% of companies consider that corruption is widespread 
(EU average 63%) and 18% consider that corruption is a problem when doing business 
(EU  average  35%).  Furthermore,  49%  of  respondents  find  that  there  are  enough 
successful prosecutions to deter people from corrupt practices (EU average 36%), while 

28   A  specialised  court  with  exclusive  jurisdiction  over  certain  commercial  matters,  specifically 
procurement, competition and supervision matters, market law matters and intellectual property rights 
matters. Finnish Government (2025), written input, p. 12. 

29   Finnish Chamber of Commerce (2025), written input. Country visit Finland, Supreme Administrative 

Court. 

30   Country visit Finland, Human Rights Centre. 
31   Finnish Chamber of Commerce, Confederation of Finnish Industries (2025), additional written input. 
32   Finnish Government (2025), written input, p. 9. 
33   Once the lower courts refer the preliminary question to the Supreme Court, the lower courts are bound 

by its decision.  

34   Finnish Government (2025), written input, p. 12. 
35   Country visit Finland, Finnish Bar Association, Association of Judges. 
36   The  level  of  perceived  corruption  is  categorised  as  follows:  low  (the  perception  among  experts  and 
business executives of public sector corruption scores above  79); relatively low (scores between 79-
60), relatively high (scores between 59-50), high (scores below 50). 

37   In 2020 the score was 85, while, in 2024, the score is  88. The score significantly increases/decreases 
when it changes more than five points; improves/deteriorates (changes between 4-5 points); has been 
relatively stable (changes from 1-3 points) in the last five years. 

 
 
 
62% of companies believe that people and businesses caught for bribing a senior official 
are appropriately punished (EU average 33%)38. 

The new anti-corruption Action Plan for 2024–2027 was approved in 2025. The final 
implementation  report  of  the  National  Anti-Corruption  Strategy  and  2021–2023  Action 
Plan, expected in July 2024, were postponed to 2025. The new 2024–2027 Action Plan 
of  the  national  anti-corruption  strategy  was  approved  in  June  2025.  It  is  based  on  the 
already established anti-corruption strategy, with a focus on the regional and local levels, 
as  well  as  on  the  recommendations  of  international  bodies  and  risk  areas  (i.e.  public 
procurement)39. Civil society has been involved in the design of this new Action Plan40. 
The  2024  Anti-corruption  policy  of  the  police,  recommended  by  GRECO41,  has  been 
supplemented  by  an  implementation  plan  in  the  summer  of  2024  and  is  reported  to  be 
well  implemented.  It  includes  trainings  in  every  unit  of  the  police  as  well  as 
incorporating an ethical code which has been valid since 201842.  

Cooperation between the police and prosecution continues smoothly, with adequate 
resources  allowing  them  to  efficiently  perform  their  tasks.  The  police  considers  its 
current level of resources and expertise to deal with anti-corruption cases as adequate. In 
corruption  investigations,  the  police  is  able  to  engage  investigators  allocated  to 
dermanding  financial  crime  investigations,  when  necessary.  The  police  benefits  from 
specific trainings for the National  Bureau of  Investigation, local  police  stations and the 
Financial  Intelligence  Unit43.  The  Anti-Corruption  Cooperation  Network,  gathering 
ministries,  prosecution  and  police  services,  is  reported  to  provide  fruitful  exchanges 
regarding the fight against corruption44. The cooperation with the EPPO is reported to be 
efficient45. 

There  has  been  limited  progress  on  the  recommendation  to  adopt  legislation  to 
criminalise trading in influence and revise the foreign bribery offence46. The Finnish 
Government  is  planning  to  launch  the  legislative  process  once  the  forthcoming  EU 
Directive on combating corruption is adopted and enters into force. As already reported 
in  previous  years,  the  Ministry  of  Justice  prepared  a  draft  proposal  on  criminalising 
trading  in  influence  in  2022,  which  would  now  be  considered  as  a  part  of  the  reform 

38   Data from special Eurobarometer 561 (2025). Flash Eurobarometer 557 (2025). 
39   Finnish  Government  (2025),  Government  Resolution  on  the  National  Anti-Corruption  Strategy  and 
Action  Plan  2025-2027.  Country  visit  Finland,  Ministry  of  Justice.  Finnish  Government  (2025), 
written input, p. 15. 2024 Rule of Law Report, Finland, p. 11. 

40   Country visit Finland, Ministry of Justice and Transparency International Finland.  
41   GRECO (2023), recommendation vii, p. 9.  
42   Finnish Government (2025), written input, p. 16. Country visit Finland, National Police Board. Police 
of  Finland  (2024),  Police  Anticorruption  Policy. This  Anticorruption  Policy  includes  1)  Maintaining 
high trust in the police, 2) The police has zero tolerance to corruption, 3) We are aware of, recognise 
and manage corruption risks, 4) We ensure the detection and reporting of misconducts, and 5) Faced 
with any corruptive features, we take immediate action. 

43   Country  visit  Finland,  National  Prosecution  Authority,  NBI  and  National  Police  Board.  Within  the 
NBI,  one  national  coordinator  is  responsible  for  the  fight  against  corruption,  and  two  detectives  are 
charged with anti-corruption tasks. 

44   Country visit Finland, National Police Board. 
45   Prosecution services received 10 cases of corruption cases from the police in  2024, compared to 9 in 
2023.  Country  visit  Finland,  National  Prosecution  Authority.  No  EPPO  corruption  cases  have  been 
reported in Finland in 2024. EPPO (2024), p. 29. 

46   The 2024 Rule of Law Report recommended to Finland to “[a]dopt legislation on trading in influence 

and propose a revision on the criminal offence of foreign bribery.” 

 
 
 
expected  with  the  future  EU  directive47.  This  would  also  cover  reforms  to  laws  on 
bribery48.  The  study  “Development  Needs  for  Legislation  on  Bribery  Offences”, 
published  by  the  Ministry  of  Justice  in  May  2024,  proposes  alternative  models  for 
simplifying  the  essential  elements,  criminalising  trading  in  influence,  improving  the 
effiency  of  imposing  confiscation  in  bribery  of  a  foreign  party,  and  clarifying  the 
definition of a foreign official49. The revision of the foreign bribery offence has also been 
recommended in previous reports, and by the OECD. In 2022, the Government published 
an  independent  study  covering  foreign  bribery50,  and  the  new  independent  study 
published in 2024 analysed possible needs for amendments51. The police reports that the 
Criminal  Code’s threshold  for sufficient  evidence makes it sometimes difficult  to  bring 
some cases forward, especially related to bribery involving international elements and the 
trading of influence52. Overall, as the government is planning to take steps to criminalise 
trading in influence and revise the provisions on foreign bribery once new EU legislation 
enters  into  force,  limited  progress  has  been  made  on  this  recommendation  of  the  2024 
Rule of Law Report. 

There  has  been  limited  progress  on  the  recommendation  concerning  the  integrity 
framework  for  Ministers  and  top  executive  functions,  with  Ministers  still  not 
covered  by  the  Code  of  Conduct53.  A  Code  of  Conduct  for  civil  servants  and  top 
executive functions is in place since 2021, which however does not apply to Ministers54. 
The Minister’s Handbook, updated in 2023, includes principles of good governance55. A 
dedicated Code of Conduct for Ministers would address other sensitive integrity related 
areas,  as also  recommended by GRECO56. The    new Action Plan of the National  Anti-
Corruption Strategy 2024-2027 adopted by the Government contains a measure whereby 
a  document  outlining  the  key  guidelines  for  ministers  concerning  the  prevention  of 
corruption  and  the  promotion  of  integrity  will  be  compiled  into  a  single  document.57. 
Overall,  as  reflections  are  still  ongoing,  limited  progress  has  been  made  on  this 
recommendation of the 2024 Rule of Law Report58. 

The  Transparency  Register  Act,  establishing  an  electronic  transparency  register 
and  upgrading  the  lobbying  framework,  is  reported  to  function  well.  Overall,  the 

47   2024 Rule of Law Report, Finland, pp. 11-12. Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and 
of  the  Council  on  combating  corruption,  COM(2023)  234  final.  The  Proposal  is  currently  under 
discussion. 

48   Finnish Government (2025), written input, pp. 14-15. 
49   Finnish Government (2025), written input, p. 6; p. 14. 
50   Government  Office  (2022),  Corruption  in  international  business,  Current  state  of  regulation, 
application practice and training and needs for change. The study shows that there is a need to develop 
the supply of education, trainings as well as legislation and application practice.  

51   Country visit Finland, Ministry of Justice. Finnish Government (2025), written input, pp. 14-15. 2024 

Rule of Law Report, p. 12. 

52   National Police Board (2025), additional written input, p. 2. 
53   2024 Rule of Law Report, Finland, pp. 13-14. The 2024 Rule of Law report recommended to Finland 
to “[s]trengthen the integrity and accountability framework applicable to ministers and other persons 
entrusted with top executive functions by adopting a code of conduct for them.” 

54   It covers senior officials in central government, who are subject to financial disclosure requirements.  
55   It includes legal and political responsibility of ministers, declaration of private interests and rules on 

receiving hospitality, benefits and gifts. 

56   GRECO (2023), recommendation i, paras. 17, 96. 2024 Rule of Law Report, pp. 13-14. Investigations 
of  corruption  by  members  of  the  Government  follow  a  different  procedure  than  normal  corruption 
investigation.  The  Minister’s  Handbook  is  generic,  and  no  enforcement  mechanism  is  in  place. 
GRECO (2023), recommendation iv and v, paras. 28-41.  

57   Finnish  government  (2025),  Government  Resolution  on  the  National  Anti-Corruption  Strategy  and 

Action Plan 2025-2027, p.20. Country visit Finland, Ministry of Justice. 

58   Country visit Finland, National Prosecution Authority. 

 
 
 
framework for lobbying is composed of several  acts and administrative guidelines. The 
2024  Transparency  Registry  Act  lays  down  the  obligation  to  register  influencing 
activities and related professional advice by legal persons and private traders59. Lobbying 
activities  targeted  at  Parliament  and  ministries  must  be  reported  to  the  Transparency 
Register,  managed  by  the  National  Audit  Office.  In  2024,  the  Ministry  of  Justice 
organised targeted awareness raising and training campaigns60, and recommendations on 
good  practices  on  lobbying  in  connection  with  the  Register  are  being  implemented.  In 
December  2024,  the  National  Audit  Office  issued  a  decision  expanding  the  reporting 
requirement  to  financial  aspects  of  lobbying  activities,  effective  since  the  beginning  of 
the  year61.  While  the  Government  will  evaluate  the  Transparency  Register  towards  the 
end  of  the  Government  term  (2026–2027),  it  has  not  so  far  identified  any  particular 
challenges  regarding  its  implementation62.  For  its  part,  civil  society  considers  the 
Register  to  be  an  important  tool  for  increasing  transparency  of  administration,  while 
advocating for an expansion of the register to local levels as well as for more dissuasive 
sanctions63.  

A  government  legislative  proposal  on  limiting  ‘revolving  doors’  for  Ministers  has 
been submitted to Parliament in September 2024. A new legislative initiative has been 
included  in  the  2024  Government  legislative  plan  and  submitted  to  Parliament  in 
September  202464.  Under  this  new  initiative,  the  right  of  both  the  Prime  Minister  and 
other  ministers  to  move  to  another  position  after  their  term  could  be  restricted  for  a 
maximum  period  of  up  to  12  months.  These  measures  aim  at  preventing  conflicts  of 
interest  and  would  also  apply  to  former  ministers  within  12  months  after  their 
resignation.  A  person  falling  within  the  scope  of  the  draft  Act  would  have  to  notify  a 
suspension  board  of  his  or  her  intention  to  transfer  to  a  new  position,  and  that  board 
could impose a suspension period. The draft Act contains provisions on the status of the 
suspension  board  as  well  as  its  duties  and  powers.  Consideration  of  the  proposal  in 
Parliament is ongoing65. 

The  election  and  party  funding  legislation  was  amended.  A  legislative  proposal, 
included  in  the  2024  Government  legislative  plan,  was  submitted  to  Parliament  in 
November 2024, and the Parliament adopted the proposal in June 2025. The legislative 
amendments  entered  into  force  on  1  July  2025.  The  amendments  aim  to  improve  the 
provisions  and  practices  regarding  the  disclosure  of  electoral  and  party  funding.  The 
amended legislation also includes the requirement of public disclosure of any individual 
support  above  EUR  2,000  (EUR  1,100  in  municipal  elections),  in  order  to  create  the 
same level of transparency for subsidies and loans, given that the latter would under the 

59   Transparency Register Act. 2024 Rule of Law Report, Finland, pp. 14-15. 
60   Country visit Finland, Ministry of Justice. 
61   Country visit Finland, Ministry of Justice. Transparency Register (2025). Transparency International 

Finland (2025), written input, p. 12. 

62   Country visit Finland, Ministry of Justice. 2024 Rule of Law Report, Finland, pp. 14-15. 
63   Country visit Finland, Transparency International Finland. Transparency International Finland (2025), 

written input, p. 12. 

64   Finnish Government (2025), written input, p. 17. 
65   These  obligations  would  apply  extensively  to  transfers  to  private  sector  operators,  but  not  to  public 
bodies,  the  European  Union,  an  international  organisation,  an  international  body  or  a  political  party 
referred to in the proposal. Government proposal HE 90/2024 vp. Finnish Government (2025), written 
input, p. 17. 2024 Rule of Law Report Finland, p. 15. Country visit Finland,  Prime Minister’s Office 
and Transparency International Finland. 

 
 
 
new  proposal  be  notified  to  the  National  Audit  Office.66.  Some  stakeholders  have 
underlined the lack of credible sanctions in the legislation, as well as issues regarding the 
ability of the general public and NGOs to audit the data submitted67. 

Awareness-raising  activities  help  bring  attention  to  the  Whistleblower  Act.  The 
national law aiming at transposing the Directive on whistleblower protection entered into 
force in 2023. The Ministry of Justice continued a training project to increase knowledge 
of  the  Whistleblower  Act,  which  ran  until  end  of  April  2025.  The  project  offered 
trainings  to  experts  responsible  for  handling  the  whistleblowing  reports,  since  citizens 
can report misconducts  through different  channels to  authorities or electronically to  the 
police68.  Transparency  International  acknowledges  the  effectiveness  of  the  channels, 
while emphasizing the limited scope of the legislation in  force, which does not  include 
complaints made in the workplace69. 

New initiatives and legislation address public procurement and urban and land use 
planning as high risk sectors for corruption. Businesses’ attitudes towards corruption 
in  the  EU  shows  that  21%  of  companies  in  Finland  (EU  average  25%)  think  that 
corruption  has  prevented  them  from  winning  a  public  tender  or  a  public  procurement 
contract  in  practice  in  the  last  three  years70.  85%  of  businesses  perceive  the  level  of 
independence  of  the  public  procurement  review  body  (The  Market  Court)  as  very  of 
fairly  good  when  it  is  reviewing  public  procurement  cases71.  Public  procurement 
(including  bid  rigging)  remains  the  main  high-risk  sector  of  corruption72.  The  Single 
Market  and  Competitiveness  Scoreboard  on  access  to  public  procurement  in  Finland 
reports 15% of single bids for 2023 (EU average 29%). Amendments to the Procurement 
Act  took  effect  in  July  2024  and  enhanced  the  Finnish  Competition  and  Consumer 
Authority  (FCCA)’s  competences  regarding  illegal  direct  procurements.  Another 
amendment  is  being  prepared  to  expand  the  FCCA’s  competences  to  national 
construction contracts. In contrast, business stakeholders highlight the lack of timely and 
decisive  enforcement  of  the  FCCA’s  rulings,  undermining  the  credibility  of  the 
institution  and  increasing  risks  of  corruption.  In  January  2025,  the  Ministry  of  Finance 
initiated  a  project  to  establish  a  procurement  information  repository,  to  increase 
transparency  in  the  public  sector’s  purchase  invoices.  Other  risk  sectors  include  urban 
and land use planning, specialised procurement (such as for example healthcare supplies) 
as well as critical functions and trading of confidential information73. Through the project 
“Strengthening  the  fight  against  corruption”  launched  in  April  2024,  the  Ministry  of 

66   Government proposal HE 190/2024 vp. The legislation amends the Candidate’s Election Funding Act, 
the  Electoral  Act  and  the  Citizens’  Initiatives  Act.  Finnish  Government  (2025),  written  input,  p.  18. 
Country visit Finland, Ministry of Justice. 2024 Rule of Law Report, Finland, p. 16. 

67   Country visit Finland, Transparency International Finland. 
68   As  of  January  2025,  the  project’s  trainings  and  other  awareness  raising  events  have  reached 
approximately  6  500  persons.  Country  visit  Finland,  Ministry  of  Justice  and  National  Prosecution 
Authority. Finnish Government (2025), written input, pp. 16-17. 2024 Rule of Law Report, Finland, p. 
17. 

69   Country visit Finland, Transparency International Finland. 
70   Flash  Eurobarometer  557  on  Businesses’  attitudes  towards  corruption  in  the  EU  (2025).  This  is  4 

percentage points below the EU average. 
71   Figure 59, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
72   Country  visit  Finland,  National  Police  Board,  Finnish  Competition  and  Consumer  Authority, 
Confederation  of  Finnish  industries,  Finnish  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  National  Prosecution 
Authority. Finnish Government (2025), written input, pp. 18-20. 

73   Finnish  Government  (2025),  written  input,  p.  18.  Country  visit  Finland,  National  Police  Board  and 
Transparency  International  Finland.  National  Police  Board  (2025),  additional  written  input,  pp.  2-3. 
Confederation of Finnish Industries (2025), written input, pp. 2-3. 

 
 
 
Justice  is  developing  a  regular  situational  report  which  would  serve  as  a  tool  for 
monitoring  the  corruption  situation  and  as  a  basis  for  planning  anti-corruption 
measures74. 

III.  MEDIA PLURALISM AND MEDIA FREEDOM 

The  national  regulatory  authorities  are  undergoing  structural  changes  while  their 
independence  remains  stable.  Since  the  publication  of  the  2024  Rule  of  Law  report, 
there has been an internal restructuring of the national regulatory authority Traficom. The 
aim is to be as clear as possible in terms of both subject areas and management to ensure 
efficient  implementation  of  tasks75.  Traficom  has  taken  over  all  media  accessibility 
supervision  from  the  Regional  State  Administrative  Agency  for  Southern  Finland  in 
January  2025  and  expects  to  receive  new  tasks  linked  to  the  implementation  of  the 
European Media Freedom Act.  Its  resources have been stable amidst the Government’s 
general  austerity  measures  but  given  the  new  tasks,  its  workload  is  growing76.  The 
second national regulatory authority, the National Audiovisual Institute, will merge with 
another institution, the Arts Promotion Centre Finland, in January 2026. The reform aims 
to  strengthen  the  quality  of  the  two  institutes’  services,  operations,  and  governance 
without  affecting  their  tasks77.  A  working  group  has  discussed  possible  changes 
concerning age limits for accessing audiovisual media services that would fall within the 
remit  of  the  National  Audiovisual  Institute78.  The  institute  has  had  to  cut  some  tasks 
related  to  supervision  of  audiovisual  media  services  due  to  its  limited  resources79.  No 
developments  have  been  noted  regarding  the  authorities’  independence  and  the  Media 
Pluralism Monitor (MPM) 2025 finds a very low risk in this field80. 

The  updates  of  the  ethical  rules  for  the  press  have  started  to  apply  and  the  self-
regulatory Finnish Council for Mass Media continues to deal with a high number of 
complains about journalistic ethics. The ethical rules for the press have been reviewed 
and  they  have  become  applicable  in  October  202481.  The  purpose  is,  among  others,  to 
take account of changes brought by the digital environment and to make the rules easier 
to  use82.  The  ethical  rules  contain  new  sections  on,  for  example,  external  funding  and 
removing editorial content online83. The Finnish Council for Mass Media has published a 
guidebook84  on  the  application  of  the  new  rules  and  training  has  been  organised  for 
journalists  to  become  familiar  with  the  rules.  The  self-regulatory  Council  continues  to 
report  a  high  number  of  complaints  alleging  violation  of  journalistic  ethical  rules  in 
journalistic  content.  The  funding  that  it  receives  from  the  Ministry  of  Justice  has  been 
slightly  reduced85.  To  address  the  longer  processing  periods,  the  Council  has  deployed 

74   Country  visit  Finland,  Ministry  of  Justice.  Finnish  Government  (2025),  written  input,  p.  17.  The 
Ministry  of  Justice  aims  to  repeat  the  analysis  every  two  years.  As  planned,  the  Ministry  of  Justice 
recruited project officers in 2024 to carry out this project. 

75   Traficom (2024). 
76   Country visit Finland, Traficom; Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (2025), p. 19-20. 
77   2024  Rule  of  Law  Report,  Finland,  p.  18;  Arts  Promotion  Centre  Finland  (2025);  Country  visit 

Finland, National Audiovisual Institute. 

78   2024 Rule of Law Report, Finland, p. 18. 
79   Country visit Finland, National Audiovisual Institute. 
80   Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (2025), p. 19. 
81   Finnish Council for Mass Media (2024). 
82   2024 Rule of Law Report, Finland, p. 18. 
83   Finnish Union of Journalists (2024); Finnish Council for Mass Media (2025). 
84   Finnish Council for Mass Media (2024). 
85   Finnish Council for Mass Media (2025); Country visit Finland, Finnish Council for Mass Media, and 

Ministry of Justice; Finnish Union of Journalists (2024a). 

 
 
 
temporary workforce and is working on an AI project86. MPM 2025 considers that media 
market  pluralism  continues  to  be  an  area  of  very  high  risk  driven  by  the  extensive 
combined market share of the largest media owners87. 

The  Government  has  proposed  new 
legislation  to  further  strengthen  the 
independence of the public service media,  though it faces funding constraints.  The 
Parliamentary working group, which examined the need to amend the existing legislation 
regarding  the  Finnish  Broadcasting  Company’s  (Yle)  independence  and  editorial 
neutrality, published its report in September 2024. Based on the recommendations made 
in the report88, the Government has proposed new legislation regarding the criteria for the 
selection and dismissal of executives involved in decision-making and editorial policy of 
the public service media. The proposed rules aim to take into account the obligations of 
the  European  Media  Freedom  Act.  The  working  group  also  agreed  to  add  a  provision 
requiring the public service media to promote transparency in its finances and operations. 
The relevant proposal was submitted to the Parliament in April 202589. The independence 
of  the  public  service  media  is  generally  considered  to  be  high90.  The  MPM  2025 
continues to  report a low risk regarding the independence of public service media91. In 
parallel, to improve operational efficiency, the funding for the public service media has 
been  limited  by  freezing  the  annual  index  adjustment  for  the  period  2025-2027.  In 
addition, the value-added tax paid by public service media will be permanently increased 
from  10  to  14  percent  as  of  202692.  The  changes  have  led  to  decisions  to  reduce  more 
than 300 employees due to  lay-offs  and  retirement  of staff93. Journalists and the public 
service  media  have  criticised  the  amendment,  as  it  is  affecting  not  only  jobs  but  the 
production and availability of particularly local and regional media content in Finland94. 
Private  media,  on  the  contrary,  considers  that  the  changes  are  proportionate  to  the 
Government’s  general  austerity  measures  and  take  into  account  financial  restraints  that 
the private media is facing95.  

Some  further  progress  has  been  made  on  the  recommendation  to  strengthen  the 
right of access to information96. Due to changes in the national security environment, 
the Finnish Government has decided to assess the need for changing secrecy provisions 
in  the  Act  on  the  Openness  of  Government  Activities.  The  assessment  involves 
consulting  stakeholders,  possibly  carrying  out  external  studies,  and  setting  up  a  new 
working  group.  Based  on  the  findings  of  the  previous  working  group97  and  the  new 
preparatory work, the aim is to finalise a new proposal in the next Government term98. A 

86   Country visit Finland, Finnish Council for Mass Media. 
87   Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (2025), pp. 23-24. 
88   Finnish Government (2025), written input, p. 23. 
89   Government proposal HE 34/2025 vp. 
90   Country visit Finland, Finnish Union of Journalists, Finnish Media Federation and Finnish Council for 

Mass Media. 

91   Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (2025), pp. 36-37. 
92   Act amending section 3 of the Act on the State Television and Radio Fund; Act amending the Act on 
the  Value  Added  Tax;  Country  visit  Finland,  Ministry  of  Transport  and  Communications;  Public 
Media Alliance (2024). 
93   Yle (2025a); Yle (2025b). 
94   Finnish  Union  of  Journalists  (2024b),  Finnish  Union  of  Journalists  (2025).  Country  visit  Finland, 

Public Service Broadcaster. 

95  Finnish Media Federation (2024); Country visit Finland, Finnish Media Federation. 
96  2024 Rule of Law Report recommended Finland to “[f]urther advance with the reform of the Act on 
the Openness of Government Activities to ensure effective and wider access to documents taking into 
account the European standards on access to official documents.” 

97   2024 Rule of Law Report, Finland, pp. 19-20; Ministry of Justice (2023). 
98   Finnish Government (2025), written input, pp. 20-21. 

 
 
 
dedicated  working  group  already  made  recommendations  in  December  2023  regarding 
increasing  the  effectiveness  of  the  Act  on  the  Openness  of  Government  Activities99. 
Finland  has  ratified  the  Council  of  Europe  Convention  on  Access  to  Official 
Documents100.  Media  stakeholders  have  welcomed  the  electronic  transparency  register 
established  by  the  Transparency  Register  Act,  considering  that  it  improves  access  to 
information  about  lobbying  activities  and  can  facilitate  journalistic  work101.  Given  that 
further  assessment  will  be  conducted  and  the  transparency  register  improves  access  to 
certain information in the meanwhile, there has been some further progress on last year’s 
recommendation. 

The framework for the protection of journalists has remained stable. Since the 2024 
Rule  of  Law  Report,  no  new  alerts  for  Finland  have  been  published  on  the  Council  of 
Europe’s  Platform  to  promote  the  protection  of  journalism  and  safety  of  journalists102. 
Ten incidents have been reported in the Media Freedom Rapid Response platform. The 
majority  of  them  concern  politicians  discrediting  media,  including  the  public  service 
media103.  A  recent  survey  shows  that  72%  of  journalists  in  Finland  have  experienced 
verbal  harassment104.  Work  is  ongoing  to  transpose  the  EU  Anti-SLAPP  Directive105 
while  no  SLAPP  cases  or  systematic  political  pressure  have  been  recently  identified  in 
Finland106.  Media  companies  typically  have  clear  practices  on  how  to  defend  their 
employees  from  SLAPP  cases107.  Stakeholders  mostly  highlight  challenges  stemming 
from the dominance of global online platforms on advertising markets and its impact on 
the  economic  sustainability  of  media  companies108.  As  regards 
the  Supreme 
Administrative  Court’s  ruling  whereby  a  compensation  by  a  media  company  of 
journalists’  costs  of  a  criminal  procedure  would  be  accounted  as  part  of  their  taxable 
income109, the Finnish Government  is  currently preparing to  change the law from  2026 
onwards  to  make  the  legal  expenses  paid  by  an  employer  exempt  from  tax  if  the 
employee’s act occurred as part of their work duties110. 

IV.  OTHER INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES RELATED TO CHECKS AND BALANCES 

The law-making process is overall inclusive, though stakeholders highlight areas for 
improvement. In 2024–2025, the Government carried out a survey on quality indicators 
for legislative drafting, with preliminary results indicating that the quality of the process 
in  different  thematic  areas  remained  comparable  to  previous  years111.  The  works  on 
updated guidelines on stakeholder engagement in legislative drafting are being finalized, 
with  expected  adoption  later  in  2025112.  While  there  is  a  robust  framework  for  impact 

99  2024   Rule of Law Report, Finland, pp. 19-20; Ministry of Justice (2023). 
100   The Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents (CETS No. 205), also known as 

the Tromsø Convention, entered into force on 1 December 2020. 

101   Country visit Finland, Finnish Media Federation, Finnish Union of Journalists.  
102   Council of Europe, Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists, Finland. 
103   Media Freedom Rapid Response (2025). 
104   Journalisti (2025). 
105   Finnish Government (2025), written input, p. 24. 
106   Country  visit  Finland,  Finnish  Media  Federation,  Council  for  Mass  Media,  Finnish  Union  of 
Journalists,  Ministry  of  Justice  and  Transport  and  Communications,  Traficom  and  the  National 
Audiovisual Institute. 

107   Country visit Finland, Finnish Union of Journalists. 
108   Country visit Finland, Public Service Media, Finnish Media Federation, Finnish Union of Journalists. 
109   2024 Rule of Law Report, Finland, pp. 20-21. 
110   Yle (2024). 
111   Country visit Finland, Ministry of Justice. 
112   Country visit Finland, Ministry of Justice; Finnish Government (2025), written input, p. 25  

 
 
 
assessments  of  legislative  proposals,  stakeholders  report  an  increased  practice  of 
submitting several partial proposals rather than a complete one, limiting the possibility to 
properly assess the  cumulative impact  of the amendments113. Civil  society stakeholders 
also  reported  instances  where  they  were  contacted  in  later  stages  of  the  legislative 
procedure,  with  less  time  to  respond  in  comparison  to  previous  years114.  In  practice, 
instead of a  minimum  of 6 weeks115, the consultation  may be as  short as  two weeks  or 
even  several  days,  which  can  be  challenging  especially  when  consulting  on  important 
pieces  of  legislation116.  At  the  same  time,  business  stakeholders  reported  that 
consultations on laws affecting areas of their work are sufficient117.  

Almost  eight  in  ten  companies  surveyed  in  Finland  express  confidence  in  the 
effectiveness of investment protection.  79% of companies are very or fairly confident 
that  investments  are  protected  by  law  and  courts118.  Business  stakeholders  perceive  the 
legal  framework  favourably  as  regards  investment  protection119.  As  regards  authorities 
relevant for economic operators, 82% of companies perceive the level of independence of 
the national competition authority (the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority) as 
very  or  fairly  good120.  There  are  no  judicial  mechanisms  in  place  at  the  level  of  the 
Supreme  Administrative  Court  to  ensure  the  implementation  of  administrative  court 
judgments121. 

On  1  January  2025,  Finland  had  1  leading  judgment  of  the  European  Court  of 
Human Rights pending implementation, a decrease of 1  compared to the previous 
year122.  Finland  did  not  have  any  leading  judgments  from  the  past  10  years  pending 
implementation123. The only leading judgment, pending implementation for more than 12 
years,  concerns  the  violation  of  the  right  not  to  be  punished  twice124.  As  regards  the 
respect  of  payment  deadlines,  on  31  December  2024  there  were  no  cases  awaiting 
confirmation of payments (same as in 2023)125. On 16 June 2025, the number of leading 
judgments pending implementation had remained 1126.  

The civil society framework remains open, although some stakeholders continue to 
report  a  change  in  the  narrative  concerning  the  role  of  civil  society  actors.  Civic 

113   Country visit Finland, Parliamentary Constitutional Committee, Chancellor of Justice, Advisory Board 

for Civil Society Policy, Demla, Human Rights Center. 

114   Demla (2025), written input, pp. 1-2; Country visit Finland, Advisory Board for Civil Society, Human 

Rights Center. 

115   As stipulated in the current version of the guidelines on stakeholder engagement in legislative drafting.  
116   For example the Border Security Act. 
117   Finnish Chamber of Commerce (2025), written input, p. 1; Confederation of Finnish Industries (2025), 

written input, p. 1. 

118   Figure 54, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard.  
119   Finnish Chamber of Commerce (2025), written input, p. 2; Confederation of Finnish Industries (2025), 

written input, p. 2. 

120   Figure 60, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
121   Figure  49,  2025  EU  Justice  Scoreboard.  The  data  presented  reflects  exclusively  the  mechanisms  in 
place at the level of the highest administrative jurisdictions; the same or other mechanisms may be in 
place at lower instance administrative courts. 

122   For an explanation of the supervision process, see the website of the Council of Europe.   
123   All  figures  calculated  by  the  European  Implementation  Network  (EIN)  and  based  on  the  number  of 
cases  that  are  considered  pending  at  the  annual  cut-off  date  of  1  January  2025.  EIN  (2025),  written 
input, pp. 3-4. 

124   Judgment of the ECtHR, 11828/11, Nykanen v. Finland, pending implementation since 2012.  
125   Council of Europe (2025), p. 156.   
126   Data according to the online database of the Council of Europe (HUDOC). 

 
 
 
space in Finland remains to be considered “open”127. In the context of austerity measures, 
the  Government  has  envisaged  cuts  in  governmental  grants  for  2025128,  reaching  up  to 
30% in certain sectors129. Stakeholders expressed concerns in this regard, noting that civil 
society organisations depend, to a large extent, on public funds130. The Government has 
expressed  its  readiness  to  further  engage  in  a  dialogue  in  this  regard,  which  is  seen  as 
positive  by  stakeholders131.  The  budget  allocated  to  the  National  Human  Rights 
Institution  for  2025  has  slightly  increased132.  Some  stakeholders  noted  an  ongoing 
change of narrative on the role of civil society actors. They also  reported on a recently 
increasing 
trend  of  statements  of  some  politicians  openly  criticising  certain 
institutions133.  Stakeholders  welcome  the  fact  that  the  idea  of  merging  the  tasks  of 
specialised  ombudsman  institutions  has  been  abandoned  since  keeping  them  separate 
will, in their view, allow for a more effective protection of rights. 

127   CIVICUS (2024). 
128   Finnish Government (2025), written input, pp. 31-32. 
129   Country visit Finland, Advisory Board for Civil Society Policy. 
130   Country visit Finland, Advisory Board for Civil Society Policy. 
131   Country visit Finland, Advisory Board for Civil Society Policy, Amnesty International, Demla, Human 

Rights Centre. 

132   Finnish Government (2025), written input, p. 26. 
133   Such as the deputy Chancellor of Justice, Equality Ombudsman and Child Ombudsman. Country visit 

Finland, Parliamentary Ombudsman, Human Rights Centre. 

 
 
 
 
Annex I: List of sources in alphabetical order* 

* The list of contributions received in the context of the consultation for the 2025 Rule of Law 
report can be found at https://commission.europa.eu/publications/2025-rule-law-report-targeted-
stakeholder-consultation_en.  

Arts  Promotion  Centre  Finland  (2025),  Taike  and  Kavi  are  preparing  to  merge  (Taike  ja  Kavi 
valmistelevat yhdistymistä), https://www.taike.fi/fi/taike-ja-kavi-valmistelevat-yhdistymista. 

Centre  for  Media  Pluralism  and  Media  Freedom  (2025),  Monitoring  Media  Pluralism  in  the 
Digital  Era  in  the  year  2024,Country  report:  Finland,  https://cmpf.eui.eu/projects/media-
pluralism-monitor/. 

CIVICUS (2024), Finland, https://monitor.civicus.org/country/finland/. 

Council  of  Bars  and  Law  Societies  of  Europe  (2025),  written  input  for  the  2025  Rule  of  Law 
Report. 

Confederation of Finnish Industries (2025), written input for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

Council of Europe (2024), The Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents 
(CETS 
https://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list?module=treaty-
No. 205), 
detail&treatynum=205. 

Council  of  Europe  Platform  to  promote  the  protection  of  journalism  and  safety  of  journalists 
(2025), Finland, https://fom.coe.int/en/pays/detail/11709508. 

Council  of  Europe:  Committee  of  Ministers  (2025),  Supervision  of  the  execution  of  judgments 
and decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, 18th Annual Report of the Committee of 
Ministers, https://rm.coe.int/gbr-2001-18e-rapport-annuel-2024/1680b4d77d. 

Demla (2025), written input for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

Deputy Chancellor of Justice (2020), review of instruction to the police by the National Police 
Board of Finland. 

Directorate-General  for  Communication  (2025),  Flash  Eurobarometer  557  on  businesses’ 
attitudes towards corruption in the EU.  

Directorate-General for Communication (2025), Special Eurobarometer 561 on citizens’ attitudes 
towards corruption in the EU. 

European  Commission  (2024),  2024  Rule  of  Law  Report,  Country  Chapter  on  the  rule  of  law 
situation in Finland. 

European Commission (2024), 2024 EU Justice Scoreboard. 

European Commission (2024), 2023 Single Market and Competitiveness Scoreboard. 

European Commission (2025), 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 

European  Court  of  Human  Rights,  judgement  of  20  August  2014,  Nykanen  v.  Finland, 
11828/11. 

European Implementation Network (EIN) (2025), written input for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) (2025), 2024 Annual Report, EPPO Annual Report 
2024_2.pdf. 

 
 
Finnish Chamber of Commerce (2025), written input for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

Finnish  Council  for  Mass  Media  (2024),  Journalist’s  Guidelines,  https://jsn.fi/en/journalists-
guidelines/. 

Finnish Council for Mass Media (2024), Journalist’s Guidelines Application Guide (Journalistin 
ohjeiden soveltamisopas) https://jsn.fi/journalistin-ohjeet/soveltamisopas/. 

Finnish  Council  for  Mass  Media  (2025),  Annual  Report  for  2024  (Julkisen  sanan  neuvoston 
Toimintakertomus 
https://jsn.fi/wp-
2024), 
content/uploads/2025/03/JSN_vuosikertomus_2024.pdf. 

Finnish Government (2024), Need to develop the bribery criminal code (Lahjusrikossäännöstön 
kehittämistarpeita), https://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/handle/10024/165674. 

Finnish Government (2025), written input for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

Finnish  Government  (2025),  Government  Resolution  on  the  National  Anti-Corruption  Strategy 
and Action Plan 2025-2027. https://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/handle/10024/166362. 

Finnish Media Federation (2024), Yleisradio's funding should be directed to the core mission of 
public  service 
julkisen  palvelun  ydintehtävään), 
https://www.medialiitto.fi/uutiset/yleisradion-rahoitus-tulee-ohjata-julkisen-palvelun-
ydintehtavaan/. 

(Yleisradion  rahoitus 

tulee  ohjata 

Finnish Union of Journalists (2024), Revised Journalist Guidelines effective from the beginning 
alusta), 
journalistin 
of 
https://journalistiliitto.fi/fi/uudistetut-journalistin-ohjeet-voimaan-lokakuun-alusta/. 

(Uudistetut 

lokakuun 

voimaan 

October 

ohjeet 

Finnish Union of Journalists (2024a), Union of Journalists: Government’s decision to support the 
Council  for  Mass  Media  is  correct  (Journalistiliitto:  Hallituksen  päätös  tukea  julkisen  sanan 
neuvostoa 
https://journalistiliitto.fi/fi/journalistiliitto-hallituksen-paatos-tukea-
julkisen-sanan-neuvostoa-on-oikea/. 

oikea), 

on 

Finnish  Union  of  Journalists  (2024b),  Union  of  Journalists:  Yle’s  layoffs  have  a  significant 
irtisanomisten  vaikutus 
impact  on  media  and  domestic  culture  (Journalistiliitto:  Ylen 
tiedonvälitykseen 
merkittävä) 
https://journalistiliitto.fi/fi/journalistiliitto-ylen-irtisanomisten-vaikutus-tiedonvalitykseen-ja-
kotimaiseen-kulttuuriin-on-merkittava/. 

kotimaiseen 

kulttuuriin 

on 

ja 

Finnish  Union  of  Journalists  (2025),  Yleradio  layoffs  weaken  the  voice  of  the  provinces 
(Yleisradion irtisanomiset heikentävät maakuntien ääntä) https://journalistiliitto.fi/fi/yleisradion-
irtisanomiset-heikentavat-maakuntien-aanta/. 

Government  Office  (2022),  Corruption  in  international  business,  Current  state  of  regulation, 
application  practice  and 
for  change,  (Lahjonta  kansainvälisessä 
liiketoiminnassa:  Sääntelyn,  soveltamiskäytännön  ja  koulutuksen  nykytila  ja  muutostarpeet), 
https://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/handle/10024/163811. 

training  and  needs 

GRECO  (2018),  Fifth  Evaluation  Round  –  Evaluation  Report  on  Finland  on  preventing 
corruption  and  promoting  integrity  in  central  governments  (top  executive  functions)  and  law 
enforcement agencies, Fifth Round Evaluation.  

GRECO  (2020),  Fifth  Evaluation  Round  –  Compliance  Report  on  Finland  on  preventing 
corruption  and  promoting  integrity  in  central  governments  (top  executive  functions)  and  law 
enforcement agencies, GRECO. 

 
 
GRECO (2023), Fifth Evaluation Round – Second Compliance Report on Finland on preventing 
corruption  and  promoting  integrity  in  central  governments  (top  executive  functions)  and  law 
enforcement agencies, GRECO.  

GRECO  (2024),  Fifth  Evaluation  Round  –  Addendum  to  the  Second  Compliance  Report  on 
Finland on preventing corruption and promoting integrity in central governments (top executive 
functions) and law enforcement agencies, GRECO. 

Journalisti (2025), Journalists experience increased harassment and pressure (Journalistit kokevat 
häirinnän 
voimakkaammiksi), 
https://journalisti.fi/artikkelit/2025/02/journalistit-kokevat-hairinnan-ja-painostuksen-aiempaa-
voimakkaammiksi/. 

painostuksen 

aiempaa 

ja 

Media Freedom Rapid Response (2025), Monitor – Finland, https://www.mfrr.eu/monitor/. 

Ministry of Justice (2023), The Working Group proposes a reform of the Act on the Openness of 
Government 
uudistettavaksi), 
(Työryhmä 
https://oikeusministerio.fi/-/tyoryhma-ehdottaa-julkisuuslakia-uudistettavaksi. 

julkisuuslakia 

Activities 

ehdottaa 

National  Administration  of  Courts  (2025),  additional  written  input  for  the  2025  Rule  of  Law 
Report. 

National Audit Office of Finland (2022), Report on the oversight of political party funding 2022, 
National Audit Office's report to Parliament on the oversight of the funding of political parties in 
2022.  

National  Audit  Office  of  Finland  (2022),  Proposed  amendments to  the  Electoral  and  Party  Act 
will significantly improve transparency y (Vaali- ja puoluelakiin ehdotetut muutokset parantavat 
merkittävästi  avoimuutta)  Proposed  amendments  to  the  Election  Act  and  the  Act  on  Political 
Parties will significantly improve transparency - National Audit Office of Finland. 

National Police Board (2025), additional written input for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

Police of Finland (2024), Police Anticorruption Policy, https://poliisi.fi/en/police-anticorruption-
policy. 

Public  Media  Alliance  (2024),    Yle  faces  structural  changes  and  major  budget  cuts, 
https://www.publicmediaalliance.org/yle-faces-structural-changes-and-major-budget-cuts/. 

Transparency International (2025), Corruption Perceptions Index 2024. 

Transparency International Finland (2025), written input for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

Transparency Register (2025), https://avoimuusrekisteri.fi/en. 

renewed 

Traficom (2024), The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom's organisation is 
uudistuu), 
being 
https://www.traficom.fi/fi/ajankohtaista/liikenne-ja-viestintavirasto-traficomin-organisaatio-
uudistuu. 

viestintävirasto  Traficomin 

organisaatio 

(Liikenne- 

ja 

Yle (2024), The government intends to make employee legal expenses paid by the employer tax-
exempt  (Hallitus  aikoo  muuttaa 
työntekijän  oikeudenkäyntikulut 
verovapaiksi), https://yle.fi/a/74-20120436. 

työnantajan  maksamat 

Yle  (2025a),  Yle  begins  new  change  negotiations  (Yle  aloittaa  uudet  muutosneuvottelut), 
https://yle.fi/a/74-20156500. 

 
 
Yle  (2025b),  Ylen  muutosneuvottelut  ohi  –  henkilöstömäärä  vähenee  lähes  neljälläkymmenellä 
(Yle's  change  negotiations  over  –  staff  numbers  will  be  reduced  by  almost 
forty) 
https://yle.fi/aihe/a/20-10008768. 

National legislation 

Act No. 834/2024 amending section 3 of the Act on the State Television and Radio Fund. 

Act No. 691/2024 amending the Act on the Value Added Tax. 

Act  No.  482/2024,  on  Temporary  Measures  to  Combat  Instrumentalised  Migration  (‘Border 
Security Act’). 

Act No. 430/2023, Transparency Register Act. 

Act No. 673/2016, Court’s Act. 

Act No. 1015/2005, on the Mediation of Criminal Matters and Certain Civil Matters. 

Act No. 257/2002, Legal Aid Act. 

Government proposal HE 90/2024 vp. 

Government proposal HE 190/2024 vp. 

Government proposal HE 34/2025 vp. 

 
 
 
 
 
Annex II: Country visit to Finland 

The Commission services held virtual meetings in March 2025 with: 

•  Advisory Board for Civil Society Policy 
•  Amnesty International Finland 
•  Anti-corruption Cooperation Network 
•  Chancellor of Justice 
•  Confederation of Finnish Industries (replies received in writing) 
•  Council for Mass Media in Finland 
•  Demla 
•  Financial Intelligence Unit 
•  Finnish Association of Judges 
•  Finnish Bar Association 
•  Finnish Chamber of Commerce (replies received in writing) 
•  Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority 
•  Finnish Media Association 
•  Human Rights Centre 
•  Ministry of Finance 
•  Ministry of the Interior 
•  Ministry of Justice 
•  Ministry of Transport and Communications 
•  National Audiovisual Institute 
•  National Bureau of Investigation 
•  National Courts Administration 
•  National Police Board 
•  National Prosecution Authority 
•  Parliamentary Constitutional Law Committee 
•  Parliamentary Ombudsman 
•  Prime Minister’s Office 
•  Supreme Administrative Court 
•  Supreme Court 
•  Traficom 
•  Transparency International Finland 
•  Union of Finnish Journalists 
•  Yleisradio Oy 

*  The  Commission  also  met  the  following  organisations  in  a  number  of  horizontal 
meetings:  

•  Amnesty International  
•  Araminta  
•  Civil Liberties Union for Europe   
•  Civil Society Europe   
•  European Civic Forum   
•  European Partnership for Democracy  
•  European Youth Forum,  

 
 
 
International Commission of Jurists   
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)  

• 
• 
•  JEF Europe  
•  Philea – Philanthropy Europe Association.  
•  Transparency International