COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2026 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 2026 Rule of Law Report The rule of law situation in the European Union
Date: 2026-07-17
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  Brussels, 17.7.2026  SWD(2026) 926 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2026 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 2026 Rule of Law Report                                     The rule of law situation in the European Union {COM(2026) 900 final} - {SWD(2026) 901 final} - {SWD(2026) 902 final} - {SWD(2026) 903 final} - {SWD(2026) 904 final} - {SWD(2026) 905 final} - {SWD(2026) 906 final} - {SWD(2026) 907 final} - {SWD(2026) 908 final} - {SWD(2026) 909 final} - {SWD(2026) 910 final} - {SWD(2026) 911 final} - {SWD(2026) 912 final} - {SWD(2026) 913 final} - {SWD(2026) 914 final} - {SWD(2026) 915 final} - {SWD(2026) 916 final} - {SWD(2026) 917 final} - {SWD(2026) 918 final} - {SWD(2026) 919 final} - {SWD(2026) 920 final} - {SWD(2026) 921 final} - {SWD(2026) 922 final} - {SWD(2026) 923 final} - {SWD(2026) 924 final} - {SWD(2026) 925 final} - {SWD(2026) 927 final} - {SWD(2026) 928 final} - {SWD(2026) 929 final} - {SWD(2026) 930 final} - {SWD(2026) 931 final}  
 
 
ABSTRACT 

The  level  of  perceived  judicial  independence  in  Finland  continues  to  be  very  high  among 
both the general public and companies. The working group aiming to strengthen the  justice 
system  continued  its  work.  Constitutional  amendments  are  being  prepared  to  further 
safeguard  the  independence  of  the  judiciary.  Limited  steps  were  taken  on  the  issue  of  the 
appointment  of  lay  judges.  The  remuneration  system  for  lower  court  judges  is  being 
reviewed.  The  process  of  digitalisation  of  the  justice  system  continues,  while  gaps  remain. 
Reforms to the legal aid system are under consideration. The length of proceedings increased, 
despite  streamlining  efforts  and  temporary  additional  funding  for  the  judiciary  which  will 
come to an end. 

The implementation of the 2025-2027 Anti-Corruption Strategy and Action Plan is ongoing. 
Cooperation between the competent  institutions has been strengthened further, with  a focus 
on prevention. Steps have been taken to prepare legislative proposals to criminalise trading in 
influence and revise the provisions on foreign  bribery.  Post-employment rules for members 
of the Government were adopted and key anti-corruption and integrity promotion guidelines 
for  ministers  are  planned  to  be  compiled  into  a  code  of  conduct  in  the  course  of  2026. 
Financial  information  on  lobbying  activities  will  be  reported  to  the  Finnish  Transparency 
Register  for  the  first  time  in  July–August  2026.  The  election  and  party  funding  legislation 
was  amended  and  training  on  whistleblower  protection  in  the  public  administration  has 
continued. Work continues to develop legislative and policy measures to address corruption 
risks in public procurement and to strengthen corruption risk assessment in other vulnerable 
sectors. 

The national regulatory authority (Traficom) has been assigned new tasks with the entry into 
force of a new act  for monitoring the media market, leading to concrete structural changes. 
The Council of Mass Media’s funding was reduced as part of a series of austerity measures 
by  the  Government,  while  facing  an  increasing  number  of  complaints.  The  amendments  to 
the  Act  on  the  Finnish  Broadcasting  Company  entered  into  force,  aiming  to  strengthen  the 
public  service  media’  independence.  However,  the  broadcaster’s  funding  was  reduced  in 
2024-2027,  which  led  to  the  implementation  of  a  savings  programme.  Two  studies  were 
commissioned  by  the  Government  following  the  review  of  changes  to  the  Act  on  the 
Openness of Government activities and a new working group will be set up to prepare a new 
proposal  for  the  next  Government  term.  Overall,  the  framework  for  the  protection  of 
journalists has remained stable in Finland.  

The  law-making  process  is  overall  inclusive,  though  areas  for  improvement  remain.  Civic 
space  continues  to  be  considered  open,  while  some  stakeholders  still  highlight  challenges 
with funding.  

1 

 
 
 
 
 
RECOMMENDATIONS 

Overall, based on the recommendations in  the 2025 Rule of Law Report, considering other 
developments  that  took  place  in  the  period  of  reference,  the  Commission  concludes  the 
following:  

•  Limited progress has been made on the recommendation related to the appointment of lay 
judges, as the working group on Rule of Law Guarantees and Development of the Judicial 
System continues to examine the issue and is expected to publish a memorandum of its 
work by end of 2026. It is therefore recommended to Finland to advance the reform of the 
system of lay judges, taking into account European standards on judicial independence.    
•  As gaps remain in the digitalisation of judicial proceedings, it is recommended to Finland 
to  take further steps to  improve the digitalisation  of  justice, including  by improving  the 
availability of digital tools to initiate and follow proceedings online. 

•  Some  progress  has  been  made  on  strengthening  the  integrity  and  accountability 
framework  applicable  to  ministers  and  other  persons  entrusted  with  top  executive 
functions,  as  post-employment  rules  for  members  of  the  Government  were  adopted  and 
the Anti-Corruption Strategy and Action Plan envisage compiling the key anti-corruption 
and  integrity  promotion  guidelines  for  ministers  into  a  dedicated  single  document  in 
2026.  Since  the  adoption  of  the  code  of  conduct  is  still  pending,  it  is  recommended  to 
Finland 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. 

•  Limited  progress  has  been  made  on  advancing  with  the  reform  of  the  Act  on  the 
Openness  of  Government  Activities,  as  two  studies  are  being  commissioned  and  a 
working group is expected to be set up to prepare a legislative proposal. Since the reform 
remains under review, it is recommended to Finland to 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.  

As regards the other 2025 recommendations, the Commission concludes that: 

•  Limited progress has been made on the recommendation to take forward the revision of 
the  criminal  offence  of  foreign  bribery,  as  a  working  group  was  set  up  to  draft  the 
relevant  legislation  in  the  context  of  transposing  the  EU  Anti-Corruption  Directive. 
Monitoring of further developments in this area will continue in the Rule of Law Report. 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
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,  85%  of  the  general  population  and  of 
companies  perceived  the  level  of  independence  of  courts  and  judges  to  be  ‘fairly  or  very 
good’ in 20262. The perceived judicial independence among the general public has decreased 
in comparison with 2025 (89%) and has slightly decreased in comparison with 2022 (88%). 
The  perceived  judicial  independence  among  companies  has  decreased  in  comparison  with 
2025 (90%) and has slightly decreased in comparison with 2022 (87%).  

The  working  group  aiming  to  strengthen  the  justice  system  continued  its  work.  The 
working  group  ‘Rule  of  Law  Guarantees  and  Development  of  the  Judicial  System’  and  its 
subgroup  ‘Constitutional  Guarantees  for  the  Independence  of  the  Judiciary’  continued  their 
activities3.  These  included  assessing  whether  the  current  Constitution  and  legislative 
framework  can  sufficiently  safeguard  the  independence  of  the  judiciary  and  proposing 
possible  legislative  amendments  as  deemed  necessary4.  The  working  group  has  undertaken 
substantial  work  under  27  different  project  groups,  each  of  which  is  preparing  a 
memorandum  of  their  work,  including  proposals  for  legislative  amendments.  These 
memoranda are expected to be published by the end of 2026 and will be submitted for public 
consultation5. While welcoming the efforts of the working group, stakeholders stress the need 
for sustained political  commitment so that the working  group’s proposals  can be integrated 
into the next Government’s programme6. 

Constitutional amendments to further safeguard the independence of the judiciary are 
in preparation. The working group on Constitutional Guarantees for the Independence of the 
Judiciary  prepared  a  draft  memorandum  in  October  2025  proposing  constitutional 
amendments  with  the  aim  of  strengthening  the  independence  of  the  judiciary.  The  draft 
memorandum focuses on the court administration, the number of judges in highest courts, the 
right for judges to remain in office, the procedure for appointing judges and safeguarding the 
autonomy  of  the  prosecution  service.  In  March  2026,  the  Venice  Commission  gave  an 
opinion on the draft memorandum7 which broadly welcomed the proposed draft amendments 
as  contributing  to  strengthening  the  formal  basis  of  the  independence  of  the  judiciary  at 
constitutional  level8.  Following  the  opinion,  the  working  group  is  set  to  continue  the 
preparatory  work 
including  proposals  for  constitutional 
amendments,  in  which  also  other  topics  not  yet  included  in  the  draft  memorandum  are 
expected  to  be  reflected,  including  the  right  to  independent  legal  advice9.  While  the  work 

towards  a  memorandum, 

1  An overview of the institutional framework for all four pillars can be found here.  
2   Figures 48 and 50, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard and Figures 51 and 53, 2024 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   2025  Rule  of  Law  Report,  Finland,  p.  4.  The  working  group  was  set  up  by  the  Ministry  of  Justice  in 

February 2023. 

4   Finnish Government (2026a), written input, p. 27. 
5   Country visit Finland, Ministry of Justice. 
6   Country visit Finland, Supreme Court, Supreme Administrative Court, Association of Judges, Finnish Bar 

Association, Human Rights Centre, and Amnesty International Finland. 

7   Working Group on Constitutional Guarantees for the Independence of the Judiciary (2025). 
8   Venice Commission (2026). 
9   Country visit Finland, Supreme Court, and Finnish Bar Association. 

3 

 
 
preparing  the  constitutional  amendments  is  overall  welcomed  by  stakeholders10,  some 
regretted  that  issues  such  as  availability  of  ex-post  constitutional  review  are  not  included, 
noting that currently courts can only disregard unconstitutional laws in cases of an “evident” 
conflict,  reducing  constitutional  oversight11.  This  issue  was  also  noted  by  the  Venice 
Commission12. The preparatory work on the constitutional amendments is expected to serve 
for the preparation of a possible government proposal during the next Government’s term13. 

Limited progress has been made on the recommendation to reform the appointment of 
lay judges14. Lay judges, who currently serve in certain civil and serious criminal cases, are 
appointed by political parties, with the number of appointments determined by local election 
results.  Reforming  the  lay  judge  system  is  under  consideration  by  the  Ministry  of  Justice, 
which conducted consultations on an assessment report examining alternatives for the system 
and published a summary of the consultation results in September 202515. The consultations 
showed  that  abandoning  the  institution  of  lay  judges  is  widely  supported16  and  that  the 
current system of appointments is seen as problematic for the independence of the judiciary17. 
Although  the  Supreme  Court  has  not  identified  constitutional  barriers  to  abolishing  the  lay 
judge system before its current term ends in 202918, the cost of reform is expected to be an 
obstacle  to  change19.  At  the  same  time,  placing  more  emphasis  on  the  role  of  professional 
judges at the courts of first instance is seen as an opportunity to reduce the number of cases 
appealed20. The question of the lay judge system continues to be debated in one of the project 
groups  set  up  by  the  working  group  on  Rule  of  Law  Guarantees  and  Development  of  the 
Judicial  System,  which  is  examining  the  rules  regarding  the  composition  of  the  general 
courts.  The  project  group  has  held  several  meetings,  including  to  examine  proposals  to 
abolish  the  lay  judge  system  and  expanding  the use  of  panels  of  multiple  judges  in  serious 
criminal cases and expanding the powers of single judges in the Court of Appeal21. The issue 
of the lay judge system is also considered by the working group on Constitutional Guarantees 
for the Independence of the Judiciary22. In light of the current situation, limited progress has 
been made on the recommendation. 

10   Country visit Finland, Supreme Court, and Finnish Bar Association. 
11   Country visit Finland, Human Rights Centre, Amnesty International Finland, and Demla. 
12   Venice Commission (2026). The opinion noted that excluding this issue from the scope of the mandate of 

the working group is a missed opportunity. 

13   Finnish  Government  (2026b),  additional  written  input.  Under  the  normal  constitutional  procedure, 
constitutional  amendments  require  the  approval  of  two  consecutive  governments  which  would  mean  that 
the amendments would come into force earliest in 2031. 

14   The 2025 Rule of Law Report recommended to Finland to “[r]eform the appointment of lay judges, taking 
into account European standards on judicial independence.” Limited progress was previously assessed on 
this recommendation in 2025. 

15   Ministry of Justice (2025a) and Ministry of Justice (2025b). 
16   Ministry of Justice (2025b) and Finnish Government (2026a), written input, p. 1. 
17   Country  visit  Finland,  Supreme  Court,  National  Courts  Administration,  Demla,  and  the  Federation  of 

Finnish Enterprises. European Association of Judges (2026), p. 7. 

18   Country  visit  Finland,  Supreme  Court.  This  was  also  noted  by  the  assessment  report  by  the  Ministry  of 
Justice, which stated that there is no need to link the timing of the abolition of the lay judge system to the 
lay judges’ term of office. Ministry of Justice (2025a) p. 64. 

19   Country  visit  Finland,  Supreme  Court,  National  Courts  Administration,  Finnish  Bar  Association,  and 

Demla. 

20   Country visit Finland, Supreme Court, and Demla. 
21   Finnish Government (2026b), additional written input. 
22   Working Group on Constitutional Guarantees for the Independence of the Judiciary (2025), pp. 61-63.  

4 

 
 
Quality  

The  remuneration  system  for  lower  court  judges  is  under  discussion.  The  National 
Courts Administration is reviewing the remuneration system for lower court judges23, which 
sets  out  that  the  salaries  of  District  Court  judges  are  established  by  a  collective  agreement 
while  the  salaries  of  Supreme  Court  judges  are  established  by  law.  The  Finnish  Judges’ 
Association has called for all judges’ salaries to be established by law with a view to better 
guaranteeing the independence of judges, as well as for an explicit reference  to be added in 
the  Constitution  that  the  remuneration  of  judges  must  be  sufficient  to  ensure  their 
independence24. The Association further pointed at emerging trends of judges supplementing 
their income through side employment or leaving the judiciary for private sector roles where 
significantly  higher  earnings  are  offered25.  Fixed  term  contracts  for  judges,  instead  of 
permanent  positions,  continue  to  be  used  particularly  in  lower  courts,  due  to  the  current 
budgetary situation of the judiciary26. At the same time, budget constraints are seen to restrict 
the  National  Courts  Administration’s  capacity  to  effectively  respond  to  the  needs  of  the 
judiciary, including as regards providing relevant training27.  

Steps  have  been  taken  towards  further  digitalisation  of  the  justice  system  while  gaps 
remain.  E-services  for  citizens  were  rolled  out  for  divorce  cases  with  over  80%  of  new 
filings  now  handled  electronically,  and  it  is  planned  to  expand  this  also  to  other  civil, 
commercial,  and  criminal  matters  by  the  end  of  202628.  Finland  does  not  yet  have  digital 
solutions  for  initiating  and  following  proceedings  in  civil,  commercial  and  administrative 
cases,  and  not  all  steps  in  judicial  proceedings  can  be  carried  out  online,  including  paying 
court  fees  and  tracking  ongoing  cases29.  The  reliance  on  manual  processes,  such  as  the 
storage  of  documents  in  court  systems  and  their  transmission  to  litigants,  is  seen  to  reduce 
procedural  efficiency.  Since  citizens  and  their  legal  representatives  have  no  direct  digital 
access, they must request case updates from courts, which adds to the workload of an already 
strained  judiciary30.  At  the  same  time,  the  planned  electronic  portal  for  lawyers  and  legal 
representatives  remains  pending  while  some  functions  are  planned  to  be  made  available  by 
the end of 202631. The portal is seen as an important tool both for improving court efficiency 
as well as for ensuring equality of arms in criminal proceedings32.  

Reforms  to  the  legal  aid  system  are  under  consideration.  The  National  Legal  Services 
Authority proposed changes to  its  organisational structure, aiming  to  strengthen operational 
efficiency, enhance service consistency, and improve resource allocation, while adjusting to a 
reduced  budget33.  Stakeholders  continued  to  note  concerns  over  the  low  level  of  legal  aid 

23   Country visit Finland, National Courts Administration, and Finnish Association of Judges. 
24   Finnish Association of Judges (2026). 
25   Country visit Finland, Finnish Association of Judges. European Association of Judges (2026), p. 24. 
26   Country visit Finland, Supreme Administrative Court, and Finnish Association of Judges. 
27   Country  visit  Finland,  Finnish  Association  of  Judges,  and  National  Courts  Administration.  European 

Association of Judges (2026), p. 29. 

28   Finnish  Government  (2026a),  written  input  p.  7.  Country  visit  Finland,  Ministry  of  Justice,  and  National 

Courts Administration. 

29  Figure 44, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
30   Finnish Bar Association (2026), written input p. 3-4. 
31   Country visit Finland, National Courts Administration. 
32   Finnish Bar Association (2026), written input p. 3. 
33   The operating expenses of the National Legal Services Authority have been permanently reduced by EUR 
4.69 million. In addition, the 2026 budget proposal includes an EUR 1.28 million cut. In February 2026, the 
National  Legal  Services  Authority  gave  its  proposal  to  the  Ministry  of  Justice.  National  Legal  Services 
Authority (2026). 

5 

 
 
fees34, despite the increase of legal aid fees for private practitioners introduced in 202535. The 
Government  noted  that  changes  to  the  conditions  for  granting  legal  aid  with  the  aim  of 
improving access to legal aid are under consideration36.  

Efficiency 

Latest  figures  indicate  a  notable  increase  in  length  of  certain  proceedings  despite  a 
temporary increase in budget and streamlining efforts. The time taken to reach a decision 
in  litigious  civil  and  commercial  cases  at  first  instance  courts  continued  to  grow,  from  349 
days  in  2023  to  464  days  in  202437.  The  processing  times  continued  to  lengthen  despite 
temporary  additional  funding  for  the  judiciary  between  2024-202638,  and  concerns  are 
growing  over  case  delays  and  resource  constraints39.  The  termination  of  the  supplementary 
budget and overall budget cuts risk increasing delays40. The length of proceedings is seen as 
more  acute  in  the  capital  region,  and  the  working  group  on  Rule  of  Law  Guarantees  and 
Development  of  the  Judicial  System  is  discussing  the  possibility  of  distributing  cases  more 
equally  across  the  country41.  At  the  same  time,  the  Government  introduced  measures  to 
streamline criminal proceedings, for instance by expanding the scope of written proceedings, 
easing  attendance  requirements,  and  strengthening  prosecutor-investigator  cooperation42. 
While  the  new  measures  are  seen  as  potentially  beneficial  for  the  efficiency  of  the 
proceedings43, hesitations remain on their effectiveness44, and stakeholders stress the need to 
ensure that these measures do not compromise the right to an effective remedy45. The length 
of  proceedings  is  seen  by  stakeholders  to  hinder  access  to  justice  also  for  business46,  who 
would like to see small claims procedure extended to all small value claims47, as opposed to 
the current limited scope only covering rental disputes. Business representatives further note 

34   Finnish Bar Association (2026), written input p. 2. 
35   The legal aid fee was raised from EUR 110 to EUR 120 per hour.  
36   Finnish Government (2026a), written input p. 3. 
37   Figure 5, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
38   Increase  of 30 million in 2024, 65 million in 2025 and 80 million in 2026. Finnish Government (2026a), 

written input pp. 4-5.  

39   Finnish  Bar  Association  (2026),  written  input  p.  4,  Country  visit  Finland,  Supreme  Court,  Supreme 
Administrative  Court,  National  Prosecution  Authority,  National  Courts  Administration,  Parliamentary 
Ombudsman, Finnish Association of Judges, Finnish Bar Association, Confederation of Finnish Industries, 
Federation  of  Finnish  Enterprises,  Finnish  Competition  and  Consumer  Authority,  and  Human  Rights 
Centre.  In  2025,  the  Government  paid  compensation  for  case  delays  in  158  cases,  up  from  102  cases  in 
2024 and 85 cases in 2023. Country visit Finland, Finnish Association of Judges. European Association of 
Judges (2026), p. 20 and p. 22. 

40   Finnish  Bar  Association  (2026),  written  input  p.  3.  Country  visit  Finland,  Finnish  Association  of  Judges. 
National Courts Administration notes that according to the Ministry of Finance's proposal, the funding for 
courts for 2027 is approximately 19 million euros less than before. This corresponds to approximately 270 
person-years in the court system. National Courts Administration (2026). 

41   Country visit Finland, Finnish Association of Judges. European Association of Judges (2026), p. 18. 
42   Finnish Government (2026a), written input, pp. 8-9. 
43   Country visit Finland, National Prosecution Authority. 
44   Country visit Finland, National Courts Administration, Finnish Bar Association and Finnish Association of 

Judges. 

45   Country visit Finland, Finnish Bar Association and Finnish Association of Judges. The Finnish Association 
of Judges also sees it as problematic that, according to the association, perceived savings from efficiency 
measures  seem  to  be  directly  cut  from  court  budgets,  risking  longer  case  processing  times  rather  than 
systemic improvement. 

46   Country visit Finland, Finland Chamber of Commerce, Confederation of Finnish Industries and Federation 

of Finnish Enterprises. 

47   Country visit Finland, Federation of Finnish Enterprises. 

6 

 
 
that  applicants  bear  a  disproportionate  share  of  legal  costs  in  administrative  appeals 
regardless of the outcome of the appeal, as reimbursement remains limited in practice48. 

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  2025  Corruption  Perceptions  Index  by 
Transparency International, Finland scores 88/100 and ranks 2nd in the European Union and 
2nd  globally49.  This  perception  has  been  stable  over  the  past  five  years50.  The  2026  Special 
Eurobarometer on Corruption shows that 25% of respondents consider corruption widespread 
in  their  country  (EU  average  71%)  and  8%  of  respondents  feel  personally  affected  by 
corruption in their daily lives (EU average 30%). As regards businesses, 24% of companies 
consider that corruption is widespread (EU average 65%) and 16% consider that corruption is 
a  problem  when  doing  business  (EU  average  37%).  Furthermore,  45%  of  respondents  find 
that  there  are  enough  successful  prosecutions  to  deter  people  from  corrupt  practices  (EU 
average 38%), while 54% of companies believe that people and businesses caught for bribing 
a senior official are appropriately punished (EU average 31%)51. 

The  implementation  of  the  2025-2027  Anti-Corruption  Strategy  and  Action  Plan  is 
ongoing.  Implementation  of  the  Strategy  is  well  underway,  with  certain  actions  already 
completed52. An inter-ministerial preparation and steering group appointed by the Ministry of 
Justice  monitors  the  implementation  and  reports  on  the  progress  to  the  ministerial  working 
group on internal security and administration of justice53. The state of implementation of the 
2021-2023 Strategy and Action Plan was assessed in a final report published by the Ministry 
of  Justice.  Additionally,  the  National  Audit  Office  assessed  the  impact  of  the  strategic 
framework  in  the  context  of  a  performance  audit  on  the  capacity  of  central  government  to 
effectively  combat  corruption54.  Implementation  of  the  Strategy  is  well  underway,  with 
certain actions already completed. The first national corruption situation report, which tracks 
progress with the Action Plan, was published in May 202655. The National Anti-Corruption 
Cooperation Network’s mandate was renewed for the period 2025-2027 and the network held 
its first meeting in November 202556.  

48   Country visit Finland, Finland Chamber of Commerce and Confederation of Finnish Industries. 
49   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). 

50   In 2021 the score was 88, while, in 2025, the score was also 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. 

51   Data from special Eurobarometer 561 (2025). Flash Eurobarometer 557 (2025). 
52     Finnish Government (2025a). 
53   This includes, for instance, measure 6.1.2 “Prepare a comparative report on the state of the public service 

ethical code in central government”. Finnish Government (2026a), written input, p. 11. 

54   The Government report details the measures that were taken under each of the six areas of action. Finnish 
Government (2025c).  Moreover, a 2025 National Audit Office performance audit found that that corruption 
risk assessment is not well established, while in some organisations there was uncertainty about reporting 
suspected  cases  of  corruption.  It  recommended  strengthening  risk  assessment  and  management  and  the 
dissemination  of  good  anti-corruption  practices  in  the  central  government.  Finnish  Government  (2026b), 
additional written input. 

55  The  situation  report  also  provides  survey  data  and  statistics  on  corruption  offences.  Finnish  Government 

(2026b), additional written input.  

56   The  Anti-Corruption  Cooperation  Network  was  established  in  2002  and  is  comprised  of  ministries,  law 
enforcement  and  oversight  bodies,  representatives  of  local  authorities,  representatives  of  civil  society, 

7 

 
 
Cooperation between institutions responsible for the fight against corruption has been 
strengthened  further,  with  a  focus  on  prevention  activities.  The  National  Bureau  of 
Investigation,  the  Tax  Authority  and  the  Competition  and  Consumer  Authority  have 
strengthened their cooperation in the field of corruption prevention. A project between these 
three institutions aims to provide training to elected representatives and public officials of the 
21 recently established ‘wellbeing  services counties’57. The training covers the detection of 
corruption in public procurement, the identification and prevention of conflicts of interest, as 
well as rules on gifts and preventing undue influence58. Cooperation between the EPPO and 
the  National  Bureau  of  Investigation  remains  efficient59.  The  police  and  prosecution  report 
that resources available are overall sufficient to perform their tasks, although the prosecution 
also  underlined  the  increased  complexity  of  corruption  cases60.  An  online  course  for  law 
enforcement, prosecutors and judges, released on 9 December 2025, was produced as part of 
an EU-funded  project  on  Strengthening  Fight  against  Corruption  (2024–2026).  The 
project also included workshops focused on enhancing operational cooperation among police 
and prosecutors based on examples of recent corruption cases61.  

There  has  been  limited  progress  on  the  recommendation  to  adopt  legislation  to  revise 
the foreign bribery offence62. As reported in previous years, the Ministry of Justice prepared 
a  draft  proposal  on  criminalising  trading  in  influence  in  2022  but  put  it  on  hold  until  the 
adoption  of  the  EU  Anti-Corruption  Directive63.  According  to  the  current  Action  Plan,  the 
measures  transposing  the  Anti-Corruption  Directive  in  national  legislation  will  include  the 
criminalisation  of  trading  in  influence.  The  legislative  changes  concerning  foreign  bribery 
would  also  be  brought  forward  in  this  context64.  The  Ministry  of  Justice  set  up  a  working 
group for the period 12 January 2026-31 March 2027, which will draft the relevant legislative 
proposals. It held its first meeting in February 202665. A new online training course for police 
officers,  prosecutors  and  judges  covering  bribery  offences  and  offences  in  public  office 
addresses,  among  others,  elements  of  bribery  offences,  assessment  of  evidence  and  intent, 
and  the  bribery  of  foreign  officials66.  Overall,  as  the  Government  has  initiated  preparatory 
work to criminalise trading in influence and revise the provisions on foreign bribery further to 

business and industry. It is coordinated by the Ministry of Justice and plays an important national role in 
increasing  awareness  of  corruption, promoting cross-sectoral  cooperation,  and  implementing  international 
anti-corruption agreements and related international recommendations. 

57   Self-governing divisions responsible for organising health, social and emergency services in Finland. 
58   Country visit Finland, FCCA and NBI. Finnish Government (2026a), written input, p. 10.  
59   As  of  26  February  2026,  NBI  and  the  police  report  had  6  ongoing  cases  with  a  corruption  element. 
Prosecution  services  received  9  cases  of  corruption  from  the  police  in  2025,  compared  to  20  in  2024. 
Country  visit  Finland,  National  Prosecution  Authority  and  Finnish  Government  (2026a),  written  input, 
annex, p. 1. No EPPO corruption cases have been reported in Finland in 2025. EPPO (2026), p. 24. 

60   Country visit Finland, National Prosecution Authority.  
61   Finnish Government (2026a), written input, p. 17. Finnish Government (2026b), additional written input. 
62    The  2025  Rule  of  Law  Report  recommended  to  Finland  to  “[t]ake  forward  the  revision  of  the  criminal 
offence of foreign bribery”. Limited progress was previously assessed on this recommendation in 2025. The 
revision of the foreign bribery offence has also been recommended by the OECD. See also OECD (2024), 
pp. 2-3. 

63   2025 Rule of Law Report, Finland, pp. 8-9.  
64   Actions 5.1.1 and 5.1.2 of the current Action Plan. Finnish Government (2026a), written input, pp. 1-2 and 
p. 11. The timeline for completion has been set between 2025 and 2027 for both measures. A preparatory 
study, published by the Ministry of Justice in May 2024, proposed alternative models for simplifying the 
essential  elements  of  laws  on  bribery,  criminalising  trading  in  influence,  improving  the  efficiency  of 
imposing confiscation in bribery of a foreign party, and clarifying the definition of a foreign official. See 
also 2025 Rule of Law Report, Finland, p. 9. 

65   Country visit Finland, Ministry of Justice.  
66   Finnish Government (2026a), written input, p. 17. 

8 

 
 
the  adoption  of  the  new  EU  legislation,  limited  progress  has  been  made  on  this 
recommendation.  

There  has  been  some  progress  on  the  recommendation  to  further  strengthen  the 
integrity  framework  for  ministers,  as  post-employment  rules  for  members  of  the 
Government  were  adopted,  while  the  adoption  of  a  code  of  conduct  is  still  pending67.  
The  legislative  proposal  on  post-employment  restrictions  for  current  members  of  the 
Government  was  adopted  in  June  2026.  It  limits  the  right  of  ministers  to  move  to  another 
position for up to 12 months after the end of their term68. Ministers are required to notify their 
intention  to  transfer  to  certain  positions  outside  of  the  public  sector  to  a  suspension  board, 
when  it  may  give  rise  to  a  conflict  of  interest  or  undermine  trust  in  the  exercise  of 
government  power69. The  board may  then  impose  a cooling-off period of  up to  12 months. 
The Civil Servants Act establishes a six-month cooling-off period for special advisers and a 
12-month cooling off period for civil servants70. A code of conduct for ministers has not been 
adopted yet. The existing Code of Conduct for civil servants and top executive functions does 
not apply to ministers, whereas the Minister’s Handbook does not address integrity matters in 
a  comprehensive  manner71.  To  address  this,  the  Anti-Corruption  Strategy  and  Action  Plan 
envisage compiling the key anti-corruption and integrity promotion guidelines for ministers, 
currently spread across different documents, into a dedicated single document during 202672. 
The  oversight  of  compliance  with  integrity  requirements  is  ensured  by  the  Chancellor  of 
Justice73. The review of asset and interest declarations of ministers and disclosures of other 
persons entrusted with top executive functions is carried out by the Chancellor of Justice or 
by the relevant ministries. These checks are based solely on the information disclosed in the 

67   The 2025 Rule of Law Report recommended to Finland to “[c]ontinue 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.” Limited progress was previously assessed on this recommendation 
in 2025. 

68  Finnish Government (2026b), additional written input. See also 2025 Rule of Law Report, Finland, p. 10. 
Parliament's response EV 99/2026vp - HE 90/2024 vp, Parliament (2026). Publication and entry into force 
of  the  law  are  pending,  and  in  the  meanwhile  a  non-mandatory  cooling-off  period  of  up  to  six  months 
continues to apply, with the involvement of an advisory board. See also GRECO (2026), pp. 9-11. 

69  According to Section 3 of the law these may include a management position in a state-owned enterprise, or 
a  corporation,  foundation,  association  or  other  legal  person  governed  by  private  law,  or  taking  up  of  a 
business  activity.  The  law  applies  to  former  ministers  within  twelve  months  after  their  resignation  and 
contains provisions on the appointment, composition and operation of the suspension board. 

70  Act  on  Public  Officials  in  Central  Government.  As  regards  the  differences  in  the  duration  of  cooling  off 
periods, GRECO has stressed the importance of maintaining consistency, coherence and proportionality in 
the  legislation  and  its  application  in  order  to  maintain  public  trust  in  the  integrity  of  the  government. 
GRECO (2026), p. 11.  

71   The  Handbook  provides  comprehensive  information  on  the  organisation  and  functioning  of  the 
Government, as well as the role of a member of Government. In that context, it addresses integrity matters 
such  as  management  of  conflicts  of  interest  by  members  of  the  Government  and  State  Secretaries, 
disqualification  of  a  minister  from  decision-making,  hospitality,  benefits  and  gifts,  the  exercise  of 
secondary  positions,  disclosure  of  interests  and  post-employment  restrictions  for  State  Secretaries  and 
advisers.  Nevertheless,  in  its  latest  report,  GRECO  concluded  that,  given  the  breadth  and  purpose  of  the 
Handbook,  it  is  not  equivalent  to  a  code  of  conduct  and  does  not  compile  all  relevant  integrity  rules. 
GRECO (2026), p. 5 and GRECO (2024), pp.5-6. 2025 Rule of Law Report, Finland, p. 9. Article 63 of the 
Constitution  lays  down  the  ground  for  rules  on  conflicts  of  interest  for  Members  of  the  Government. 
Finnish Government (2026b), additional written input. 

72   Measure 2.3.3 of the Anti-corruption Action Plan.  
73   In line with the Act on the Chancellor of Justice, the Chancellor of Justice may take measures when it finds 
that a decision or action by the government or a member of the government breaches integrity rules. In the 
event  of  a  breach  of  ethics,  the  acts  of  persons  with  top  executive  functions  may  give  rise  to  criminal 
liability, civil liability and administrative liability. See also GRECO (2026), pp. 3-6. 

9 

 
 
declaration  forms,  without  reference  to  existing  databases  or  pursuant  to  a  common 
verification  methodology74.  Further  measures  are  envisaged  under  the  Anti-Corruption 
Action Plan, including the analysis of the possibility of making declarations available in an 
accessible database and setting up a mechanism for their verification75. Anti-corruption and 
integrity training is integrated into the induction programme of new public officials and there 
is an online course tailored specifically to high-level officials76. Overall, given that steps were 
taken  to  strengthen  the  integrity  framework  for  members  of  the  Government,  while  the 
adoption  a  code  of  conduct  is  still  pending,  some  progress  has  been  made  on  this 
recommendation. 

The  transparency  register  is  functioning  well  and  financial  information  on  lobbying 
activities  will  be  reported  to  the  Finnish  Transparency  Register  for  the  first  time 
between July and August 2026. The 2024 Transparency Registry Act sets out requirements 
in  relation  to  the  registration  of  influencing  activities  and  related  professional  advice77. 
Following  the  decision  of  the  National  Audit  Office  in  December  2024,  the  financial 
information of lobbying and lobbying consultancy carried out in 2025 will be reported to the 
Finnish  Transparency  Register  for  the  first  time  between  July  and  August  202678.  Civil 
society considers the transparency register as an important tool to ensure transparency in the 
public sector but also stresses the need for its extension to local levels, especially following 
the creation of wellbeing services counties79. The Anti-Corruption Action Plan envisages an 
evaluation under the Act on the Transparency Register based on its implementation, as well 
as a preliminary study on expanding the scope of application80.  

Oversight  by  the  National  Audit  Office  of  activities  regarding  election  and  party 
funding has continued.  In 2025, the  National  Audit Office audited 61 party organisations, 
including  those  represented  in  Parliament.  As  in  previous  years,  the  Office  found  that  the 
overseen entities had not reported all external support in up-to-date disclosures to the political 
party funding register81. National legislation does not establish caps on campaign donations 
or campaign expenditure. 

The  provision  of  training  on  whistleblower  protection  has  continued  throughout  the 
public  administration.  In  line  with  the  2023  Whistleblower  Protection  Act,  transposing 
Directive  (EU)  2019/1937,  the  Office  of  the  Chancellor  of  Justice  acts  as  a  centralised 
external  reporting  channel  for whistleblower protection82. Relevant  training material  and an 
online  course  are  maintained  on  the  Ministry  of  Justice  webpage.  The  whistleblower 

74   Country visit Finland, Ministry of Justice and Chancellor of Justice. See also GRECO (2026), pp. 8-9. 
75   Measure 3.1.2 of the Anti-corruption Action Plan.  
76   Finnish Government (2026a), written input, p. 11.  
77   Lobbying  activities  targeted  at  Parliament  and  ministries  must  be  reported  to  the  Transparency  Register, 
managed by the National Audit Office. Transparency Register Act. 2025 Rule of Law Report, Finland, p. 
10. 

78   After that, this financial information will be disclosed annually. Finnish Government (2026a), written input, 

p. 13.  

79   Country visit Finland, Transparency  International Finland. Wellbeing services counties are  self-governing 
administrative  divisions  to  which  the  tasks  and  organisational  responsibility  for  social,  healthcare  and 
emergency  services,  previously  exercised  by  municipalities,  were  transferred  in  2023.  Their  highest 
decision-making body is the County council, responsible for the operation, administration and finances of 
the county. The members of the County council are elected in the county elections for a four-year term. 

80   Measure 3.1.1 of the Anti-corruption Action Plan. 
81   National Audit Office (2026).  
82   Finnish Government (2026a), written input,  p.14. The national legislation covers the list of sectoral areas 

defined in the Directive. Anonymous reporting may be allowed if accepted by the institution. 

10 

 
 
protection  training  project,  aimed  at  experts  handling  whistleblower  reports,  gathered  over 
7 000  participants83.  A  wider  audience  was  reached  also  via  social  media  campaigns  and 
information provided by the national broadcaster84. The internal reporting channels within the 
Border Guard and the Police are reported to function well, although none of the notifications 
received in 2024 fell within the scope of application of the Whistleblower Protection Act 85.  

Work continues to develop legislative and policy measures to address corruption risks 
in public procurement and to strengthen corruption risk assessment in other vulnerable 
sectors. Businesses’ attitudes towards corruption in the EU shows that 16% of companies in 
Finland (EU average 30%) think that corruption has prevented them from winning a  public 
tender or a public procurement contract in practice in the last three years86. 87% of businesses 
perceive the level of independence of the public procurement review body (the Market Court) 
as very or fairly good, which has slightly increased in comparison with 2025 (84%)87. Public 
procurement  (including  bid  rigging)  remains  the  main  high-risk  sector  of  corruption88.  The 
Single Market  and Competitiveness Scoreboard on access to public procurement in  Finland 
reports  16%  of  single  bids  for  2023  (EU  average  27%).  The  2025-2027  Anti-corruption 
Strategy and Action Plan confirm that construction, public procurement, urban planning, and 
party and election funding remain among the areas vulnerable to corruption89. The corruption 
situation report also includes survey data on key risk areas of corruption90. As regards public 
procurement, amendments to the Act on Public Procurement were submitted to Parliament in 
February  2026,  establishing  new  grounds  for  exclusion  and  improving  supervision  and 
transparency91.  In  addition,  seminars  and  training  courses  have  continuously  focused  on 
corruption  risks  in  public  procurement,  both  at  the  central  and  local  levels92.  Stakeholders 
also point to new corruption risks related to well-being services counties established in 2023. 
Vulnerabilities  arise  from  the  possibility  for  elected  officials  to  serve  both  in  well-being 
services  counties  and  municipalities,  which  raises  risks  of  conflicts  of  interest,  as  well  as 
from  the  powers  of  well-being  services  counties  to  manage  large  public  budgets93.  Several 
measures  in  the  Action  Plan  aim  to  mitigate  risks  in  vulnerable  sectors,  as  well  as  to 
strengthen corruption risk assessment more generally94.   

83   The project ran from 1 September 2023 until 30 April 2025. Finnish Government (2026a), written input, p. 

14. 

84   Finnish Government (2026a), written input, p. 10. 
85   Finnish Government (2026a), written input, p. 14. See also GRECO (2026), pp. 14-16. The Police envisage 
further measures to strengthen whistleblower protection, including adding detailed practical guidance on the 
intranet, as well as conducting awareness-raising activities. 

86   Flash Eurobarometer 557 (2025). This is 4 percentage points below the EU average. 
87   Figure 59, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
88   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 (2026a), written input, pp. 18-20. 

89   Finnish Government (2026a), written input, pp. 14-15. The corruption situation report also includes survey 

data on key risk areas of corruption.  

90  Finnish Government (2026b), additional written input.  
91   Ministry  of  Economic  Affairs  and  Employment,  2026.  The  overall  aim  of  the  reform  is  to  improve 

competition in public procurement.  

92   Finnish Government (2026a), written input, p. 15.  
93   Country  visit  Finland,  Ministry  of  Finance,  Finnish  Competition  and  Consumer  Authority,  National 
Prosecutor  Authority,  National  Bureau  of  Investigation,  Financial  Intelligence  Unit,  and  National  Police. 
See  also  Ministry  of  Finance  (2023),  which  recommended  at  that  time  the  adoption  of  legislative 
safeguards. 

94   See, for instance, Measures 2.4, 3.2, 3.3, 1.2.5, 4.1.4 of the Anti-corruption Action Plan.  

11 

 
 
III.  MEDIA PLURALISM AND MEDIA FREEDOM  

The  national  regulatory  authority  has  been  assigned  new  tasks,  with  no  perceived 
negative impact on human resources. A new act for monitoring the media market entered 
into force in August 2025, with a view to aligning with EMFA. The act assigns the national 
regulatory  authority  Traficom  the  task  of  assessing  media  mergers  from  a  pluralism 
perspective and establishing a national media ownership database95. In addition, it stipulates 
that  Traficom  will  publish  an  annual  report  regarding  the  allocation  of  state  advertising 
expenditure  to  media  service  providers  and  to  providers  of  online  platforms96.  The  internal 
restructuring of Traficom initiated in 2024 was finalised. In particular, a new unit for media 
supervision and market surveillance was formed in 2025 to improve the flow of information 
and  facilitate  cooperation.  No  negative  impact  on  human  resources  has  been  reported  as  a 
result of these new tasks assigned to the media regulator97. 

The  Council  of  Mass  Media  is  facing  funding  restraints.  As  part  of  a  series  of  austerity 
measures, the Government has reduced the funding for the Finnish Council of Mass Media in 
2025. The reduction in Government funding has led to member organisations increasing their 
contributions  to  ensure  a  stable  budget.  Consequently,  the  proportion  of  state  funding 
decreased from 29 percent to 20 percent98. Despite the member organisations compensating 
for  the  Government’s  cuts,  the  Council’s  total  resources  remain  scarce  in  light  of  the 
increasing number of complaints it handles99.  

The independence of public service media was strengthened amidst budget reductions. 
In August 2025, the amendments to  the Act  on  the Finnish Broadcasting Company entered 
into force. These include a new provision regarding the criteria for the selection and dismissal 
of  executives  involved  in  decision-making  and  editorial  policy  of  the  Finnish  Broadcasting 
Company (Yle)100. The independence of the public service media is generally considered to 
be high101 and assessed as low risk (22%), but there are signs that state pressure is increasing 
on public service media in view of recent funding cuts102. Following a decision in September 
2024  by  a  cross-party  parliamentary  working  group  to  reduce  the  broadcaster’s  funding  in 
2024-2027, Yle carried out another round of redundancies in June 2025. In total, the number 
of person-years in all employment relationships decreased by 280 compared to the previous 
year103. Stakeholders have criticised these cuts as unpredictable, citing uncertainty regarding 
the possibility of future cuts104. The redundancies are part of a broader savings programme to 
ensure that the national  public broadcaster’s finances remain  balanced in the coming years, 
despite the reduced funding105. 

Limited progress has been made on the recommendation to advance the reform of the 
Act on the Openness of Government Activities106. Implementation of the reform of the Act 

95  Traficom was designated Digital Services Coordinator in 2024. 
96   Finnish Government (2026a), written input, pp. 17-19. 
97  Country visit Finland, Traficom. 
98  Union of Journalists in Finland (2026), written input, p. 15. 
99  Country visit Finland, Council of Mass Media. 
100  Finnish Government (2026a), written input, p. 18 
101  Union of Journalists in Finland (2026), written input, p. 16 
102  Media Pluralism Monitor (2026), Finland country profile, p.29. 
103  Country visit Finland, Finnish Broadcasting Company; Yle (2026). 
104  Country visit Finland, Council of Mass Media. 
105  Country visit Finland, Finnish Broadcasting Company. 
106  2025 Rule of Law Report recommended Finland to “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 

12 

 
 
on  the  Openness  of  the  Government  Activities  and  the  related  recommendations  of  the 
dedicated  working  group107  remain  under  review.  Due  to  changes  in  the  national  security 
environment  and  the  feedback  received  through  a  public  consultation108,  the  Government 
decided  to  expand  the  objective  of  the  reform  to  also  consider  the  need  to  change  secrecy 
provisions  in  the  Act,  and  two  additional  studies  are  planned  to  be  commissioned  in  this 
regard  on  the  balance  between  transparency  and  security  requirements,  and  the  balance 
between  transparency  and  privacy.  After  gathering  sufficient  information,  a  new  working 
group is planned to be set up to prepare a new legislative proposal for the next Government 
term109. While the objective of reforming the Act on the Openness of Government Activities 
is  to  strengthen  transparency  in  a  number  of  areas,  some  stakeholders  express  concern  that 
the  potential  tightening  of  secrecy  rules  might  instead  reduce  transparency  and  openness, 
thereby continuing a trend of reduced accessibility of documents observed in recent years110. 
Finland has ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Access to  Official Documents111. 
Overall, as the Government is continuing the work towards the reform, limited progress has 
been made on the recommendation. 

The framework for the protection of journalists has remained stable overall.  Since the 
2025 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 journalists112, while 
the  Mapping  Media  Freedom  platform  registered  two  alerts113.  In  May  2026,  legislation 
covering  cross-border  cases  was  adopted  with  the  aim  to  transpose  the  EU  Anti-SLAPP 
Directive114.  No  SLAPP  cases  have  been  recently  identified  in  Finland115,  however  some 
stakeholders  note  an  increase  in  online  targeting  and  harassment  against  journalists116. 
Following a Supreme Administrative Court’s ruling on compensation by a media company of 
journalists’  costs  of  a  criminal  procedure,  the  Income  Tax  Act  was  amended,  allowing  the 
legal  expenses  paid  by  an  employer  to  be  exempt  from  tax,  if  the  act  of  an  employed 
journalist  occurred  as  part  of  his  or  her  work  duties117.  Stakeholders  raised  concerns  that 
freelance  journalists,  who  are  self-employed  and  not  covered  by  the  ruling,  remain 

standards  on  access  to  official  documents.”  Some  further  progress  was  previously  assessed  on  this 
recommendation in 2025. 

107  A  dedicated  working  group,  appointed  by  the  Ministry  of  Justice  in  2021,  gave  a  proposal  in  December 
2023  on  making  the  Act  on  the  Openness  of  Government  Activities  more  effective.  This  included  for 
instance  recommendations  to  clarify  the  provisions  on  the  handling  of  requests  for  information,  while 
reconciling  the  protection  of  personal  data  with  the  principle  of  openness.  The  recommendations  also 
suggested  expanding  the  scope  of  application  of  the  Act  to  private  parties  responsible  for  certain  public 
administrative  duties  and  corporations  or  foundations  controlled  by  a  public  body.  Ministry  of  Justice 
(2023), the Working Group proposes a reform of the Act on the Openness of Government Activities. 

108  Ministry of Justice (2025c), p. 6. 
109  Finnish Government (2026a), written input, p. 2. 
110  Union of Journalists in Finland (2026), written input, p. 14; Amnesty International (2026), written input, p. 

12. 

111  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. 

112   Council of Europe, Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists, Finland.  
113   One  alert  concerned  blocked  access  to  information,  while  the  other  concerned  spoofing.  Mapping  Media 

Freedom, Finland country profile. 

114  Act  on  the  protection  of  persons  participating  in  public  debate  from  cross-border  harassment  claims  and 

amendment of the Act on the Enforcement of Fines; it does not cover domestic cases. 

115   Finnish Government (2026a), written input, p. 19. 
116   Union of Journalists in Finland (2026), written input, p. 17. Amnesty International (2026), written input p. 

23. 

117   Finnish Government (2026a), written input, p. 20. The Finnish Tax Authority (2025). 

13 

 
 
vulnerable118.  The  protection  of  journalists  covering  demonstrations  has  been  strengthened 
with  closer  cooperation  between  law  enforcement  and  the  Union  of  Journalists119.  In  July 
2025, the Helsinki Court of Appeal convicted two journalists for the disclosure and attempted 
disclosure of national secrets, sentencing one to four months of conditional imprisonment and 
the  other  to  80  day-fines120.  Some  stakeholders  expressed  concern  over  the  convictions’ 
chilling effect on press freedom121.  

IV.  OTHER INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES RELATED TO CHECKS AND BALANCES 

The  lawmaking  process  remains  overall  inclusive,  though  stakeholders  continue  to 
identify  areas  for  improvement.  The  updated  governmental  guidelines  on  stakeholder 
engagement  in  legislative  drafting  adopted  in  August  2025  include  more  detailed  guidance 
throughout all stages of the legislative drafting process122. However, stakeholders continue to 
note  challenges  regarding  the  practical  implementation123,  such  as  shortened  consultation 
timelines, difficulty of assessing the cumulative impact of proposals, incomplete reporting of 
stakeholder feedback and summaries of proposals not capturing all the amendments included 
in the draft legislation124. The Chancellor of Justice highlighted the need to follow the rules 
on  consultation  times125.  At  the  same  time,  business  representatives  continue  to  view  the 
lawmaking  process  as  largely  transparent  and  inclusive126,  and  some  stakeholders  note 
positive practices such as the Finnish Council of Regulatory Impact Analysis, which is seen 
to bring additional analytical value to the legislative process127.  

More  than  two  thirds  of  companies  surveyed  in  Finland  express  confidence  in  the 
effectiveness of investment protection. 81% of companies are very or fairly confident that 
investments  are  protected  by  law  and  courts,  a  figure  which  has  slightly  increased  in 
comparison with 2025 (79%)128. As regards authorities relevant for economic operators, 83% 
of  companies  perceive  the  level  of  independence  of  the  national  competition  authority  (the 
Finnish  Competition  and  Consumer  Authority)  as  very  or  fairly  good,  a  figure  which  has 
slightly increased in comparison with 2025 (82%)129. The Supreme Administrative Court has 
jurisdiction  in  several  business-related  cases,  including  in  cases  related  to  public 
procurement,  public  concessions,  public  contracts  and  economic  regulation.  A  number  of 

118   Country visit Finland, Council of Mass Media. 
119   Finnish Government (2026a), written input, p. 19; Union of Journalists in Finland (2026), written input, p. 

17. 

120   Finnish Government (2026a), written input, p. 20. 
121  Union  of  Journalists  in  Finland  (2026),  p.  16;  International  Press  Institute  (2026),  written  input,  p.  20; 

Amnesty International (2026), p. 17. 

122   Finnish Government (2026a), written input, p. 20. 
123  Country visit Finland, Human Rights Centre, Chancellor of Justice, Parliamentary Ombudsman, Amnesty 

International Finland and Demla. 

124   Country  visit  Finland,  Human  Rights  Centre,  Amnesty  International  Finland,  Chancellor  of  Justice  and 

Demla. European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (2026). 

125  Chancellor of Justice (2026). 
126   Country  visit  Finland,  Confederation  of  Finnish  Industries  and  Federation  of  Finnish  Enterprises.  OECD 
Better Regulation Practices in the European Union (2025) ranks Finland above EU average in stakeholder 
engagement. 

127   Country  visit  Finland,  Confederation  of  Finnish  Industries,  Finland  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  Human 

Rights Centre. 

128   Figures 52 and 53, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard. 9% and 7% of the surveyed investors respectively perceive 
concerns  about  quality,  efficiency  or  independence  of  justice  and  frequent  changes  in  legislation  or 
concerns about the quality of the law-making process as a reason for the lack of confidence in investment 
protection. 

129  Figure 60, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard. 

14 

 
 
judicial  mechanisms  to  improve  efficiency  are  available  in  these  cases,  including  the 
possibility to apply interim measures, joint examination of similar cases and the consolidation 
of multiple appeals130. 

On 1 January 2026, Finland had 1 leading judgment of the European Court of Human 
Rights  pending  implementation,  the  same  as  the  previous  year131.  Finland  did  not  have 
any leading  judgments  from the past  10 years pending  implementation132. The only  leading 
judgment, pending implementation for more than 11 years, concerns the violation of the right 
not  to  be  punished  twice133.  As  regards  the  respect  of  payment  deadlines,  on  31  December 
2025  there  were  no  cases  awaiting  confirmation  of  payments  (same  as  in  2024)134.  By  17 
June 2026, the number of leading judgments pending implementation had increased to 2135.  

The civic space continues to be considered open, while some stakeholders still highlight 
challenges with regard to funding.  The civic space in Finland  continues to  be considered 
’open’  by  Civicus136.  The  National  Action  Plan  on  Fundamental  and  Human  Rights  (2024-
2027) was adopted in November 2025137, and was overall welcomed by stakeholders, despite 
its  delayed  adoption138.  Stakeholders  continue 
the 
Government’s  austerity  measures  affecting  civil  society139,  as  well  as  a  more  negative 
narrative on the role of civil society140. While retaining its A-status accreditation in 2025141, 
the National  Human Rights Institution  faced an  unexpected budget  reduction instead of the 
anticipated  increase142,  with  further  cuts  projected  for  2026  creating  uncertainties  for 
planning activities143. 

to  report  challenges  regarding 

130   Figures 66 and 67, 2026 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. 

131   For an explanation of the supervision process, see the website of the Council of Europe.   
132   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 2026. EIN (2026), written input, p. 3-4. 

133   Judgment of the ECtHR, 11828/11, Nykanen v. Finland, pending implementation since 2014.  
134   Council of Europe (2026), p. 163.   
135   Data according to the online database of the Council of Europe (HUDOC). 
136   Finland’s  score  is  89/100. Ratings  by  Civicus  are  on  a  five-category  scale  defined  as:  open,  narrowed, 

obstructed, repressed, and closed.  

137   Finnish  Government  (2025b).  The  National  Action  Plan  on  Fundamental  and  Human  Rights  aims  to 
strengthen the core structures of the rule of law and to promote the realisation of fundamental and human 
rights  in  Finland.  It  also  seeks  to  increase  knowledge  of  the  rule  of  law  and  the  connection  between 
fundamental and human rights and the rule of law. 

138   Country visit Finland, Human Rights Centre and Amnesty International Finland. 
139  Country visit Finland, Human Rights Centre, Amnesty International Finland and Demla. European Union 
Agency  for  Fundamental  Rights  (2026),  pp.  122-123.  European  Network  of  National  Human  Rights 
Institutions (2026). 

140   Country  visit  Finland,  Amnesty  International  Finland  and  Demla.  European  Network  of  National  Human 

Rights Institutions (2026). European Civic Forum (2026). 

141   Global  Alliance  of  National  Human  Rights  Institutions  (2025).  The  Finnish  National  Human  Rights 
Institution  is  formed  by  the  Human  Rights  Centre,  its  Human  Rights  Delegation  and  the  Office  of  the 
Parliamentary Ombudsman. 

142   2025 Rule of Law Report, Finland, p. 16. European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (2026).   
143  Country  visit  Finland,  Human  Rights  Centre.  European  Network  of  National  Human  Rights  Institutions 

(2026). 

15 

 
 
Annex I: List of sources in alphabetical order* 

* The list of contributions received in the context of the consultation for the 2026 Rule of Law Report 
can 
https://commission.europa.eu/publications/2026-rule-law-report-targeted-
found 
stakeholder-consultation_en.  

be 

at 

Amnesty International (2026), Written input.  

CEPEJ (2026), Study on the judicial systems in EU Member States. 

Chancellor of Justice (2026), The length of the consultation period in draft proposals concerning the 
Aliens  Act  and  international  protection  and  asylum  legislation  (Lausuntoajan  pituus  muuttoliike-  ja 
turvapaikkasopimusta  ja  ulkomaalaislakia  koskevissa  esitysluonnoksissa),  https://oikeuskansleri.fi/-
/lausuntoajan-pituus-muuttoliike-ja-turvapaikkasopimusta-ja-ulkomaalaislakia-koskevissa-
esitysluonnoksissa. 

Civicus, Monitor tracking civic space – Finland, https://monitor.civicus.org/country/finland/. 

Council of Europe (2026), Supervision of the execution of judgments decisions of the European Court 
of Human Rights, https://rm.coe.int/2025-annual-report/48802b1633.  

European  Association  of  Judges  (2026),  Response  to  the  consultation  questionnaire  by  the  EU 
Commission for the preparation of the report on the Rule of Law 2026. 

European Civic Forum (2026), FINLAND: Government agrees further cuts to health and social CSOs, 
criticising  their  advocacy  work,  https://civicspacewatch.eu/alert/finland-government-agrees-further-
cuts-to-health-and-social-csos-criticising-their-advocacy-work/.   

European Commission (2025), Flash Eurobarometer 557 on businesses’ attitudes towards corruption 
in the EU and in selected enlargement countries. 

European Commission (2025), Special Eurobarometer 561 on citizens’ attitudes towards corruption 
in the EU in 2025. 

European Commission (2026), 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard. 

European Commission (2024), 2024 EU Justice Scoreboard. 

European Commission (2025), 2025 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation 
in Finland. 

European  Court  of  Human  Rights, 
ECLI:CE:ECHR:2014:0520JUD001182811. 

judgment  of  20  May  2014,  Nykanen  v.  Finland, 

European Implementation Network (EIN) (2026), Input from the European Implementation Network 
for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (2026), State of the Rule of Law in Europe 
– 2026 Finland country report, https://rule-of-law.ennhri.org/node/326.  

European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (2026), Written input. 

Finnish Association of Judges (2026), To the Constitutional Guarantees for the Independence of the 
Judiciary Working Group (Oikeuslaitoksen riippumattomuuden perustuslailliset takeet – työryhmälle), 
https://www.tuomariliitto.fi/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Tuomariliiton-lausunto-
oikeuslaitostyoryhman-alatyoryhman-ehdotuksista-12.5.2025.pdf.  

Finnish Bar Association (2026), Written input. 

Finnish Government (2026a), Written input for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

Finnish Government (2026b), Additional written input for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

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

16 

 
Finnish Government (2025b), National Action Plan on Fundamental and Human Rights 2024–2027: 
Fundamental 
Law,  
as 
https://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/items/79fe0902-58f6-46f7-86a6-b5515f21b973. 

Human 

Rights 

Rule 

Part 

and 

the 

of 

of 

Finnish Government (2025c), Report on the 2021-2023 National Anti-Corruption Strategy and Action 
Plan, https://korruptiontorjunta.fi/korruptionvastainen-strategia-2021-2023.  

Finnish  Tax  Authority  (2025),  The  taxation  of  employer’s  payments  of  employees’  litigation  costs, 
fines,  and  similar  expenses  (Työnantajan  työntekijän  puolesta  maksamien  oikeudenkäyntikulujen, 
https://www.vero.fi/syventavat-vero-ohjeet/ohje-
sakkojen 
hakusivu/98317/tyonantajan-tyontekijan-puolesta-maksamien-oikeudenkayntikulujen-sakkojen-ja-
vastaavien-kulujen-verotus.  

vastaavien 

verotus), 

kulujen 

ja 

Global  Alliance  of  National  Human  Rights  Institutions  (2025),  Accreditation  status  as  of  24 
December  2025,  https://ganhri.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/sca-46th-session-accreditation-chart-
24122025.pdf. 

GRECO  (2026),  Fifth  Evaluation  Round  –  2nd  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 (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  (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 (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  (2018),  Fifth  Evaluation  Round  –  Evaluation  Report  on  Finland  on  preventing  corruption 
and  promoting  integrity  in  central  governments  (top  executive  functions)  and  law  enforcement 
agencies.  

International Press Institute (2026), Written input. 

Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment (2026), Government proposes increasing competition 
in  public  procurement,  https://valtioneuvosto.fi/en/-/1410877/government-proposes-increasing-
competition-in-public-procurement. 

Ministry  of  Finance  (2023),  Memorandum  on  the  need  to  amend  the  regulation  concerning  the 
the  well-being  service  counties  (Arviomuistio 
composition  of 
muutostarpeista), 
sääntelyn 
toimielinten 
hyvinvointialueen 
https://www.edilex.fi/ministerioiden_julkaisut/33277.pdf.  

the  governance  bodies  of 

kokoonpanoa 

koskevan 

Ministry  of  Justice  (2023),  the  Working  Group  proposes  a  reform  of  the  Act  on  the  Openness  of 
Government  Activities,  https://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/server/api/core/bitstreams/2746a899-f943-
4979-bece-f3e0bc9cefed/content. 

Ministry of Justice (2025a), Replacing lay judges – assessment report (Lautamiesten korvaamisesta – 
arviomuistio), 
https://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/server/api/core/bitstreams/98f7d405-7453-48e0-
9745-4eeee5e1d063/content.  

Ministry of Justice (2025b), Memorandum on replacing the lay judge system – summary of opinions 
(Arviomuistio 
lausuntotiivistelmä), 
https://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/server/api/core/bitstreams/c20028b0-b44a-440c-914d-
7741a36bbc6a/content. 

korvaamisesta 

lautamiesten 

– 

17 

 
Ministry of Justice (2025c), Updating the Act on the Openness of Government Activities: summary of 
statements, 
Lausuntotiivistelmä), 
https://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/items/9d999f33-fa88-4be3-b5c3-d936af176c72  

ajantasaistaminen 

(Julkisuuslain 

: 

National Audit Office of Finland (2026), Oversight of political party funding in 2025 - Report of the 
National  Audit  Office  of  Finland  to  Parliament,  https://vtv.fi/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/VTV-r6-
2026-oversight-of-political-party-funding-2025.pdf.  

National Courts Administration (2026), The proposed budget cuts jeopardise a core function of 
the  rule  of  law  (Ehdotetut  määrärahaleikkaukset  vaarantavat  oikeusvaltion  ydintoiminnon), 
https://tuomioistuinvirasto.fi/fi/index/ajankohtaista/tiedotteetjauutiset/tiedotteet-ja-uutiset-
2026/ehdotetutmaararahaleikkauksetvaarantavatoikeusvaltionydintoiminnon160160.html.  

National  Legal  Services  Authority  (2026),  Proposals  concerning  the  reform  of  the  Legal  Service 
Agency’s  office  structure  and  service  point  network  (Oikeuspalveluviraston  toimistorakenteen  ja 
toimipaikkaverkoston  uudistamista  koskeva  esitys),  https://api.hankeikkuna.fi/asiakirjat/a89431a2-
4a9b-4f51-8f9e-7984ad5d9e1b/1ee053bb-bff6-4db6-b9ce-
3a2dc015d4d0/KIRJE_20260505061430.PDF.  
OECD 
https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2025/09/better-regulation-practices-
across-the-european-union-2025_a3dfd5e6/6f007516-en.pdf. 

(2025),  Better  Regulation  Practices 

the  European  Union 

across 

2025, 

OECD 
https://one.oecd.org/document/DAF/WGB(2024)23/FINAL/en/pdf.  

(2024),  Phase  4  evaluation  of  Finland:  Additional  written 

follow-up 

report, 

Parliament (2026), Parliament’s response EV  99/2026 vp – HE 90/2024 vp  (Parlamentin vastaus EV  
https://www.eduskunta.fi/en/matters-and-
HE 
99/2026 
voting/matters/documents/edktunnus/EDK-2026-AK-33973. 

90/2024 

vp), 

vp 

– 

Union of Journalists in Finland (2026), written input. 

Transparency International (2026), Corruption Perceptions Index 2025.  

Venice  Commission  (2026),  Opinion  on  the  proposed  amendments  to  the  Constitution  of  Finland 
regarding  the  independence  of  the  judiciary.  https://www.coe.int/en/web/venice-commission/-
/opinion-1268.  

Working  Group  on  Constitutional  Guarantees  for  the  Independence  of  the  Judiciary  (2025),  Draft 
Memorandum, https://www.coe.int/en/web/venice-commission/-/cdl-ref-2026-005-e. 

Yle  (2026),  The  change  and  cost-saving  programme  had  a  extensive  impact  on  Yle’s  operations  in 
2025, https://yle.fi/aihe/a/20-10009338.  

18 

 
 
Annex II: Country visit to Finland 

The Commission services held virtual meetings in February and March 2026 with: 

•  Amnesty International Finland 
•  Anti-corruption Cooperation Network 
•  Chancellor of Justice  
•  Confederation of Finnish Industries  
•  Council for Mass Media in Finland 
•  Demla 
•  Federation of Finnish Enterprises 
•  Financial Intelligence Unit 
•  Finland Chamber of Commerce  
•  Finnish Association of Judges 
•  Finnish Bar Association  
•  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:  

•  Civil Liberties Union for Europe 
•  Civil Society Europe 
•  End FGM EU 
•  European Civic Forum 
•  European Partnership for Democracy 
•  Human Rights Watch 
• 

ILGA-Europe 

19 

 
 
• 
International Federation for Human Rights 
•  Philea - Philanthropy Europe Association 
•  Transparency International EU 

20