Metropolitan policy

The aim of metropolitan policy is to solve special issues related to Helsinki, the capital of Finland, and the metropolitan area surrounding it. By focusing on these, we can strengthen the competitiveness of Finland as a whole and make the Helsinki region increasingly attractive in international contexts. 

The work is based on practical collaboration and partnerships between the State and the municipalities in the Helsinki region. It is guided by the Metropolitan Policy Committee which is appointed for each government term. The Metropolitan Policy Committee meets about four times a year to discuss matters that are important from the perspective of metropolitan policy and to secure the commitment of the relevant stakeholders. 

The Metropolitan Policy Committee is chaired by the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, with the Minister of Local Government and the Mayor of Helsinki as vice chairs. The other members are six other Government ministers and mayors of Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen and a representative of the cooperation organisation of the municipalities surrounding the core metropolitan area. The term of the Committee began on 5 November 2020 and it ends at the end of the Government term 2019–2023. 

Metropolitan policy deals with a broad range of themes. The first three key themes selected for this Government term are employment, preventing the social exclusion of immigrants and carbon neutrality. The projects to be selected are implemented by working groups composed of representatives of the metropolitan area and the State.

The practical work on metropolitan policy is coordinated by the Ministry of the Environment, in close cooperation with the Prime Minister’s Office and cities in the metropolitan area.