Cabinet Committees of the Vanhanen's second Cabinet
The Government has four statutory cabinet committees chaired by the Prime Minister.
Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy
The Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy shall be chaired by the Prime Minister, and its other members shall be the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Defence and a maximum of four other ministers designated by the Government. If any other minister has been designated to consider matters that fall within the mandate of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, he/she will also be a member of the Committee. Meetings of the committee are attended by the Minister of the Interior when the matter in hand relates to issues within his/her mandate. Any other minister may also take part in the Committee’s work when the matter in hand relates to issues within his/her mandate.
Important aspects of foreign and security policy and other matters concerning Finland’s relations with other states, as well as important matters concerning internal security and total national defence, are prepared in the committee.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs serves as the committee’s secretariat.
The minutes of the meetings are secret. The Director of Government Communications attends the meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy and is responsible, in line with the Prime Minister's directions, for the dissemination of information on decisions taken.
Meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy and the President of the Republic
The foreign policy of Finland is directed by the President of the Republic in co-operation with the Government. The Government is responsible for the national preparation of decisions to be made in the European Union, including decisions concerning the Union’s common foreign and security policy.
The committee and the President of the Republic meet whenever current business so requires. In matters where the President is responsible for directing Finland’s foreign policy, proceedings are chaired by the President. Matters relating to the European Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy which fall within the Government's purview are also dealt with at such meetings.
Composition
Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, chairman
Minister of Finance Jyrki Katainen
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen
Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb
Minister of the Environment Paula Lehtomäki
Minister of Defence Jyri Häkämies
Minister of Migration and European Affairs Astrid Thors
Minister of Labour Tarja Cronberg
Cabinet Committee on European Union Affairs
The Cabinet Committee on European Union Affairs usually meets at 8.00 on Friday mornings. The committee is chaired by the Prime Minister. Members of the committee include the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Economic Affairs, the Minister of Trade and Industry, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry and three other ministers, two of whom are designated by the Government and the third is the minister within whose mandate the matter in hand falls. As necessary, the Government may designate yet one further minister as a member of the committee. Any other minister may also take part in the consideration of a matter.
Each matter is presented to the committee by the minister within whose competence the matter in hand falls.
Matters decided by the European Union which the Prime Minister determines for consideration by the committee or which are brought for the committee’s consideration by the minister within whose mandate the matter falls, or the consideration of which by the committee is otherwise regarded as appropriate, are prepared in the committee.
The Government Secretariat for EU Affairs is responsible for providing secretarial services for the committee. Minutes are kept of the committee meetings. The minutes are immediately public in so far as the matters considered are not determined for consideration by the Government or are not specified as secret.
Deputy Head of Information attends the meetings of the Cabinet Committee on European Union Affairs and is responsible, in line with the Prime Minister's directions, for the dissemination of information on decisions taken.
Composition
Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, chairman
Minister of Finance Jyrki Katainen
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen
Minister of Economic Affairs Mauri Pekkarinen
Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Sirkka-Liisa Anttila
Minister of Justice Tuija Brax
Minister of Defence Jyri Häkämies
Minister of the Interior Anne Holmlund
Minister of Migration and European Affairs Astrid Thors
Cabinet Finance Committee
The Cabinet Finance Committee usually meets at 13.00 on Wednesdays in the session hall of the Government. The Cabinet Finance Committee is chaired by the Prime Minister, and its other members include the Minister of Finance, other ministers at the Ministry of Finance and a maximum of three other ministers designated by the Government and a minister within whose mandate the matter in hand falls.
The quorum of the Cabinet Finance Committee is three. One of the members present must be from the Ministry of Finance.
The duty of the Cabinet Finance Committee is to exercise advance financial control. The committee also handles the preliminary preparation of matters that carry considerable economic implications or otherwise require the opinion of the committee. As at the plenary sessions of the Government, discussion is based on specific presentation lists prepared in the ministries.
The plenary session of the Government may reject an opinion issued by the Cabinet Finance Committee. If a ministry intends to take a decision which does not comply with an opinion issued by the Cabinet Finance Committee, the matter must be raised for adoption at a plenary session of the Government.
Each matter is presented by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, or his substitute, who also acts as secretary at the meetings.
Composition
Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, chairman
Minister of Finance Jyrki Katainen
Minister of Public Administration and Local Government Mari Kiviniemi
Minister of Culture and Sport Stefan Wallin
Minister of Justice Tuija Brax
Minister of Housing Jan Vapaavuori
Cabinet Committee on Economic Policy
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Policy has its meetings usually on Tuesday mornings. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Policy is chaired by the Prime Minister, and its other members include the Minister of Finance, another minister at the Ministry of Finance, the Minister of Economic Affairs, the Minister of Labour and a maximum of four other ministers designated by the Government.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Policy handles matters related to overall economic development and economic policy, guidelines for the development of general government finances and other economic policy issues as decided by the Prime Minister.
The Director-General of the Ministry of Finance's Budget Department acts as secretary at the meetings of the committee.
The Director of Government Communications attends meetings of the committee. Any press releases and other matters related to the dissemination of information are discussed and agreed by the Prime Minister and the minister responsible for the matters considered at each meeting of the committee.
Composition
Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, chairman
Minister of Finance Jyrki Katainen
Minister of Economic Affairs Mauri Pekkarinen
Minister of Public Administration and Local Government Mari Kiviniemi
Minister of Culture and Sport Stefan Wallin
Minister of Defence Jyri Häkämies
Minister of Housing Jan Vapaavuori
Minister of Labour Tarja Cronberg