Unit for Central, Western and Southern Europe

The unit handles issues related to the following countries:

Andorra, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom

The unit is responsible for the following issues:

1) political, trade policy, commercial, economic and development cooperation issues related to the bilateral relations between Finland and the countries within the unit’s remit and to EU and multilateral institutions;

2) performance guidance of Finnish missions in the countries within the unit’s remit and support from the Ministry’s other departments for matters related to the region; and

3) EU relations with third countries within the unit’s remit, especially the coordination of the EU’s Working Party on European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the UK working group in central government