Jäsenkunnat

Jäsenkunnat is a Finnish term referring to the municipalities that participate in a joint municipal authority (kuntayhtymä) or another form of intermunicipal cooperation. They join to provide public services more efficiently than they could manage individually, with common areas including health care, social services, regional planning, and infrastructure.

As members, each municipality participates in the governance of the joint authority. The authority is a separate legal entity, and its decision-making body typically consists of representatives appointed by the member municipalities. Voting, budgeting, and strategic priorities are defined by the authority’s statutes, which often allocate influence based on population, contribution, or other predefined rules. Membership entails financial contributions from each municipality, and operations may be financed partly through state subsidies or service fees.

Membership is voluntary and requires approval by the municipal councils involved. Admitting new municipalities or withdrawing from the arrangement follows the procedures laid out in the statute and applicable laws. While municipalities delegate certain tasks to the joint authority, they retain local self-government for matters not transferred to the cooperation.

In practice, jäsenkunnat coordinate on shared services, procurement, and regional planning, and may operate or plan services such as public transport, waste management, or health and social services through the joint authority. The arrangement aims to achieve uniform standards, economies of scale, and effective cross-municipal cooperation while preserving local decision-making on delegated matters.

See also: Kuntayhtymä; Intermunicipal cooperation; Municipalities of Finland.