Ministerivaliokunnat

Ministerivaliokunnat are cabinet-level committees in the Finnish government. They assemble ministers from various ministries to prepare and coordinate government decisions before presenting them to the Government.

Membership and leadership: A committee is typically chaired by the Prime Minister or by another minister appointed by the Government. Its membership varies by issue; it includes ministers whose portfolios are relevant to the matter under discussion. Some issues may require broader participation across multiple ministries.

Functions: The committee examines and discusses proposed policies, legislation, and budgets, considers impact assessments and budgetary effects, and drafts memoranda or statements to accompany government decisions. It may also coordinate responses within the EU framework or international commitments.

Relation to government: The output of a ministerial committee informs the decisions of the Government as a whole; the committee itself does not have binding decision-making power beyond its recommendations, though its conclusions can carry significant weight in plenary sessions.

Overview: In practice, the exact structure and names of ministerivaliokunnat vary with government and time; common themes include cross-ministry coordination, economic and financial matters, foreign affairs, and EU affairs.