Europe Information

Europe Information is a network of 20 regional EU information officers providing information services for general public. Its task is to inform about EU issues in Finnish and Swedish.

Europe Information is part of the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, constituting one unit of the Ministry’s Department for Communication and Culture. Its publishing and other activities are managed from the Ministry’s premises in the Katajanokka district of Helsinki.

Europe Information produces and distributes information about European integration and Finland’s activities in the EU. The information is based on a Finnish viewpoint and reflects an interaction between the public and the country’s decision makers.

Europe Information endeavours to offer information, reference material and views that represent various perspectives, in order to help create a basis for informed opinion and public discussion of EU issues. In addition, Europe Information is a distribution channel for EU-related information material in general, and it administers state support granted to non-governmental organisations for the production of information about EU issues.

Founded in 1993

Europe Information was founded when Finland applied for membership of the European Community. The negotiations for membership began in February 1993.

The start-up of membership negotiations presented a challenge for the Finnish negotiators and for the Finnish people and the country's news media. The issues were complicated and difficult to understand but they had to be made comprehensible to the public.

An efficient two-way channel of information was needed between the authorities and the people. The authorities wanted to convey information about the EU and Finland’s actions quickly and in terms that the public could understand. People had lots of questions about decisions affecting their personal lives. Europe Information was established to be the channel of information that was needed.

Europe Information started work in March 1993 and the first public service office in Helsinki was opened in May of that year. Ahead lay preparations for the Finnish referendum on EU membership, which took place on October 16, 1994. In the referendum 57% voted for and 43% against Finnish membership of the EU.

Finland became a member of the European Union in January 1995. Membership produced a growing need for EU information among the public. Before membership, two thirds of the people of Finland said they had a good level of knowledge about the EU. But in autumn 1997, as many as 74% said their knowledge was poor. Though the situation has improved since the 1990s, EU issues have become even more complex. The need to provide information on the European Union for the general public has not diminished.

Network of regional EU information officers

Europe Information's network covers all the provinces of Finland. Its public service offices are generally located in regional libraries but there are exceptions. In the province of Åland, Europe Information has a service office in the provincial government building. The Helsinki service office is located in the annexe of the Parliament building and in the town of Seinäjoki the office is in the local Travel Centre.

Europe Information aims at openness and accessibility in its provision of services for the public. Members of the public are welcome to visit Europe Information offices where they can ask anything connected with Finland’s EU membership. If the office consulted cannot answer a question right away, the question will be forwarded to appropriate experts.

Europe Information also serves as the Finnish arm of the European Commission’s Europe Direct (ED) information network, which covers all EU Member States. Thus, Europe Information has access to all services provided by the ED network.