International agreements

Finland is a State Party to several international agreements. As a process, concluding an agreement may take several years. In general, the different stages of processing an agreement include the signing and ratification of the agreement and the procedures required to make it enter into force.

As to the following agreements, the signatures and ratifications will be deposited with Finland. Finland will also receive the notifications of their entry into force from the other States Parties, and notify the others of them.

Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission - Status of Ratification and Entry into Force as of 29 March 2009

The Agreement between the Governments of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Finland, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Poland, the Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Sweden on the Privileges and Immunities of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission was adopted and opened for signature by States Parties to the Helsinki Convention on 2 February 1998 in Helsinki. After its entry into force, the Agreement shall be open for accession by any State Party to the Helsinki Convention.

• Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (News, 5/19/2004)
• List of signatures, ratifications and entry into force (Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission)

Text of the Agreement (PDF)

Agreement on a Testing Ground for Application of the Kyoto Mechanisms on Energy Projects in the Baltic Sea Region, Gothenburg, 29 September 2003

The Agreement on a Testing Ground for Application of the Kyoto Mechanisms on Energy Projects in the Baltic Sea Region was adopted and opened for signature by Countries of the Baltic Sea Region (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia and Sweden) on 29 September 2003 in Gothenburg.

• Agreement on a Testing Ground for Application of the Kyoto Mechanisms on Energy Projects in the Baltic Sea Region, Gothenburg, 29 September 2003 (News, 1/8/2004)
• List of signatures, ratifications and entry into force (Agreement on a Testing Ground for Application of the Kyoto Mechanisms on Energy Projects in the Baltic Sea Region)

Text of the Agreement (PDF)

Convention on the European Forest Institute (EFI) on 28 August 2003 in Joensuu

The Convention on the European Forest Institute was adopted by the Conference to adopt the Convention on the European Forest Institute and opened for signature by European States and European regional economic integration organizations on 28 August 2003 in Joensuu. In accordance with its Article 14, the Convention shall remain open for signature in Helsinki at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, until 28 November 2003. The Convention has entered into force on 4 September 2005. The Convention is open for accession.

• Convention on the European Forest Institute (EFI), Joensuu 28 August 2003 (News, 9/19/2003)
• List of signatures, ratifications and entry into force (EFI)
  The Convention on the European Forest Institute: Status of Ratification and Entry into Force

Text of an agreement (EFI)
Joensuu, 28th of August 2003  
(PDF)

Circular Note 2012: Convention on the European Forest Institute (EFI) 

A Note Verbale on the authentication of the French and German language versions of the Convention on the European Forest Institute Circular Note (MFA, Helsinki 21 August 2012)

Circular Note 2012 (MFA, Helsinki 21 August 2012)

 French and German language versions:

Convention sur l’Institut européen de la forêt (PDF in French)

Übereinkommen über das Europäische Forstinstitut (PDF in German)

Agreement between the Government of Finland and the European Forest Institute (EFI) on the Legal Status, Privileges and Immunities of the Institute and its Personnel, 2005

The Agreement has been done in Helsinki in duplicate in the English language on 22 December 2005, and it entered into force on 9 March 2007.

Text of the Agreement (Host Country Agreement) (PDF, 35 KB)

Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, 1992

• List of signatures, ratifications and entry into force (Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, 1992)

• Helsinki Commission (HELCOM)
  – Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission

Further information

Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Legal Service
The Unit for EU and Treaty Law
e-mail: oik-20@formin.fi