The resources and expertise in marine research will be reorganised. The duties of the Finnish Institute of Marine Research will be divided between the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the Finnish Environment Institute. The aim is to strengthen the comprehensive approach to Baltic Sea research.
About half of the more than 100 employees at the Institute of Marine Research will be relocated to the Environment Institute, and the other half with responsibility for research and operations in the transport sector to the Meteorological Institute. The responsibility for a marine research vessel Aranda will be assigned, together with the marine biological research, to the Environment Institute.
It has been agreed at ministerial level that the Ministries of Transport and Communications and of the Environment will establish a coordinating group for marine research. The key parties involved in Baltic Sea research and services will be invited to the group, such as the Geological Survey of Finland, Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, Finnish state forest enterprise Metsähallitus, and universities.
Ms Anu Vehviläinen, Minister of Transport and Communications, and Mr Kimmo Tiilikainen, Minister of the Environment, have outlined the division of responsibilities in marine research. The work will continue in the Ministry of Transport and Communications working group on the basis of the Ministers' guidelines.
Further information:
Mr Pekka Plathan, Director-General, Ministry of Transport and Communications, tel. +358 9 160 28340 or +358 50 5668176
Mr Pekka Jalkanen, Director-General, Ministry of the Environment, tel. +358 a20 490 7300
