In 2025-2026

The new vademecum – a milestone

After a year of dedicated effort, the Social Actions working group of AIACE Finland finalised a new comprehensive handbook for EU pensioners in May 2026. This vademecum – a practical guide in Finnish – addresses key topics tailored to the Finnish context ranging from retirement procedures, settling down in Finland and JSIS claims, to pensioners’ rights and obligations, as well as advice for relatives in the event of a retiree’s passing.

Designed for clarity and ease of use, the handbook is both visually appealing and reader friendly. With support from DG HR, OIB printed and distributed it in two copies to all AIACE Finland members and those who requested it. Why two copies? We encourage our members to give the other copy to a relative who may need to know about the EU pension and social security system, in Finnish.

Welcoming newcomers

In recent years, AIACE Finland has experienced rapid membership growth, with approximately 50 new pensioners joining annually, which has brought the membership rate to 80%. To attract potential new members, the association has organised events in Brussels, highlighting the advantages of membership.

Additionally, AIACE Finland has introduced welcome events for new members, covering essential topics such as settling in Finland, adapting to retirement life, understanding how JSIS works in Finland, and of course learning to know each other and AIACE’s mission. These ensure new members feel supported and informed as they transition into this new phase of life.

The core of social events: coming together

Many members say that the association’s events are highly important for connecting with people who share similar backgrounds and life experience. These gatherings offer a trusted environment to members to refresh memories about their careers in European institutions and the challenges and rewards of living abroad.

While it is impossible to list all events from the past year, some highlights include:

The first ever river cruise

For the first time ever, AIACE Finland organised a river cruise in October 2025. The cruise along the Danube departed from Vienna, stopping in Bratislava, Budapest, Melk, and Linz. In Budapest, Finland’s Ambassador to Hungary, Pertti Auvinen, briefed participants on the political situation in Hungary, where the then-ongoing anti-EU advertising by the Orban government was still visible on the streets.

Christmas lunch: a growing tradition

In December 2025, we hosted our second Christmas lunch, attracting a record 97 participants. Though Santa Claus was absent, the event featured live music from the association’s own Rubato brass band, performing jazz classics and festive tunes.

Finland is geographically large: stretching 1 160 km in length and 540 km in width. The distance between the southernmost and northernmost members is 700 km, while the distance between the westernmost and easternmost members is 420 km. To ensure that all members can participate in the association's activities, nearly all events are organized as hybrid meetings, allowing for both onsite and remote attendance.

Given the situation, AIACE Finland encourages and supports local gatherings. And yes, they organised local Christmas lunches, bringing the total number of participants in 2025 to over 130.

Exploring Finland: a trip to Turku

In addition to international travel, AIACE Finland organises domestic excursions. In summer 2026, a group of Aiaceans visited Turku, Finland’s oldest city. The trip explored both the city’s rich history and its modern initiatives, including a presentation by the West Finland Film Commission on promoting Finnish film production. There attendees learned about the upcoming film Lex Julia, a Finnish-Estonian-British-Swedish-Polish co-production directed by Laura Hyppönen, set for release in January 2027. — Some participants extended their stay to attend the yearly Europe Forum, the largest event on EU policy in Finland.

Awarding excellence: encouraging EU studies

In 2024, AIACE’s Finnish section decided to mark two milestones, 30 years of Finland’s membership in the EU and AIACE Finland turning 15, in a forward-looking way: the section launched an award programme to recognise university students on outstanding master’s theses on EU policy topics. The initiative aims to encourage young people to study EU affairs and pursue careers in European institutions, addressing the decline in Finnish representation among EU civil servants.

The first awards were presented in 2025, followed by the second round in June 2026. This time, all science universities across Finland were invited to pre-select one candidate based on academic merit. The jury included two distinguished EU experts: President of Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra Atte Jääskeläinen and former Permanent Representative to the EU, Ambassador Markku Keinänen, as well as two AIACE members. When selecting the winners, the jury emphasised policy relevance and future orientation.

Diverse research topics

During the two rounds, altogether six graduates have received awards for their master’s theses, which have dealt with a wide range of EU policies: border management and protection of vulnerable people in the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum; the impact of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive on corporate responsibility; the role of Finnish media in shaping public perception of the EU and the climate debate; limits of the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the EU in the foreign and security policy; and the criminalisation of violations of EU sanctions against Russia and the related criminal justice challenges.

Supporting AIACE’s mission

The award program aligns with AIACE Finland’s broader objective of promoting knowledge of EU institutions in Finland. By recognising and rewarding academic excellence on EU policy studies, the association hopes to inspire the next generation of EU professionals and to promote high-level EU teaching and research at universities.

While the first awards’ nest egg originated from the surplus accumulated during the COVID-19 years, the second round was secured through generous member donations, which also enable the continuation of the award programme in 2027.

Highlights of action in Finland 2025-2026