Working with Eurocities
Finland joined the EU in 1995, and since then Helsinki has been an active member of Eurocities. With Eurocities, Helsinki has strengthened its position to influence EUs major policies, such as the upcoming budget for the years 2028-2034. Helsinki supports the advocacy work of Eurocities and together with other member cities the organisation is able to bring necessary visibility for urban matters in the EU.
Key issues Helsinki seeks to address as a member of the Eurocities Executive Committee term 2026-2029:
- Strengthening Europe’s competitiveness through cities
- Cities as drivers of social cohesion and equality
- Secure, resilient and connected European cities
Helsinki is also the vice-chair of the Digital Forum and the chair of the Working Group Education.
The City of Helsinki benefits from being an active member of Eurocities in many ways:
- sharing information and developing the expertise of the city’s personnel by learning from other cities;
- increasing Helsinki’s visibility among European cities and advocacy towards EU institutions;
- networking and partnering with potential city partners and their key experts to advance strategic projects;
- influencing EU decision-making; supporting Ukraine, keeping urban policies high on the EU agenda.
What people need to know about the city
Helsinki stands out with its sea-facing landscape, diverse architecture, world-famous design and Nordic cuisine. Finland’s capital is compact enough to explore on foot and big enough to entertain residents and visitors day after day.
The city has one of the world’s highest urban standards of living and in 2020, it was named the happiest city in the world by the UN World Happiness Report.
In fact, Helsinki exists for the sake of a good life. It pursues this vision by seeking to create the best possible conditions for urban living and to be the most functional city in the world.
Helsinki’s functionality is based on the Nordic model of high-quality city services, transparent governance and almost nonexistent corruption.
Liveability stems from the clean and safe urban environment of Helsinki, a unique cultural scene, empowerment of the communities and, perhaps most importantly, a feeling of trust between citizens.
Ecological thinking is strongly present in Helsinki’s everyday life and the city places great emphasis on encouraging environmentally friendly lifestyles. An atmosphere that motivates less consumption, construction efforts that consider sustainable development and ambitious climate aims make Helsinki a model city of sustainable development.
Helsinki has launched an ambitious digitalisation programme that will help the city improve its services and renew its operations in many ways. The changes encompass not only new technologies but also the development culture, organisation, management and staff skills. Helsinki wants to become more customer-oriented and agile in its operations and to utilise data to create better services and make better decisions.
Helsinki is on course to meet its goal of cutting its carbon emissions by 85% by 2030. Towards this end, the city shut two coal-fired power plants, invested heavily in expanding our public transport system, and made plans to found dozens of nature reserves within our borders.
