EU Ministers to Tackle Regulatory Burden and AI Gigafactories
Finland will be represented by Employment Minister Marttinen and Economic Affairs Minister Puisto at Brussels meeting.
Text: Martti Asikainen, 9.11.2025 | Photo: Valtioneuvosto
EU competitiveness ministers are gathering in Brussels for a two-day meeting to address regulatory simplification, e-commerce challenges and the establishment of artificial intelligence gigafactories.
Finland will be represented by Employment Minister Matias Marttinen and Economic Affairs Minister Sakari Puisto at the Competitiveness Council meetings on 8-9 December.
The Council will discuss simplifying EU regulation and reducing administrative burdens on businesses. Finland emphasises that easing regulatory requirements is essential for strengthening European competitiveness.
Ministers will also hold a policy debate on removing internal market barriers. Finland considers competitive and efficient internal markets a prerequisite for long-term economic development across the EU.
Online Shopping and Cheap Imports Under Scrutiny
The meeting will address challenges posed by e-commerce, particularly concerning product conformity and market surveillance.
“The rapid growth in online shopping and, especially, cheap imports from outside the EU have caused obvious challenges for the EU’s internal market, as regards both consumers and businesses,” says Employment Minister Matias Marttinen.
According to Marttinen, effective EU-level solutions are necessary to ensure product quality, fair competition and environmental sustainability. He stresses that reducing the administrative burden on small and medium-sized enterprises is particularly crucial.
During the meeting, Marttinen will hold bilateral discussions with Sweden’s Minister for Energy, Business and Industry Ebba Busch and Cyprus’s Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry Giorgos Papanastasiou.
Research and Space on Second Day's Agenda
The Council’s research and space session will debate proposals concerning the Horizon Europe research and innovation framework programme. Finland welcomes the European Commission’s proposals and considers the Danish Presidency’s progress report accurate.
Ministers will also examine the proposed EU Space Act. Whilst Finland supports promoting a competitive space sector, it has reservations about the suggested regulatory approach.
“Promoting the competitiveness of the space sector is critical not only for our capabilities but also for the international competition of our companies,” says Economic Affairs Minister Sakari Puisto.
Puisto emphasises that regulation must not pose unnecessary risks to Finland’s successful space sector. “Regulation should only be introduced when it is necessary and brings value added,” he adds.
AI Gigafactories Proposed for Computing Initiative
The Danish Presidency proposes adding the establishment and operation of AI gigafactories as a new objective for the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC). A gigafactory refers to a massive computing centre designed specifically for training AI models.
The proposal would also expand the Joint Undertaking’s activities to cover research, development and innovation in quantum technologies more extensively than at present.
Finnish AI Region
2022-2025.
Media contacts