Regional geopolitical

Finland's commitment to neutrality in the aftermath of the Second World War kept it away from European integration for a long time. In 1961, it became an associate member of EFTA, a free trade area with no political ambition, conceived by the British as a 'rival' organisation to the EEC.
The fall of the Soviet bloc opened the way for Finnish membership. On 18 March 1992, Helsinki submitted its official application for membership of the European Communities. The consultative referendum on membership, held in October 1994, gave 56.9% of the votes to the "yes" vote. The negotiations, which began in 1993, were difficult. Finland, like Austria and Sweden, asked for derogations in certain areas, such as agriculture, regional aid, participation in the Community budget and the setting of fishing quotas. After stormy discussions on the date of its accession, the country became a member of the European Union in 1995, at the same time as Austria and Sweden.
Finland remains very committed to its neutrality: it is not a member of NATO. Within the framework of the European defence policy, it seeks to develop the non-military aspects of crisis management. It favours intergovernmental cooperation and seeks to defend the interests of the "small" countries within the European Union against the possibility of a "big" directoire.
Helsinki maintains privileged relations with the Baltic and Nordic countries and is particularly involved in dialogue with Russia. The Northern Dimension, around the Baltic Sea, was initiated in 1997 by the then Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen.
Finland is represented by 13 Members of the European Parliament. The current Finnish EU Commissioner is Jutta Urpilainen, Commissioner for International Partnerships. The country has held the rotating Presidency of the EU Council three times: 1999, 2006 and 2019.