The Strait of Hormuz: A legal flashpoint for global maritime trade
Few waterways on Earth carry the geopolitical weight of the Strait of Hormuz. Stretching barely 29 nautical miles (54 kilometers) at its narrowest point between the coasts of Iran to the north and Oman and the United Arab Emirates to the south, this slender passage connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and, […]
Finland plans to reduce tax burden on offshore wind farms
On 19 March 2026, the Finnish Government submitted to Parliament a legislative proposal (the “Proposal”) on property taxation for offshore wind farms. The Proposal seeks to amend the property tax legislation with the aim of aligning the property tax burden on offshore wind farms with that applicable to onshore wind farms. In addition, the amendments […]
Finland’s pension reform opens up new opportunities in real estate finance
Due to concerns about the development of its economy and its dependency ratio, Finland is preparing a reform of its pension system (Reform). A negotiation group consisting of labour market organisations reached an agreement on the main themes of the Reform in January 2025. This agreement functions as the basis for a government proposal, which […]
Meta’s WhatsApp AI ban: Why the European Commission’s interim measures matter for digital markets and innovation
The European Commission (“Commission”) has sent Meta a Statement of Objections on interim measures for blocking third-party AI assistants from WhatsApp. The Commission’s preliminary view is that Meta has breached EU antitrust rules by excluding third-party AI assistants from accessing and interacting with users on WhatsApp. In October 2025, Meta announced an update to its […]
Reforming the Finnish Arbitration Act: New UNCITRAL Model Law-Based Act Proposed
Finland is set to modernise its arbitration framework with a comprehensive reform of the Finnish Arbitration Act. The Ministry of Justice’s working group has issued a report proposing a new Arbitration Act to replace the current legislation from 1992. The reform aims to align the Finnish Arbitration Act with the UNCITRAL Model Law on International […]
An arbitration award made in a third country must not prevent national courts from examining the application of fundamental rules of Union law
On 1 August 2025, the Court of Justice of the European Union delivered its judgment in Case C-600/23 Royal Football Club Seraing1, in which the Belgian Supreme General Court had made a reference for a preliminary ruling. The question was whether the principle of res judicata could prevent the courts of the EU Member States […]
An Introduction to Banking and Finance market and topical issues in Finland
Current relevant topics Green and sustainable financing continue to be topical in Finland as the climate crisis continues. Sustainability considerations have become a fundamental part of banks’ strategies and operations. In 2024, banks had to report their green asset ratio, meaning the proportion of their assets associated with environmentally sustainable economic activities, for the first […]
An Introduction to Real Estate market and topical issues in Finland
Market Review Over the past year, the Finnish property market has been expecting a positive shift, but no such change has materialised, nor does it appear imminent. According to the latest market review published in November last year by KTI Finland, a Finnish research and advisory organisation specialising in the real estate sector, prime yields […]
Navigating new waters: Finland tightens wastewater regulations for maritime transport
From July 2025 according to amendments of the Act on Environmental Protection in Maritime Transport (669/2021) and related legislation, the discharge of certain types of wastewater from ships will be progressively banned within Finnish territorial waters. These legislative changes reflect Finland’s ambitions to better protect the Baltic Sea by reducing harmful discharges from ships. The […]
The Market Court significantly lowered the fine proposed by the FCCA to Attendo for obstructing an on-site inspection
The Market Court has significantly lowered a fine proposed by the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (“FCCA”) to Attendo Finland Ltd. (“Attendo”) for obstructing an on-site inspection carried out by the regulator. This was the first time a fine has been imposed in Finland for a procedural violation of the Finnish Competition Act. The FCCA […]