The European Parliament has approved €1.1 million in EU funding to support 351 workers laid off from Finland’s paper industry.
The proposal was backed by 609 votes to 51, with 14 abstentions, the Parliament informed in a release on Wednesday.
The money will go to displaced workers in the regions of Etelä-Suomi and Helsinki-Uusimaa.
The support comes from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund — an EU scheme that helps people who lose their jobs because of major economic changes.
Funding will cover services including job-search training and career coaching, vocational training, self-employment grants and allowances, pay subsidies, mobility allowances, and business start-up support.
The package also includes an AI-based pilot project focused on recruitment needs.
Why Finland’s paper sector has been hit
Demand for paper has fallen in recent years because of digitalisation, the Parliament said.
Finland’s sector has also been affected by the closure of the border with Russia and the halt in imports of wood following Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The total estimated cost of the package is €1.8 million, with 60% covered by the EU and 40% — €735,000 — covered by local public employment services.
Since 2007, the fund has supported more than 185,000 people in 20 EU countries with €737 million in funding.
As of May 2026, it can also finance training for workers who are facing redundancy.
