Finland Chancellor of Justice criticizes Rydman's STEA grant criteria

Finland's Chancellor of Justice, Janne Salminen, has issued a ruling regarding the STEA grant criteria established by Minister of Social Affairs and Health Wille Rydman. The Chancellor found that the formulation of the criteria created a false impression of how grants are awarded.

The controversial criteria, announced in June, suggested that certain organizations would be excluded from funding before their applications were even evaluated. Specifically, the rules stated that grants would not be awarded in 2027 to organizations focused on social influence or advisory work, or those primarily targeting a single non-health-related identity or background group. Critics argued these rules could unfairly exclude groups representing sexual minorities, immigrants, and veterans.

Chancellor Salminen emphasized that while legislation allows for specific grant criteria, they must be non-discriminatory, consistent with administrative legal principles, and clearly documented. The ruling noted that the current approach risked undermining trust in the impartiality of authorities. The Chancellor directed the Minister and the Ministry to adhere to the Act on Government Grants and general principles of good administration, though no further legal actions were ordered.