Rural Development Unit

The task of the Unit for Rural Development is to promote the development, vitality and renewal of agriculture in rural areas and archipelago areas, environmental management, economic preconditions and competitiveness of business activities, competence, innovations and local independent activities through the measures of the CAP Strategic Fund for Rural Development and the Rural Development Programme and national measures

E-mails are of the form forename.surname@gov.fi

Vesanto Taina, Head of Unit
Agricultural Counsellor
tel. +358 2951 62405

Kiikkala Meri
Senior Specialist
Duties of the managing Authority for communication on the CAP Strategic Plan
Management of national CAP communications
tel. +358 2951 62042

Repo Mia
Administrative Assistant
tel. +358 2951 62201


Programme Coordination Team

Hartman Tiina
Senior Specialist
CAP preparation and amendments
AKIS, environmental issues, vice-chair of the environmental team (CAP issues)
tel. +358 2951 62271

Loikkanen Eeva
Senior Specialist
Animal welfare measures
Monitoring Committee
tel. +358 2951 62015

Malm Tiina
Ministerial Adviser, Team Manager
Coordination tasks of the CAP Strategic Plan (incl. planning, preparation and changes in strategy and programme work)
European Commission CAP Committee, Council CAP working Group
CAP plan advisory measures and animal welfare measures
tel. +358 2951 62428

Pehkonen Eero
Ministerial Adviser
Coordination of CAP plan assessment and research cooperation in rural development issues natural handicap payments, environmental payments
OECD Joint working Party on Agriculture and Environment
tel. +358 2951 62217

Terho Virva 
Ministerial Adviser
Planning and monitoring of EAFRD funding
Monitoring Committee
Monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the Rural Development Programme and the CAP Plan to the European Commission
Spending limits and budget preparation (30.10.43. 30.20.43 and 30.20.44)
tel. +358 2951 62141

 

Regional Team

Anttila Leena
Ministerial Adviser
Technical assistance under the Rural Development Programme and the CAP Strategic Plan
Rural Innovation Teams (EIB)
EU Baltic Sea Strategy and Nordic co-operation
Monitoring Committee
tel. +358 2951 62240

Auri Elina
Chief Specialist
Secretary General of the Island Committee (SANK)
Island policy and island development
Budget preparation (30.10.63)
tel. +358 2951 62041

Husberg Antonia
Ministerial Adviser
Secretary General of the Rural Policy Council (MANE)
Rural policy and rural development
tel. +358 2951 62033

Jänis Laura
Senior Specialist
Local development and leader activities
Rural policy and rural development
Regional policy and regional development
Skolt supports
tel. +358 2951 62090

Kalliokoski Juuso
Chief Specialist
Business financing in rural areas
Other business activities of farms
Coordination of business funding (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Finnvera, Business Finland)
tel. 358 2951 62470

Latvakoski Laura
Planning Officer
Island policy, SANK
Parliamentary working group on sparsely populated areas (HAMA)
tel. +358 2951 62054

McPartlin Maria
Planning Officer
Budget preparation (item 30.10.42, 30.10.64)
Parliamentary working group on sparsely populated areas (HAMA)
tel. +358 2951 62061

Rouvavuori Joel (leave of absence)
Senior Specialist
Risk management in agriculture and rural enterprises. Operating and financial plan. Budget preparation.

Selkäinaho Marianne
Chief Specialist
Tasks related to the development projects of the Rural Development Programme and the CAP Strategic Plan:
education and dissemination of information, non-profit investments and broadband projects, cooperation, operating environment and business development projects
Duties of the rural network's managing authority
tel. +358 2951 62218

Sihvola Auli
Senior Specialist
Parliamentary working group on sparsely populated areas (HAMA)
Village trade subsidy
Rural policy and regional development
tel. +358 2951 62442

Sihvola Sanna
Ministerial Adviser, Team Manager
Regional and local rural development
Performance guidance and sectoral guidance of ELY Centres
Rural policy
tel. +358 2951 62264

Tantarimäki Sami
Senior Specialist
Rural Policy Council (MANE)
Rural policy and rural development
Rural research and development projects
tel. +358 2951 62330


Rural structures

Hellstedt Maarit
Project Manager
Agricultural construction
Agricultural technology
tel. +358 2951 62083

Koivumäki Sanna
Ministerial Adviser, Team Manager
Structural support for agriculture (Investment aid for agriculture and setting-up aid for young farmers)
Structural support for reindeer husbandry
tel. +358 2951 62437

Meurasalo Saara
Rural Economist
Secretary of the Development Fund for Agriculture and Forestry (MAKERA)
Financial statement and budget preparation (30.10.40, 30.20.41 and 30.20.42)
Monitoring and analysis of the EU's new financial instruments
tel. +358 2951 62035

Pethman Kaisa
Senior Specialist
Investment aid for agriculture
Assessment of the impact of the CAP Strategic Plan
Research cooperation in the CAP Strategic Plan
tel. +358 2951 62211

Schulman Anna
Ministerial Adviser
CAP plan environment payments, organic production payments and non-productive investments
Agri-environmental issues
tel.  +358 2951 62199

Tikander Sanna
Senior Specialist
Promoting the nutrient circular economy and water protection in agriculture
HELCOM
p. 0295 16 62178

Further information

Taina Vesanto, Senior Ministerial Adviser 
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Food Department, Unit for Rural Development Agriculture and Fisheries Council  Telephone:0295162405   Email Address: