Protection of species in the EU and international game policy

International cooperation is important in the field of game policy. Many game species move across national borders, and international legislation and agreements apply in Finland, too.

In addition to EU countries, Finland also collaborates with other countries in the world. For example, cooperation with the Nordic countries is important. Finland is also engaged in regional cooperation with the neighbouring Russia: Finnish and Russian game authorities and game researchers have organised joint seminars and exchanged information about the status and development of animal populations, developments in research, and population management. Similar cooperation efforts have also been made with Estonia and South-East European countries. There are also several international organisations promoting game husbandry.

The Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive are the European Union’s most important pieces of nature conservation legislation.