Finland took over the European Union six-months rotating Presidency from Romania on Monday and set the sustainability as its main goal, the Beta news agency reported.

During his country’s term, Finish Prime Minister Antti Rinne said that “the future of the EU should be social, economic and ecological sustainability.”

“The sustainability is also linked to the EU common values. Human rights, freedom, democracy and the rule of law are values which the EU member states adopt as a part of the membership,” Rinne said.

The other issues Helsinki sees as the most significant are a common market, free trade based on rules and new regulations which are all the elements of the EU collective responsibility. According to the Finish presidency plan, the focus should be on using all the benefits of researches, development, innovations and digitalisation.

The EU will, as Finland says, produce sustainable development and prosperity for its citizens by encouraging education and training, regional and social justice and gender equality.

 It seems the enlargement, i.e., the Western Balkans countries’ approaching the bloc, is not among Finish priorities, despite promises by all relevant EU institutions that the necessary internal reforms of the bloc will not put on hold the enlargement which, as they insist, will eventually be on merit.

At the end of this year, Croatia will take over the EU Presidency from Finland.