Regional councils act as regional development authorities and actors responsible for strategic regional development. They are also responsible for planning within the region together with municipalities, Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment as well as other regional state administrative bodies and actors contributing to regional development. Goals for developing the regions are set out in law and their purpose is to promote the sustainable growth and competitiveness, the well-being of inhabitants and the quality of the living environment. The goals are to:
1) Strengthen a growth-supporting economic structure and balance, a sustainable regional and community structure as well as accessibility.
2) Support the employment, competence, equal opportunities and social participation of the inhabitants as well as promote the integration of immigrants.
3) Improve the quality of the living environment and mitigate climate change and its impacts.
4) Reduce development differences between and within the regions.
5) Improve the regions’ strengths and specialisation as well as promote culture.
Regional planning includes a long-term development strategy, a regional land use plan and an intermediate-term regional development programme, i.e. the regional programme. Regional planning takes account of the regional development decision, national regional development goals as well as national goals concerning the use of the regions, combining them with regional and local goals related to the use and development of the regions.
