The Finnish foodstuffs industry is disappointed that instead of becoming the location of the European Food Authority, Finland will run the new Chemicals Authority.

   

Esa Härmälä, the President of the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners, felt that the solution was a loss for the Finnish food industry.

   

According to Härmälä, the Food Authority would have provided Finland with valuable contacts and opportunities. He also remarked that the whole process was a terrible loss for European decision-making.

   

On the other hand, Hannu Vornamo, the head of the Chemical Industry Federation of Finland, was extremely pleased. "The Chemicals Authority suits Finland well."

   

Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen was also happy with the result.

   

"It was by no means obvious that Finland deserves one of the larger EU authorities. Now it was available and we took it."

According to Vanhanen, the decision to give up the fight

for the Food Authority and switch it to another one began to take shape during the Rome summit in late October. After the meeting, Vanhanen asked for an analysis on other authorities that still lacked a location.

   

The Prime Minister then set his sights on the Chemicals Authority, which was the second significant authority in the package that was now decided upon.

   

For a long time, Finland counted on the other EU member states to reject Italy's Parma as the location of the Food Authority. All other EU countries would have placed the authority in Finland long ago, but Italy vetoed the move.

   

During the course of the fall, it became evident that the other EU members would not use their veto right against Italy.

   

Vanhanen estimated that the battle for the Food Authority that was led by the previous government helped Finland become the location of such a significant EU organ. He did not yet speculate on the exact location of the new authority's offices.