Main responsibility for the preparation, monitoring and determination of Finland's position in affairs relating to the European Union rests with the relevant ministries.

Compared to the other EU Member States, Finland has a unique system for coordinating EU affairs. It is based on outlines issued by the Ministerial Committee on European Union Affairs, effective public servant preparation and coordination, and timely informing and involvement of Parliament. The coordination system aims at ensuring that Finland can present a coordinated position in line with Finland's general EU policy on any issue under consideration in the European Union at any stage of consideration.

The system consists of relevant ministries, sub-committees, the Committee for EU Affairs and the Ministerial Committee on European Union Affairs. Finland's Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels takes also part in the preparation of EU affairs.

In discussion and coordination of EU affairs, particular attention is attached to the involvement and informing of the Government of Åland. [1]

The national parliament transfers the EU draft legislative act to the Ǻland Parliament as soon as there is a Swedish version available, without any filtering procedure.

The Ǻland observations which are sent to the Grand Committee of the national Parliament must be considered but are not binding. The Ǻland Parliament has not yet established a specific subsidiarity procedure within the framework of the Early Warning System. When a subsidiarity issue falls within the competence of the Ǻland Parliament, its observations are included verbatim in the national Parliament's reasoned opinion or forwarded to the EU institutions in case the national Parliament decides not to issue a reasoned opinion. Since the Ǻland Parliament's opinions are not binding, there is no guarantee that the national Parliament takes them into account when voting.

[1] Schmitt, Pierre, Tom Ruys, and Axel Marx. "The subsidiarity early warning system of the Lisbon treaty: the role of regional parliaments with legislative power and other subnational authorities." 2013