Chancellor of Justice rules Wille Rydman's Stea grant criteria violate state aid and anti-discrimination rules

Chancellor of Justice Janne Salminen delivered a ruling addressing multiple complaints about Social and Health Minister Wille Rydman's June Stea grant criteria. Salminen stressed that grant conditions must obey the State Aid Act and adhere to administrative law principles, requiring non-discriminatory and clearly formulated rules. He criticized the draft for excluding NGOs whose activities centre on societal influence or advice, and for denying funding to groups primarily serving a single non-health-related identity, deeming these provisions contrary to constitutional guarantees of equality.

The decision highlighted that the criteria gave the impression of pre-emptively barring certain organisations before applications were evaluated, damaging trust in the authority's neutrality. While the minister may refine eligibility, Salminen insisted any new rules be properly documented and, where required, issued by decree. An August update removed the most contentious clause, yet Salminen noted the process still lacked sufficient administrative documentation.