Scope of application

In the central government

The quota principle applies to committees, advisory boards and other similar bodies. The quota regulation is also applied to committee-like bodies when their duties include decision-making power. Likewise, the quota regulation applies to bodies appointed by ministries, such as working groups. Delegations which have been appointed by an authority and which represent the authorities or the administrative sector in international cooperation is also included in the bodies defined in the quota regulation.

According to the regulation, bodies must consist of at least 40% women and 40% men. This rule does not apply to committee-like evaluation work carried out by one person. If a management group or expert group is appointed to support the evaluation, then the 40% rule of the Equality Act is applied.

The quota regulation is not applied when a committee, advisory board, board or similar body appoints a section or e.g. a working group made up of its own members or of external experts.

In the local government

According to section 30 of the Local Government Act, the municipal bodies comprise the local council, the local executive and the local authority audit committee. There may also be other bodies that can be used to organise the administration of a municipality. The quota regulation in the Equality Act contains no specific definition of a local municipal body. In its ruling 2002:38, the Supreme Administrative Court has affirmed that the municipal bodies covered by the quota regulation may in some situations include bodies other than the bodies listed in section 17 of the Local Government Act (365/1995) in force at the time, such as working groups, for example. The quota regulation is not applied to the municipal council, which is appointed by election. Neither does the regulation apply to the chairmanship.

The quota regulation applies to bodies established for the purpose of inter-municipal cooperation, such as a joint municipal authority's joint authority councils, meetings and executive boards, as well as other joint municipal bodies such as municipal committees, management boards, commissions and local cooperation advisory councils. Often each municipality directly chooses the members of an inter-municipal co-operation body, for example those of a joint municipal authority's joint authority council or the joint body defined in Section 51 of the Local Government Act. In inter-municipal negotiations, it should be ensured beforehand that the body's final make-up is in accordance with the Equality Act's quota regulation.