Who represents Alands interests in Brussels?
The Aland archipielago, which belongs to Finland, is largely autonomous and is therefore regarded as a shining example by other EU regions striving for autonomy. Now a dispute over “Snus”, a damp tobacco sold on Aland ferries despite being banned in the EU, is raising tensions in the already problematic relations between Aland and the EU: “This is because the regional autonomy of the island doesn’t fit in with the EU’s scheme, as Elisabeth Nauclér, who holds Aland’s only seat in the Finnish parliament, puts it. … For Aland to be allowed to join the EU together with Finland, a number of special regulations had to be negotiated (the Aland Protocol) and three changes to the constitution were made. … Aland does not have a seat of its own in the European Parliament. Finland simply forgot to make such a provision during the membership talks. …
