Finland will make its security policy choices, including decisions regarding membership in organisations and alliances, and cooperation between them or individual states, independently and from its own perspectives and interests. These three questions determine the way in which Finland strengthens its own security: •• How to influence the development of the unpredictable operating environment? •• How to intensify cooperation in foreign and security policy? •• How to prepare to respond to global risks and, on the other hand, how to prepare to take advantage of the opportunities generated by the trends? The Government has outlined the following focus areas for Finland’s foreign and security policy into the mid-2020s. 5.1 Strengthening the European Union as a security community The European Union is Finland’s value community. Finland aims at bolstering the EU as a security community that cultivates cooperation among its Member States. Strengthening the Common Foreign and Security Policy increases security and stability in Europe and the influence of the Union. Finland is an active, pragmatic and solution-oriented Member State. Finland advances the EU’s capability to transform itself and meet both internal and external needs. In the coming years the Union must solve several fundamental issues. Among other things, these issues are associated with migration to Europe, the coherence of the Union in the deepening maelstrom of colliding geopolitical interests, slow economic growth and the stability of the Eurozone. They are both associated with each other and also connected to the increasingly interlinked external and internal security that is affected by unemployment and social exclusion. The impacts of the UK’s EU referendum will require a longer-term evaluation. Finland emphasises the need to find a common position on the crises at hand because strengthening Europe’s relatively weakened status demands strong capacity and coherence from the EU as well as the trust of its citizens. Finland respects the common regulations and expects the other Member States to do likewise. 19