The cornerstone of unity

12
ÅLAND 
– AN AUTONOMOUS
REGION IN FINLAND
The Åland Islands and its Swedish-speaking population have a rather special legal status in that they are 
autonomous under the sovereignty of Finland. Åland has enjoyed this status, which is well anchored in 
international law, for more than 80 years, but being somehow ‘special’ can also entail a lack of stability in the 
changing circumstances of post-Cold War Europe. For this reason the islanders hope that Europe will come to 
regard autonomous regions as being protected by EU law. 
The Åland Islands are located between the Finnish and Swedish mainland, in the northern Baltic Sea at the 
entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia. Åland’s combined land and sea area totals 6,784 kilometres. Almost 80% of this area 
is water, while the remaining 1,550 km
2
is comprised of approximately 6,500 islands and skerries, of which around 80 
are inhabited throughout the year. Åland currently has about 26,000 inhabitants, of which nearly 94% speak Swedish 
as their mother tongue (innovation no. 11). 
For the last 600 years Åland has been subjected to the rule of external powers, with outsiders deciding what 
was best for it. Sweden ruled Finland until the beginning of the 19th century, during which time Åland, for 
administrative purposes, was part of Finland. The Swedish era ended when Russia took over in 1809. 
Russian rule lasted until 1917. During that period Åland, as part of the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland 
under Russia, remained Swedish-speaking with its own culture and even economic structure. 
The so-called Åland Islands Question was born amidst the turmoil of the end of World War I, mainly as a result 
of the American president Wilson’s doctrine of people’s right to self-determination. Even before Finland’s 
declaration of independence in December 1917, a secession movement in Åland wanted the islands to reunite with 
Sweden. They were worried about the state of confusion in Russia and were fearful of strong Finnish dominance 
which might threaten the Swedish language and culture, and it also seemed possible that an independent Finland 
might become communist. 
Scared of losing the islands completely, the Finnish Parliament hastily passed the Åland Autonomy Act in May 
1920, without consulting those who lived there, but the islanders rejected the law and refused to recognise it, 
creating a considerable amount of tension between Finland and Sweden. 
At the initiative by the United Kingdom the dispute was ultimately referred to the newly founded League of 
Nations, whose decision in June 1921 showed the Wisdom of Solomon by offering something to everybody: 
1. Finland obtained sovereignty over Åland 
2. the islanders were granted autonomy 
3.
Sweden was happy to see it demilitarised and declared neutral (innovation no. 31). 
Today the Åland Islanders are living under the third Autonomy Act (the first was in force 1920
–1951, the second 
1952
–1992 and the previous one was enacted in 1993), the reform of which is currently under discussion again 
in the region. The difference compared with the past is that the islanders themselves are now taking part and 
trying to master their own destiny in a democratic society ruled by law. 
The Åland Autonomy Act cannot be amended by the Finnish Parliament without the consent of the Legislative 
Assembly of Åland, which has exclusive legislative power over the area. International treaties signed and ratified 
by Finland which affect the autonomous region must be approved by the Assembly before they can become law 

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in Åland. 
Administration is divided between the central official powers of Finland and the government of Åland along the 
same lines as the legislative power. 
The law is enforced in Åland by state courts, as provided for by state legislation. 
The inhabitants of Åland enjoy a special regional citizenship, called the right of domicile, which grants special 
economic and political rights to its holders and exempts them from military service and, in practice, from 
conscription altogether. 
Since 1970 Åland has been a member of the Nordic Council, with the right to participate in both the 
Parliamentary Assembly and the Council of Ministers. When Finland (finally) joined the Council of Europe in 
1989 the Legislative Assembly of Åland gave its approval, which means that European human rights standards 
also apply to the islands. 
Åland was involved in its own right in the negotiations surrounding Fi
nland’s entry into the European Union. 
Contrary to the League of Nations situation in 1921, however, representatives of Åland participated in the 
negotiations as part of the Finnish delegation, as provided for in the Autonomy Act. 
After two referenda in Åland and the consent of the Legislative Assembly, the Finnish government declared 
that the EC Treaty, the ECSC Treaty and the Euratom Treaty were applicable to the Åland Islands in accordance 
with the provisions set out in Protocol 2 of the Act concerning the Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden to 
the European Union. This has been the case since 1.1.1995. 
As an EU member, Finland is responsible for the implementation of EU law in Åland, even if it does not have 
formal solutions for any lack of implementation or inaccurate implementation due to the principal of division of 
legislative powers between Finland and Åland under the Autonomy Act. This has increased the amount of 
interaction between the Finnish government and its counterpart in Åland, as was dem
onstrated during Finland’s 
presidency of the EU in the second half of 2006. 
Gunnar Jansson 
– Member of Parliament from Åland 1983–2003