The Ministry of the Environment said it would need three million euros to help protect the sea endangered by pollution. However, next year's budget proposal does not allocate funds for the project.

Finance Minister Jyrki Katainen says the budget only includes expenses decided on in framework talks. He says cuts have to be made somewhere, and has called on ministries to find money from their own budgets for additional projects.

On Monday, Katainen told a gathering of the National Coalition Party MPs in Pori that cash for Baltic Sea protection measures would be found from other ministeries.

However, Minister of the Environment Paula Lehtomäki said earlier her ministry does not have the funds. “Finding extra money from our ministry would be extremely difficult. I would say it is impossible.”

Liisa Rohweder of the conservation group WWF say Finland has reneged on its promise.

”This is a joke internationally. In the spring, our president invited leaders from all of the Baltic Sea countries to Helsinki. At the same meeting, the prime minister vowed that Finland would protect the archipelago, and the Environment Ministry applied for the funds. It just seems so ridiculous that Finland would pull out of this,” she says.

Government officials are to continue talks on the budget proposal this month. The plan will go to Parliament for approval next month.