On 18 June 2025, the Finnish Parliament approved the government proposals on legislation on the reform of the regional state administration and the Act on the Processing of Certain Environmental Matters at the Finnish Supervisory Agency. The reform of the regional state administration will enable a so-called one-stop shop model for environmental matters, where the administration and application for permits are centralised and conducted digitally through a single permit process. Harmonising and streamlining the permitting practices aims to promote the clean transition and strengthen Finland's competitiveness. In this blog post, we discuss the key amendments to implement the one-stop shop principle in environmental permitting processes at the new Finnish Supervisory Agency.
Legislative Background
The most significant changes are included in two government proposals. The Government Proposal on the Legislation Concerning the Reform of Regional State Administration (HE 13/2025, in Finnish: hallituksen esitys eduskunnalle valtion aluehallintouudistusta koskevaksi lainsäädännöksi) establishes a new nationwide Finnish Supervisory Agency and introduces other reforms to the administrative structure. The Government Proposal on the Act on the Processing of Certain Environmental Matters at the Finnish Supervisory Agency and for certain related acts (HE 41/2025, in Finnish: hallituksen esitys eduskunnalle laiksi eräiden ympäristöasioiden käsittelystä Lupa- ja valvontavirastossa sekä eräiksi siihen liittyviksi laeiksi) implements the one-stop shop principle for the processing of environmental matters at the nationwide Finnish Supervisory Agency and aims to harmonise and streamline the processing of permit applications. The Parliament has approved the Government Proposals and both Acts will enter into force on 1 January 2026. Upon the reform's entry into force, amendments will also be made to other legislation, introducing provisions, for example, on the joint public hearing of permit applications and environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports, the integration of EIA and Natura assessments, and the lowering of the EIA threshold for wind power projects.
A New Nationwide Finnish Supervisory Agency
Valvira (the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health), the Regional State Administrative Agencies (AVI), and the units managing environmental affairs at the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centres) will be merged into the new Finnish Supervisory Agency at the beginning of 2026. The new permit and supervisory authority will be responsible for the permitting, guidance, and supervisory responsibilities of the aforementioned agencies. In environmental matters, its responsibilities will include:
- water permits
- environmental permits (partly)
- exemption permits under Nature Conservation Act
- EIA procedures
- Natura assessments
- water management
- land extraction permits (partly)
- permit supervision, and
- support and supervision of land use.
The Permits and Supervision Service (in Finnish: Luvat ja valvonta-palvelu) is being developed into a comprehensive digital management system for use by the new authority. To ensure predictability in the processing, it is also stipulated that the Finnish Supervisory Agency must provide an estimate of when a permit decision will be issued and update this estimate if it changes significantly during the course of the process.
The responsibilities of municipalities and the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes) will therefore remain unchanged. Municipalities will continue to be responsible for land use and planning, permits under the Building Act, land extraction permits, and, in part, environmental permits. Tukes will retain authority over permits for mining operations, exploration permits, and chemical safety permits.
Priority for Certain Strategic and Green Transition Projects
The current legislation allows a priority process for certain green transition projects. In practice, this means that applications for permits are processed as a matter of urgency and in an accelerated process at all stages of the administrative procedure. Under the new one-stop shop legislative amendment, the priority procedure will be extended until the end of 2030.
Priority processing would continue to apply to projects related to the production and use of fossil-free hydrogen. In the future, priority would also be granted to data centres where the majority of waste heat is recovered as well as to permit applications for nuclear power plants. Including data centres and nuclear power plants among the types of projects eligible for priority processing broadens the scope of initiatives contributing to the green transition and, in the case of nuclear power, also supports the objective of technology neutrality. The priority procedure will also be applied to certain strategic projects falling within the scope of certain EU regulations.
To qualify for the priority process, the applicant must, as is currently the case, demonstrate that the project is in line with the so-called "Do No Significant Harm" principle. According to the new law implementing the one-stop shop model, permit applications subject to the priority procedure should be processed within 12 months from the public notice of the application. This is, however, a target timeframe, and exceeding it does not cause legal consequences for the permitting authority.
The Scope of Joint Processing Extended – Developing a Permitting Strategy Is Important
Although provisions for the joint processing of permit applications under the Environmental Protection Act and the Water Act have been in force for some time, the one-stop shop reform aims to expand and clarify the joint processing of environmental matters. This aims to improve procedural efficiency so that projects requiring multiple permits will more often result in a single permit decision and a single opportunity for appeal. In the future, the Finnish Supervisory Agency may, through a single permit procedure, process and decide on applications related to the same project or activity, including:
- permit applications under the Environmental Protection Act
- permit applications under the Water Act, and
- applications for exemption permits under Sections 66 or 83 of the Nature Conservation Act.
Exceptions to the joint processing may be made if there are special reasons for considering the joint processing unnecessary. In the case of applications for exemptions under the Nature Conservation Act, the joint procedure may be waived if separate processing of the matters is deemed justified. In addition, certain permits under the Land Extraction Act, which fall within the competence of the Finnish Supervisory Agency, will be included in the scope of joint processing.
Permits issued by Tukes will, as a starting point, remain outside joint processing. However, permit applications under Tukes's competence, such as mining permits and chemical permits, may be coordinated with the processing of permit applications under the Environmental Protection Act and the Water Act, which fall under the competence of the Finnish Supervisory Agency. Unlike joint processing, the coordination is voluntary for the applicant. The coordinated processing for permits that fall outside the jurisdiction of the Finnish Supervisory Agency and Tukes will no longer apply.
Due to the extension of joint processing, applicants may achieve greater efficiency in the permitting process and avoid overlapping work. It is therefore important for the applicant to understand the benefits of joint processing for their specific project, but at the same time, it is essential for the applicant to assess whether there is a need to request an exemption from the otherwise applicable joint processing. Despite the entry into force of the one-stop shop model, it remains important for project developers to prepare in advance a plan to ensure that all required permits and official approvals for the project are obtained efficiently and in a timely coordinated manner.
Transitional Provisions
The new provisions implementing the one-stop shop model will, as a rule, apply to permit applications initiated after the beginning of 2026. Thus, permit applications initiated before the entry into force of the new legislation will continue to be processed under the acts currently in force. However, the provisions concerning the priority procedure of certain green transition projects and strategic projects falling within the scope of EU legislation will apply from the beginning of 2026 also to applications that have been initiated prior to the new Act's entry into force.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
