One-stop services and streamlined permit procedures

The one-stop services project of the Ministry of the Environment has supported the reform of the regional state administration and development of the one-stop service. To make the one-stop service model possible, both structural and functional reforms have been made in the tasks of the Finnish state environmental administration. 

The permitting, supervision and guidance tasks of the state environmental administration are now all managed by the Finnish Supervisory Agency that began operating in the beginning of 2026. This reform means that a customer can access a single point to initiate or handle matters involving different public authorities. The aim is to further streamline the permitting procedures concerning investment projects and make them more predictable, as well as to contribute to the green transition. 

One-stop service legislative project

Legislation has been reformed to develop the state environmental administration and permitting procedures related to the environment. The Act on the Processing of Certain Environmental Matters at the Finnish Supervisory Agency that entered into force in the beginning of 2026 stresses a proactive approach to guiding and advising customers. The aim is also that the different environmental procedures needed by customers could be processed simultaneously. The permit conditions and environmental targets are the same as before, but the procedures have been streamlined. 

One of the most relevant reforms in terms of the legislative amendments is that, more often than before, permit applications related to the environment can be processed together and at the same time. The consultation concerning the EIA report can be organised in connection with the permit application procedure that falls within the decision-making authority of the Finnish Supervisory Agency. The scope of the priority procedure has been expanded and it will be applicable until 2030. A project that has received this status is processed as urgent in all stages of the permitting procedure. The Finnish Supervisory Agency serves as the contact point authority in projects concerning critical raw materials and the net zero industry. The contact point authority coordinates all permitting procedures of the projects and their deadlines and advises the customers in procedural matters.

The acts related to the tasks of the state environmental authority drafted during this legislative project include:

• Act on the Finnish Supervisory Agency (530/2025, 1 January 2026)
  • Act on the Economic Development Centres and the Employment, Administration and Development Agency (531/2025)
• Act on the Processing of Certain Environmental Matters at the Finnish Supervisory Agency (823/2025, 1 January 2026) 
  • Besides these, certain acts have been amended to promote the one-stop service (Environmental Protection Act, Water Act, Nature Conservation Act, Act on the Environmental Impact Assessment Procedure) 
• Amendments to the Act on Permitting Procedures and Certain Other Administrative Procedures for Renewable Power Plants 
• Provisions of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) and renewables acceleration areas 
• Act on the Organisation of River Basin Management and the Marine Strategy, Environmental Protection Act and Water Act – binding environmental targets related to the state of waters and derogating from the environmental targets
  • These legislative acts were adopted in 2024.

One-stop service implementation project

The implementation of the one-stop services requires certain adjustments to the practices and procedures. This is why the Ministry of the Environment launched a project on the implementation of the one-stop service model in tasks related to the environment. The implementation of the one-stop service has been incorporated into the operating and service models of the Finnish Supervisory Agency. The key aim has been to provide a comprehensive service to the customers. The focus was also on proactive guidance and advice.

The environmental impact assessment procedure will be more effectively targeted to significant environmental impacts. This is implemented with the amendment to the Act on the Environmental Impact Assessment Procedure that entered into force on 1 January 2026 and through guidance.

The third item in the development was the planning of the operations of the contact point authority. The requirement concerning the designation of an authority to coordinate the permitting procedures of projects concerning critical raw materials and net zero and renewable energy is based on EU law. Now the contact point service at the Finnish Supervisory Agency has common models and guidelines for the authorities and customers.

Digitalisation projects to promote e-services

The new agency and the one-stop service require major reforms in the numerous information systems used by the environmental authorities. The digitalisation project concerning the one-stop service develops information systems in such a way that they will support the one-stop service, reformed legislation and new operating models. The project on developing the information structures and interoperability of environmental protection supports this work. The interoperability of information on environmental protection means that information can run smoothly through the authorities’ service chain. Interoperability is ensured not just by improving the transfer of information between the existing systems but also more broadly by improving the information models, code lists and terminology.

From the beginning of 2026, the Licensing and Supervision Service serves as the digital contact point for environmental matters where the processing of matters is initiated. 

• Finnish Supervisory Agency

The aim is to further expand the range of services available.

A process has also been started to digitalise the EIA procedure where the customers will also be directed to using the Licensing and Supervision Service to initiate the process. 

Publications and other results of the project

The Ministry of the Environment commissioned a study to support the project to develop the EIA procedure, which will be carried out as part of the one-stop service implementation project:

• One-Stop Services of the Environmental Administration and Streamlined Permit Procedures. Final Report on the Operating Model Design Work (in Finnish, Institutional Repository for the Government)
• Models for the Target State of One-Stop Service in Environmental Propcedures (in Finnish, Institutional Repository for the Government)
• Water compensation: Legal analysis of compensation for impacts on water bodies in the permitting process (in Finnish, University of Helsinki Open Repository)
• Hankeikkuna: Kaavoitus-, YVA- ja lupamenettelyjen keskinäissuhteet ja prosessien sujuvoittamismahdollisuudet keskitetyillä teollisuusalueilla. Selvitys 15.1.2024
• Scope and level of detail of documents in the environmental impact assessment 
  procedure. Report to the Ministry of the Environment (in Finnish, Institutional Repository for the Government)

The one-stop services project is implemented through the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) with funding from REPowerEU.