One-stop services and streamlined permit procedures

The new Finnish Supervisory Agency established in connection with the reform of the regional state administration will begin operations on 1 January 2026. The reform enables a one-stop service and more streamlined permitting procedures in environmental matters managed by the central government. 

Parliament approved the Act on the Processing of Certain Environmental Matters at the Finnish Supervisory Agency on 18 June 2025.  

One-stop service - what is it?

One-stop service means that, in future, a single state environmental authority with nationwide competence will be responsible for the progress and coordination of permitting and other procedures. 
The Finnish Supervisory Agency will manage the official duties under the Environmental Protection Act (527/2014), Water Act (587/2011), Waste Act (646/2011), Act on the Environmental Impact Assessment Procedure (252/2017), Nature Protection Act (9/2023),  Act on the Organisation of River Basin Management and the Marine Strategy (1299/2004), and certain other acts concerning the environment (such as the Act on the Environmental Impact Assessment of Public Authorities’ Plans and Programmes 200/2005 and, in part, Land Extraction Act 555/1981, Land Use Act 132/1999 and Construction Act 751/2023). The EIA procedures and Natura assessments can also be managed more smoothly as part of the permitting procedure.

Timetable of the legislative project:

• The Government’s draft proposal was circulated for comments from 20 June to 30 August 2024.
• The government proposal to Parliament was given on 30 April 2025.
• Parliament approved the proposal on 18 June 2025.
• The new agency will begin operations and legislation on the one-stop service will enter into force on 1 January 2026.

Streamlined and predictable permitting procedures promote investments and improve Finland’s competitiveness and, in particular, they are also needed for the transition into a clean economy.

Numerous Government projects to streamline permitting procedures

The legislative project on the one-stop service has been part of a larger project concerning the implementation of the service. Work to streamline permitting procedures has also been done in numerous other projects:

• Government proposal for an act on the processing of certain environmental matters at the Finnish Supervisory Agency and for certain related acts 
• Reform of the act concerning the permitting procedure for renewable energy 
• Government proposal concerning the reform of the regional state administration 
• Contact point for net zero industry projects and prioritisation of strategic projects  
• Contact point for projects concerning critical raw materials and prioritisation of strategic projects 
• Environmental targets for water resources management and deviations from these 
• Several other projects implementing the Government Programme entries concerning permitting procedures and streamlining.

One-stop service implementation project

The Ministry of the Environment has launched a project on the implementation of the one-stop service model in tasks related to the environment. The introduction of one-stop services requires new practices and procedures to be developed for the Finnish Supervisory Agency. The project work has taken place in parallel with the implementation project of the Ministry of Finance to plan and establish the Finnish Supervisory Agency.

The implementation project on environmental tasks also includes piloting the operations as the national contact point and preparing a model for the task of the contact point at the Finnish Supervisory Agency. The requirement concerning a coordinating authority for permitting procedures is based on EU law. The project will also develop the implementation of the environmental impact assessment procedure and promote digitalisation in the procedure.

Digitalisation projects to promote e-services

The implementation of a one-stop service model requires a large number of major reforms in the information systems of environmental authorities. The digital service for environmental matters will be created in cooperation between several digitalisation projects.

The project on coordinating the digitalisation of the one-stop service will ensure that the different development projects concerning specific information systems and organisations will serve the same purpose, the introduction of a digital one-stop service for environmental matters. The project on developing the information structures and interoperability of environmental protection will promote the interoperability of information on environmental protection to ensure that the information runs smoothly through the authorities’ service chain.