The currently decentralised accessibility monitoring duties are planned to be assigned to only one supervisory authority. The aim is to promote legal protection, standardise advisory services and enhance operations. It is planned that the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom will take over these duties on 1 January 2025.
The Regional State Administrative Agency for Southern Finland is currently responsible for accessibility monitoring in Finland. Traficom carries out some duties related to accessibility monitoring. According to a government proposal, the Regional State Administrative Agency for Southern Finland’s accessibility monitoring duties and personnel would be transferred to Traficom on 1 January 2025.
Standardised advisory services and more efficient operations
The centralisation of accessibility monitoring duties to one supervisory authority would make the monitoring activities more efficient and improve the legal protection of the public. The centralisation would also standardise advisory services and counselling provided for economic operators.
At the moment, Traficom is responsible for the accessibility monitoring of transport and communications services and certain products. The Regional State Administrative Agency for Southern Finland has been monitoring the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of the public sector. The European Accessibility Act expands the monitoring to also cover the public sector.
The government proposal was presented to Parliament on 13 June 2024.
Background
The government proposal was drawn up by a working group of the Ministry of Finance, which included representatives of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Traficom and the Regional State Administrative Agency for Southern Finland. The draft proposal was circulated for comments from 20 March to 2 May 2024. A total of 37 comments was received during this period. The comments were mainly in favour of the proposal.
The proposal proposes amendments to the Act on Electronic Communications Services, Act on Accessibility Requirements for Certain Products and Act on the Provision of Digital Services.
Enquiries
Press release (External link) of Ministry of Finance (in Finnish)
Head of Accessibility and domains Viena Rainio, tel. +358 295 346 197, viena.rainio@traficom.fi