The Act on permit-granting procedures and other administrative procedures for trans-European transport network projects has entered into force on 10 August 2023. The aim is to eliminate delays related to the permit-granting procedures for projects related to the implementation of the TEN-T network and to complete the TEN-T network within the set deadlines.
Traficom acts as the liaison between the project promoter and the authorities responsible for permit-granting and approval procedures. In cross-border projects, Traficom acts as a liaison between the designated authority of another European Union member state and the European coordinators.
Traficom, in cooperation with the competent authorities, takes care of the advice given to the project promoters regarding the permit-granting and approval procedures required by the project, the organisation of the preliminary consultation, and the tasks related to the statutory deadline and its monitoring.
The total duration of the permit-granting and approval procedures required in the project must not exceed four years.
The procedure for large TEN-T transport network projects is applied in projects related to the construction, adaptation or modification of transport infrastructure, which concern:
1. pre-identified sections of the core network of the trans-European transport network referred to in the Annex of the Directive:
- railway between the Russian border and Helsinki
2. Core network corridors of the trans-European transport network and whose total costs exceed 300,000,000 euros.
Permit-granting and approval procedures to which the law applies in the TEN-T core network:
1. Procedures in accordance with the Act on the Environmental Impact Assessment Procedure (252/2017) concerning the hearing of the assessment report referred to in Section 20, the reasoned conclusion referred to in Section 23 or the up-to-datedness of the reasoned conclusion referred to in Section 27.
- The deadline includes the hearing of the evaluation report 30 - 60 days from the end of the hearing, as well as the time for issuing a reasoned conclusion statement (max. 2 months) from the end of the hearing.
- The preparation of the EIA (Environmental impact assessment) and the making of reports, as well as the additional reports made due to a reasoned conclusion, are not counted in the deadline.
2. The approval procedure for the road plan referred to in Section 21 of the Act on the Transport System and Roads (503/2005).
- The calculation of the deadline starts when the case is initiated in Traficom and ends when the decision is issued.
3. The approval procedure for the track plan referred to in Section 14 of the Railway Act (110/2007).
- The calculation of the deadline starts when the case is initiated in Traficom and ends when the decision is issued.
4. The construction permit procedure referred to in Section 79 of the Aviation Act (864/2014).
- The calculation of the deadline starts when the case is initiated in Traficom and ends when the decision is issued.
5. The environmental permit procedure referred to in Section 27 of the Environmental Protection Act (527/2014).
- The calculation of the deadline starts when the case is initiated with the relevant authorities and ends when the decision is issued.
6. The permit procedure referred to in the Water Act (587/2011).
- The calculation of the deadline starts when the case is initiated with the relevant authorities and ends when the decision is issued.
7. The exception procedure referred to in Chapter 7, Sections 64 and 66 of the Nature Conservation Act (9/2023) and the exception procedure referred to in Sections 83, 84 and 85
- The calculation of the deadline starts when the case is initiated with the relevant authorities and ends when the decision is issued.
8. The procedure regarding the building permit referred to in Section 125 of the Land Use and Building Act (132/1999), the procedure regarding the operation permit referred to in Section 126, the procedure regarding the demolition permit referred to in Section 127 and the procedure regarding the landscape work permit referred to in Section 128
- The calculation of the deadline starts when the case is initiated with the relevant authorities and ends when the decision is issued.
9. Redemption permit procedure referred to in Section 5 of the Act on the Right of Redemption of Immovable Property and Special Rights (603/1977).
- The calculation of the deadline starts when the case is initiated with the relevant authorities and ends when the decision is issued.
10. The permit procedure referred to in Section 4 of the Land Extraction Act (555/1981).
- The calculation of the deadline starts when the case is initiated with the relevant authorities and ends when the decision is issued.
11. Section 7 of the Act on the Finnish Economic Zone (1058/2004) refers to the procedure for granting consent to construction in the economic zone. The calculation of the deadline starts when the case is initiated with the relevant authorities and ends when the decision is issued.