Extending halved fairway dues
Act amending the entry into force provision of the act amending and temporarily amending the Fairway Dues Act
The halving of the fairway dues charged on merchant vessels will continue in 2024–2027. The change will prevent an increase in maritime transport costs and support the competitiveness of the export industry.
- Status
- Passed
- Submitted
- 9 Oct 2023
- Latest event
- 30 Nov 2023
- Votes
- 1
- Speeches
- 11
- Confirmed
- 15 Dec 2023
- Statute
- 1121/2023
- Source
- eduskunta.fi ↗
What is proposed
The temporary halving of fairway dues in force in 2015–2023 will be extended at current unit prices for another four years until the end of 2027.
What it means
Shipping companies and their transport clients in industry and commerce will avoid an estimated annual cost increase of 36 million euros compared with full fairway dues. For the state, the change will mean an annual loss of revenue of approximately 36 million euros, and the funding deficit for maritime services (such as icebreaking and fairway maintenance) will be covered from general state funds. The act will enter into force on 31 December 2023 at the latest.
How Parliament voted
The act ultimately passed without a vote: no MP proposed rejecting it in the final reading. The only vote concerned a detail of the act.
Lausumaehdotus, mietintö / Saara Hyrkkö
Yes won by 142–11.
Only the Greens against. 46 MPs were absent. Minutes ↗
Filled dot = yes, ring = no, grey = absent. Point at a dot to see the MP. Seats follow the current seating plan (updated 18 Sep 2026). 15 MPs who voted are not in the current seating plan.
A passed act does not enter into force immediately: the President of the Republic confirms it, and it enters into force on the date set in the act. This act was confirmed on 15 Dec 2023.
Debate in the chamber
What was argued and where each group stood, followed by MPs' speeches verbatim from the parliamentary record. Speeches are shown in their original language.
11 speeches · 2 debates
Key points of the debate
Parliament debated extending the halving of fairway dues for merchant shipping for 2024–2027 to safeguard the competitiveness of the export industry and security of supply. The proposal received broad support from both the Government and the opposition, who emphasised Finland's dependence on maritime transport. The Greens opposed the proposal, regarding the halving as business aid that is expensive for central government finances, ineffective, and environmentally harmful.
- Is halving fairway dues a necessary measure for competitiveness or ineffective business aid?
- Should fairway dues be abolished altogether in the future, or should the halving be discontinued?
- Finns PartyIn favour
The group strongly supported the proposal to improve export industry competitiveness and security of supply, and some MPs hoped fairway dues would be abolished entirely.
”Väylämaksu vaikuttaa Suomen ulkomaankaupan kuljetuskustannuksiin alusliikenteessä, ja siten väylämaksun tasolla on merkitystä Suomen kansainväliselle kilpailukyvylle.”
— Jorma Piisinen - Social DemocratsIn favour
The group considered the proposal very important for Finland, which depends on exports and maritime transport, and felt it would bring predictability for investments.
”Väylämaksujen puolittaminen on vientiteollisuuden merkittävyyden vuoksi koko Suomen etu.”
— Juha Viitala - Centre PartyIn favour
The group gave its full support to the proposal, as it reduces costs for business and creates stability and predictability for the economy.
”Tämä hallituksen esitys väylämaksujen puolittamisesta on erinomaisen hyvä ja varmasti kannatettava.”
— Hannu Hoskonen - GreensAgainst
The group opposed continuing the halving, considering that the measure would have only a marginal effect on competitiveness and would cause large revenue losses for the state as well as environmental harm.
”Tämän esitetyn tiedon valossa väylämaksujen puolittamisesta olisi syytä luopua.”
— Saara Hyrkkö
This digest was generated by AI from 11 speeches 13 Sep 2026. Group positions are read from the speeches, not from votes; quotations were checked verbatim against the record.
Yleiskeskustelu päättyi. Eduskunta hyväksyi hallituksen esitykseen HE 51/2023 vp sisältyvän lakiehdotuksen sisällön mietinnön mukaisena. Lakiehdotuksen ensimmäinen käsittely päättyi.
Keskustelu päättyi ja asian käsittely keskeytettiin.
Stages of consideration
The bill's path from the preliminary debate to the decision, as recorded by Parliament.
- 9 Oct 2023Eduskuntakäsittelyn vireilletulo · Liikenne- ja viestintäministeriö
- 10 Oct 2023Lähetekeskustelu · Täysistunto
- 8 Nov 2023Valiokunnan mietintö tai lausunto · liikenne- ja viestintävaliokunta
- 15 Nov 2023Ensimmäinen käsittely · Täysistunto
- 24 Nov 2023Toinen käsittely · Täysistunto
- 28 Nov 2023Eduskunnan vastaus ja kirjelmä
Decisions by law proposal1
- 1Laki väylämaksulain muuttamisesta ja väliaikaisesta muuttamisesta annetun lain voimaantulosäännöksen muuttamisestaHyväksytty · 1121/2023 · 15 Dec 2023
Proposed law text
The law proposals in the bill as the Government presented them. The final act may differ after committee consideration.
The law text is shown in Finnish or Swedish from Parliament's official documents; it is not translated into English.
Laki väylämaksulain muuttamisesta ja väliaikaisesta muuttamisesta annetun lain voimaantulosäännöksen muuttamisesta
Eduskunnan päätöksen mukaisesti muutetaan väylämaksulain muuttamisesta ja väliaikaisesta muuttamisesta annetun lain (1214/2014) voimaantulosäännöksen 1 momentti, sellaisena kuin se on laissa 1000/2021, seuraavasti:
§
Tämä laki tulee voimaan 1 päivänä tammikuuta 2015. Lain 6 ja 8 § ovat voimassa 31 päivään joulukuuta 2027.
§
Tämä laki tulee voimaan päivänä kuuta 20 .
Main content of the bill (official)
The summary and title were produced with AI on 2 Sep 2026. They are not official documents – check the details in the original bill. The title and summaries are machine translations of the Finnish AI summaries. Speeches and quotations are always shown in their original language.