Government bills33
- HE 158/2026 vpIn progress
Strengthening Finnish Border Guard powers
The Finnish Border Guard would be given a new task to monitor critical underwater infrastructure and powers to intervene in suspicious vessels and unmanned vehicles. At the same time, technical border surveillance and inter-agency cooperation would be enhanced in the changed security environment.
15 Sep 2026 · no votes yet - HE 136/2026 vpIn progress
Enhancing maritime ship safety supervision
Legislation on the safety supervision of ships will be reformed to meet updated EU rules and international requirements. Authorities will receive clearer powers to inspect ships and new administrative means to address safety deficiencies.
16 Sep 2026 · no votes yet - HE 17/2025 vpPassed with amendments
Ending tax relief for voluntary pension saving
The right to deduct contributions to voluntary pension insurance policies and long-term saving agreements for tax purposes will be abolished entirely. Contributions paid into such agreements can no longer be deducted from income in taxation.
9 Jun 2025 · passed without a vote - HE 185/2024 vpPassed with amendments
Streamlining entry for NATO forces
Entry procedures for soldiers, vessels and aircraft from NATO member states and other allies will be speeded up and made more flexible. At the same time, the rules applied to international military assistance and training exercises in Finland will be clarified.
20 Feb 2025 · passed without a vote - HE 20/2025 vpPassed with amendments
Reforming maritime safety and reporting rules
Vessels will be required to report containers lost at sea, and fire safety requirements for ships will be improved. In addition, the processing of fairway dues will be streamlined by permitting automated decision-making for certain claims for revised assessment.
9 May 2025 · passed without a vote - HE 116/2024 vpPassed with amendments
Raising fairway dues on merchant vessels
Fairway dues on merchant vessels operating in Finnish waters will be increased by 75.2 per cent from the beginning of 2025. The halving of fairway dues in force since 2015 will end in order to balance central government finances.
29 Nov 2024 · 2 votesClosest vote · Lausumaehdotus, mietintö / Jouni Ovaska
130 jaa26 ei - HE 187/2022 vpPassed
Joining the aids to navigation organisation
Finland will approve and bring into force the Convention on the International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation. Following the change, the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA), which previously operated as an association, will become an intergovernmental international organisation.
24 Nov 2022 · passed without a vote - HE 63/2021 vpPassed with amendments
Expanding culture benefit and tonnage taxation
Employees will also be able to use the tax-exempt culture benefit to pay for live online cultural and sporting events. In addition, tonnage taxation for vessels will be clarified and the transfer of losses in mergers of municipalities and joint municipal authorities will be permitted.
24 Jun 2021 · passed without a vote - HE 54/2021 vpPassed
Clarifying water traffic safety and oversight
Safety requirements and supervision for water traffic will be clarified, and the access of watercraft deemed dangerous to lock canals can be restricted. Missing nautical charts will no longer incur fines, and virtual aids to navigation can also be introduced on waterways.
9 Jun 2021 · passed without a vote - HE 264/2020 vpPassed with amendments
Reforming average adjustment and insurance disputes
The activities and regulation of the average adjuster, who prepares adjustment statements for maritime losses and marine insurance claims, are updated. In insurance disputes concerning ordinary pleasure craft, an adjustment statement from an average adjuster will no longer be required before bringing the matter before a court.
19 May 2021 · passed without a vote - HE 251/2020 vpPassed
Retaining hydrographers in seafarer pensions
Hydrographic survey vessels will not be included in the crew support scheme for shipping companies, as the European Commission did not approve the amendment. Employees working on these vessels will nonetheless continue to be covered by the Seafarer Pensions Act.
26 Feb 2021 · passed without a vote - HE 153/2020 vpPassed
Extending the halving of fairway dues
Maritime fairway dues will be collected at half rate also throughout 2021. The measure supports maritime transport and foreign trade amid the economic difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
25 Nov 2020 · 2 votesClosest vote · Lausumaehdotus, mietintö / Ville Kaunisto
33 jaa25 ei - HE 62/2020 vpPassed with amendments
Flexibility for transport licences and qualifications
Deadlines for transport licences, professional qualifications and medical certificates will be temporarily extended due to the emergency conditions caused by the coronavirus epidemic. The changes will protect risk groups, ease the burden on healthcare and ensure the continuity of transport.
20 May 2020 · passed without a vote - HE 100/2019 vpPassed with amendments
Approving maritime counter-terrorism agreements
Finland will accede to international protocols aimed at combating maritime terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The agreements give authorities the right to stop and inspect vessels suspected of offences in international waters with the consent of the flag state.
3 Apr 2020 · passed without a vote - HE 50/2019 vpPassed with amendments
Reforming liability for hazardous maritime transport
Finland will implement an international convention on compensation for damage caused by hazardous substances carried by sea. Shipowners will be subject to strict liability and mandatory insurance, supplemented by an international compensation fund.
28 Nov 2019 · passed without a vote - HE 197/2018 vpPassed with amendments
Reforming water traffic rules and boating
The rules for waterborne traffic will be brought together into a single new act, and a clear responsibility of the master will be defined for recreational craft. At the same time, boat rental will be made easier, and administrative traffic penalty fees will begin to be imposed for minor infractions instead of petty fines.
12 Jun 2019 · passed without a vote - HE 198/2018 vpPassed with amendments
Streamlining ship safety regulation and inspections
Ship inspection and safety practices will be simplified, and the reporting of passenger data to authorities will be reformed. Certain vessels will be able to switch to self-monitoring for inspections, and traditional vessels will be allowed dedicated rules that take their special characteristics into account.
15 Jan 2019 · passed without a vote - HE 143/2018 vpPassed
Monitoring fuel consumption of large ships
Large merchant ships will have to start collecting and reporting data on their fuel consumption. The data will be used to monitor greenhouse gas emissions from shipping internationally.
8 Nov 2018 · passed without a vote - HE 142/2018 vpPassed
Extending halved fairway dues
The halving of fairway dues levied on merchant vessels will continue in 2019 and 2020. The reduction will keep transport costs lower for maritime transport and business.
2 Nov 2018 · passed without a vote - HE 48/2018 vpPassed
Flexible maritime certificates and working hours
Inland waterway transport will move from limiting overtime to limiting total working hours for employees working on a shift-rotation system. In addition, the validity of a maritime labour certificate for a vessel in international traffic may be temporarily extended by up to five months if delivery of the new document is delayed.
5 Jun 2018 · passed without a vote