The Ministry of the Environment announced on December 8 that the Construction Act will be amended. The Ministry of the Environment will organize a round of opinions on the so-called construction law amendment series in January–February 2024. The goal is still to have the changes in the law come into force from the beginning of 2025. The Construction Act was approved by Parliament on March 1.3.2023, XNUMX.
Already in connection with the preparation of the law, there was widespread criticism of the bureaucracy it introduced. Parliament also drew attention to the fact that stakeholders were not sufficiently consulted in the preparation. According to the new government program, the Construction Act will be amended in such a way that the administrative burden is lightened, the bureaucracy is reduced, the right of appeal is clarified and the responsibility of the principal contractor is specified.
The Construction Act defines a time guarantee for the processing of construction permits. The extent of the information required in connection with the building permit will be limited, and a three-month deadline for the processing of the building permit is to be set. The practices of the experimental law that has been in use in Helsinki, Turku and Vantaa, which has accelerated the processing of building permits, are proposed to be permanent and expanded throughout the country. The responsibility of the principal implementer is specified. Changes are made to clarify the interpretations in the section regarding the requirements for the demolition permit. Changes are proposed to appeal rights that would streamline the planning, permit and appeal processes. Changes are being prepared to the articles regulating the low-carbon and life-cycle characteristics of buildings, with the aim of easing the administrative burden on municipalities and builders. The requirement to submit a climate report and material statement would be removed from small houses and repairs.
As a new proposal, a clean transition investment permit will be introduced into the law, which would facilitate the construction of clean transition industrial projects. Minister of the Environment and Climate Kai Mykkänen according to "With the amendment series of the Construction Act, we will have smoother construction and a lightened administrative burden in the schedule of the law's original entry into force. For example, the construction permit processing time guarantee is an important change that ensures the smooth approval of construction projects throughout Finland."
"We consider it necessary to open up the law and we support, among other things, changing the regulations related to the main responsible implementer and low-carbon. Likewise, we have previously proposed that a service promise be included in the law for the construction permit processing. Since the changes also affect the regulations issued under the law, it is important that they proceed quickly," he states Anu Kärkkäinen from RT.
For the preparation of regulations issued under the Construction Act, the Ministry of the Environment has appointed a monitoring group, in which RT's representative is the CEO Aleksi Randell and director Anu Kärkkäinen as deputy member.
Additional information
Anu Kärkkäinen, director, economic policy affairs., Rakennusteollisuus RT: tel. 050 337 6699, first name.surname(at)rt.fi