On January 9, the Ministry of the Environment has sent a request for an opinion on proposed changes to the Construction Act. RT has supported the opening of the law and considers the amendments to be mostly supported.
Changes will be made to the Construction Act approved in the spring of 2023 in accordance with the Petteri Orpo government's program. The purpose is to lighten the administrative burden of the law, lighten the bureaucracy, clarify the rights of appeal, specify the responsibility of the principal contractor, and define in the law a time guarantee for the processing of building permits.
In the opinion of Rakennusteollisuus RT, the following amendments proposed by the Ministry of the Environment are mainly worthwhile and in the right direction: there would be a processing time guarantee for the building permit application, the implementation responsibility of the principal contractor would be specified in relation to the building control authority, the relationship between building regulations and the availability of permits would be specified, and appeal rights for construction, demolition and landscape work permits would be limited. A new investment permit for the clean transition industry would also be added to the law.
A climate report would be required for new buildings in the future, but the obligation to prepare will be removed for renovation construction and for small houses, which is a good thing. In other respects, in our opinion, the low-carbon regulation should still be corrected and improved.
The goal of the Ministry of the Environment is to have the changes come into effect at the same time as the new law on January 1.1.2025, 5.3.2024. The Ministry of the Environment requests opinions on the proposed changes by March XNUMX, XNUMX, and RT will issue its own opinion.
The Ministry of the Environment is currently also preparing regulations to be issued under the Construction Act. Until the Construction Act enters into force, construction is regulated by the Land Use and Construction Act (MRL).
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Anu Kärkkäinen
anu.karkkainen@rt.fi
+ 358 50 337 6699