At the beginning of the year, a new national multidisciplinary permitting and supervision agency, “Luova”, began operations. The aim of the extensive reform is to harmonize permitting and supervision practices, improve expertise and service, and streamline permitting processes. For construction companies, the reform will make the environmental permit procedure easier in particular.
The state's permitting, guidance and supervision tasks have been brought together in one national multidisciplinary agency since the beginning of the year, which also covers all environmental permitting and supervision tasks of the ELY Centres and the Regional State Administrative Agencies (AVI). The operations of the Regional State Administrative Agencies, ELY Centres and also Valvira ended on 31 December 2025.
The new agency has national jurisdiction, ensuring uniform permitting and supervision practices and operating models. However, the agency has 18 offices across Finland, maintaining a regional presence. The agency's tasks include, among other things, environmental permitting, occupational safety and rescue services.
The reform introduces a one-stop shop principle for environmental permits. Previously, environmental permits had to be applied for from several different agencies. Environmental permits previously issued by different authorities, such as permits under the Environmental Protection Act and the Water Act, are now applied for, coordinated and processed centrally by one and the same authority. The reform has not made any changes to the requirements for the actual permits or to the opportunities for citizens to participate.
An estimated timetable for processing environmental permit applications will be provided, and a binding deadline has been set for some permit applications. The change is intended to accelerate green transition projects in particular, which will have priority in all stages of permit processing until the end of 2030.
The processing of pending environmental permits does not require any action from the permit applicants, but their processing will be transferred from the previous authorities to the new agency. Construction permits, landscape work permits and demolition permits will still be applied for from the municipal building inspectorates. If the project requires an environmental permit in addition to a construction permit, Luova will cooperate with the building inspectorate.
Ten “Voima” vitality centers have been established to replace the ELY centers that were abolished in connection with the regional administration reform. They handle, among other things, promotional and implementation tasks related to livelihoods, the countryside, transport systems, the environment and natural resources.
See also
More information
Anu Kärkkäinen
Director, Economic Policy Affairs
anu.karkkainen@rt.fi +358 50 337 6699Building Construction Industry Association
