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Responsible for the service ELY Centre

Decision on application of the Environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedure in an individual case

  • Permit or other obligation
  • Nationwide except the Åland Islands
  • Public service

Anyone, whether a citizen, company, institution or authority, may initiate the Environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedure. The Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre) will make a decision on whether to apply the EIA procedure to a project which is not included on the list of projects provided for in the EIA act but which may still have significant adverse e ...

Do the following

Before submitting the initiative, please contact the ELY Centre for guidance in interpreting the EIA act and applying the EIA procedure. The initiative should to be in writing and should include a description of the project to be assessed, its location and the location’s environmental value and your views on the potential environmental impacts of the project.

Send the initiative as an attachment to the general online form of the ELY Centre to the registry of the ELY Centre. You can also send the initiative to the ELY Centre registry by post (contact information can be found in the "Service locations" section).

After receiving sufficient information on the project, the ELY Centre will take a decision on the matter within 30 days. A favourable decision does not mean that the project has been approved or granted a permit, but that the EIA procedure must be applied to the impact assessment of the project. All decisions are published online at www.ymparisto.fi.

The project coordinator can appeal against the decision to an Administrative Court. Other parties may appeal the decision in connection with a permit or approval decision concerning the project if they have the right to appeal against the permit or approval decision in question.

More information is available at www.ymparisto.fi.

To whom and on what terms

The project coordinator should be aware of the provisions on the application of the EIA procedure. The project coordinator bear the main responsibility for obtaining sufficient information required for decision making as defined in the EIA Act and Decree.


Processing time

A decision must be taken within one month after the authority has received sufficient information on the project. The decision taken will be available for viewing on the bulletin boards of municipalities in the area impacted by the project.

Period of validity

If necessary, the authority will provide further information on the validity period of the decision.

The service is provided by

ELY Centre

Other responsible organisations

ELY Centre for Varsinais-Suomi, ELY Centre for Lapland, ELY Centre for Ostrobothnia, ELY Centre for Uusimaa, ELY Centre for Häme, ELY Centre for Southeast Finland, ELY Centre for South Ostrobothnia, ELY Centre for Pirkanmaa, ELY Centre for North Karelia, ELY Centre for Kainuu, ELY Centre for Satakunta, ELY Centre for North Savo, ELY Centre for North Ostrobothnia, ELY Centre for South Savo, ELY Centre for Central Finland

Responsible for the service

ELY Centre
Text edited by: ELY Centre
Updated: 22/3/2021