Environmental permit for Individuals

1. Check if the activities require an environmental permit and if the RSAA is the competent authority to process the application. Find out in advance if a Natura assessment, an EIA or a state of nature report is required.
2. Create a permit application that meets the requirements laid down in the Environmental Protection Decree and complies with the instructions issued by authorities and deliver to the RSAA well in advance of the planned starting time of the operations. An incomplete application, a need for clarifications, or amendments during processing may prolong the processing time by months. For detailed instructions on preparing an application, see the regional administration’s e-services, where you can also prepare and submit an application electronically. You can monitor the processing of your application online. If you cannot use the e-services, you can submit the application for processing by email. A natural person can submit the application and its appendices also as a paper copy. The application is submitted to the RSAA of the affected area.
3. If the permit authority asks for supplements, submit the requested information by the given deadline or contact the authority for a deadline extension.
4. When the permit authority has sufficient information about the operations and its effects, it notifies of the application by publishing a public notice and the application documents in a permit information service for at least 30 days. Information about the public notice is also published in the municipalities of the affected area. The parties concerned in the impacted area will receive a public notice letter. Significant applications are also published in a newspaper in the impacted area. During the public notice period, the authority requests statements on the application from the required authorities and other parties.
5. After the public notice period, the applicant will receive the statements and objections and has an opportunity to respond by a given deadline.
6. The decision is delivered to the applicant, the authorities who provided statements, and to those who have requested it. The parties concerned will receive a decision notice by mail. If a permit for the activity is granted, the permit holder shall comply with the issued permit regulations.
7. The issued decision is valid after the appeal period, if no appeal has been lodged to the Vaasa Administrative Court.

The party preparing the application shall have sufficient expertise. If necessary, the applicant shall acquire assistance from a consultant for preparing the application.

If the application submitted to the permit authority is inadequate and prevents the resolving of the matter, the permit applicant shall, at the request of the authority, supplement the application by the deadline set in the request for supplementation. An application that is not supplemented within the deadline may be dismissed.

The conditions for granting an environmental permit are specified in sections 49–50 of the Environmental Protection Act.