Permit in accordance with the Water Traffic Act

According to the Water Traffic Act, a permit from the municipal environmental protection authority must be applied for the repeated or permanent organisation of competitions or exercises carried out with a motorised watercraft in the same water area. A permit must also be applied for the organisation of an individual event if significant environmental nuisances are expected from the event. The owner of the water area must consent to the granting of the permit.

Requirements

If the entrepreneur has established itself in another country in the European Economic Area and temporarily offers services in Finland, the same permits are required as from entrepreneurs established in Finland.

Instructions

To obtain a permit under the Water Traffic Act, submit a written permit application to the environmental protection authority at least 3 months before the event.

The application may be informal, but it must contain a map of the area covered by the activity, written permission from the partners in a jointly owned water area, a report of the safety factors, and a plan for tidying up the area or other repairs after the event.

Attach a map of the area covered by the activity, written permission from the partners in a jointly owned water area, an account of the safety factors and a plan for tidying up the area or other repairs after the event to the permit application.

Deadline

Initiate the permit application at least 3 months in advance.

Processing time

The processing time of the application is usually at least three (3) months, including the hearing and appeal times.

Period of validity

A permit under the Water Traffic Act is valid for the period granted in the permit decision.

Service background and legislation

You must apply for a permit from the municipal environmental authority for a competition or practising carried out with motorboats or other motorised watercraft. If the event covers several municipalities, the permit application will be processed by the ELY centre. You must apply for a permit if the event is recurring or will be organised regularly. A permit must also be applied for an individual event if it can be expected to cause considerable disruption to nature, the environment, residents, public recreational use of the area and fishing.

A permit as provided in the Act on Waterborne Traffic is not required if the area already has an environmental permit or if the local plan specifies that this sort of activity is the primary purpose of the area.