Maritime transport
The Ministry of Transport and Communications is responsible for maritime policy in Finland, for drafting maritime legislation and for contributing to any legislative drafting at EU level. The Ministry’s Transport Services Unit deals with matters concerning the safety of waterborne traffic, aids to maritime transport, legal issues concerning shipping, and maritime environmental legislation.
The Ministry's administrative sector in shipping comprises the Finnish Transport Safety Agency (maritime safety) the Finnish Transport Agency (traffic systems, fairways), Meritaito Ltd. (upkeep of fairways), Arctia Shipping Ltd (shipping company, ice breaking) and Finnpilot Pilotage Ltd (piloting operations).
About 90 per cent of Finland’s exports and around 70 per cent of imports are transported by sea. The continued development of Finnish maritime transport and the need to ensure its competitiveness are essential. The Ministry represents Finland in international organizations, the principal one being the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The Organization regulates transport on international waters through decisions binding on its member states. The Ministry is also active in the work of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (known as the Helsinki Commission, or HELCOM).
Support to maritime transport
Finland wants to maintain the competitiveness of shipping and ensure domestic employment in the sector. In view of this, a tonnage taxation system has been introduced. In the system aiming at decreasing manning costs, a shipping company is exempted from tax withholdings, and the employer’s payments are reimbursed.
The system that was originally applied to cargo vessels was extended to cover passenger vessels at the end of 2007. Aids to maritime transport amount every year to around 95 million euros.
Maritime safety
International cooperation and agreements play an extremely
important role in ensuring vessel safety. One example of EU level
cooperation is the decision to accelerate the introduction of
double-hull tankers.
The Ministry has been an active participant in the development of
the Vessel Traffic Management and Information Service (VTMIS) for
traffic using the international waters of the Gulf of Finland. In
the VTMIS system introduced in 2004, Finland, Russia and Estonia
together monitor shipping in the Gulf of Finland, and the vessels
themselves have a reporting obligation.
Administrative sector
The Finnish Transport Agency is responsible for ensuring that
merchant shipping and other waterborne traffic can operate
effectively under appropriate conditions.
The Finnish Transport Safety Agency Trafi is responsible for
matters relating to ship safety, and ship and port security.
Arctia Shipping Ltd and Finnpilot Pilotage Ltd offer icebreaking
and pilotage services for merchant shipping.