Amendments to the Act on Transport Services and related acts

Several amendments are proposed to the Act on Transport Services and the related acts. Some of the amendments are technical in nature. The Ministry of Transport and Communications requests comments on the amendment proposals by 11 September 2020.

The purpose of the amendments is, for example, to specify the professional qualifications of seafarers, to provide a general appeal procedure for decisions approved by the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency and to specify the provisions on government aid and procurement. In addition, provisions would be laid down on certain measures used in maritime, public and taxi transport services in preparing for incidents under normal conditions.

The amendments concerning public procurement aim to clarify the application of the Public Service Contract Regulation and the Procurement Act. In order to improve the efficiency of the use and monitoring of central government funding, it is proposed that the responsibilities related to payment, monitoring and claiming for recovery be transferred from the centres for economic development, transport and the environment to the Development and Administration Centre serving the centres for economic development, transport and the environment and the Employment and Economic Development Offices.

In future, the maintenance and provision of the transport service information (National Access Point Catalogue, NAP) could be provided by Traffic Management Finland on behalf of the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency.

The proposed amendments to the Act on Transport Services and the Act on Ships' Crews would also bring into force the amendments to the Directive on the recognition of professional qualifications in inland navigation and the Directive on the minimum level of training of seafarers.

What are the next steps?

The deadline for comments is 11 September 2020. Organisations and private individuals are invited to comment online at www.lausuntopalvelu.fi or by email to [email protected].

Following the consultation round, the preparations of the matter will continue by Ministry officials.

Inquiries

Katja Peltola, Senior Officer, tel. + 358 50 530 2175

Sini Wirén, Director of Unit, tel. +358 40 507 0,916