Errand: Report of Finland according to the Article 3, Paragraph 8

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1 Ministry of the Environment Dnr YM9/319/2004 European Commission Directorate-General Environment ENV.D.2-Water and Marine Rue de la Loi 200 B-1049 Brussels Reference: Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (of 23 October 2000) establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy (Water Framework Directive) Errand: Report of Finland according to the Article 3, Paragraph 8 The Ministry of the Environment sends with compliments the Report of Finland according to the Article 3 of Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC as annex 1, and as annex 2 the proposal for the Finnish river basin districts, including the main water courses of the river basin districts Chief director Pekka Jalkanen Consulting official Airi Karvonen For information Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, unit of water resources Finnish Environment Institute

2 Annex 1 DIRECTIVE 2000/60/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL (of 23 October 2000) ESTABLISHING A FRAMEWORK FOR COMMUNITY ACTION IN THE FIELD OF WATER POLICY REPORT OF FINLAND ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE 3, PARAGRAPH 8 The status of the legislative work Ministry of the Environment appointed on the 14 th of February 2001 a committee to prepare the proposals of the required changes in the legislation of environmental protection to implement the Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy. The Committee finalised its work on the 31 st of March The report of the Committee consists of four drafts of a proposed law, and a draft of a proposed statute concerning river basin districts and the reports to be made in basins. The Committee proposes to enact a new law on organisation of water management (LVHJ). Additionally, amendments of the Environmental Protection Act and the Water Act have been proposed. The drafts of a proposed law have been presented in the format of bill. The drafts of a proposed law were accepted by the Council of State at the 10 th of June 2004 and they will possibly be accepted by the Parliament during the autumn The law on organisation of water management will not be applied in the province of Aland. Aland will implement the water framework directive by the own legislation of the province. The proposed law on organisation of water management will legislate on water management and related reports, on cooperation and public participation in river basin districts as well as on international cooperation in water management (LVHJ 1 ). The general aim of water management is to protect, improve and restore water bodies so, that the their status will not deteriorate and that their status will be at least good (LVHJ 1 ). The organising of water management will be carried out in river basin districts as cooperation between state and municipal authorities and other partners. The main responsibility for implementation belongs to the regional environment centres. The Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry are responsible in their own administrative branch for coordination of water management on national level. No new authorities are proposed to be established. The proposed new law necessitates, that the status of water bodies and the target status of water bodies will be monitored and assessed systematically. Additionally, necessary measures to maintain and to improve the status, will be planned at regular intervals. The citizens and different interests groups will have the possibility to participate in the planning and the updating of plans. The first coordinated river basin management plan must be published nine years after the date of entry into force of the Directive, i.e. on 22 nd of December The amendments of the Environmental Protection Act and the Water Act will stipulate, that the river basin management plan must be taken into account in considering the permits of enterprises. More accurate regulations based on the proposed law will be given regarding i.a. the river basin districts, the organising of planning and the status of water bodies. The Ministry of the Environment appointed on the 9 th of June 2004 a committee to prepare the proposals of the necessary statutes and other legislative measures.

3 Seven river basin districts for preparing reports and for planning of water management will be established by statute (LVHJ 2 ). The districts contain one or more river basins. Coastal water bodies and groundwater bodies belong to the most suitable bordering river basin district (LVHJ 2 ). River basins covering also areas in neighbouring country, will be organised as international river basin districts, i.e. two of the altogether seven river basin districts as follows: the River Basin District of Tornionjoki with Sweden and the River Basin District of Tenojoki-Paatsjoki with Norway. Additionally, the Province of Åland will establish their own river basin district. The borders and names of the districts can be found in the map (annex). The appropriate competent authorities The Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will steer and follow the implementation of water management legislation in their own administrative branch (LVHJ 4 ). The Finnish Environment Institute takes care of tasks by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute takes care of tasks obliged by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in the implementation of water management legislation (LVHJ 4 ). The Regional Environment Centre takes care of the implementation of water management legislation on their own region (LVHJ 4 ). The fishery unit of the Employment and Economic Development Centres takes care of the necessary tasks in the implementation of water management legislation in their own administrative branch (LVHJ 4 ). The state and municipal authorities will participate in the implementation of water management legislation on their own administrative branch (LVHJ 4 ). In each of the river basin districts the Regional Environment Centre take care of the following tasks (LVHJ 5 ): 1) to prepare reports of characteristics of water bodies; 2) to prepare reports of human impacts on water bodies; 3) to prepare the economic analysis of water use; 4) to collect the data of the areas defined by statute of the Council of State, which should be protected according to specific Community legislation; 5) to collect necessary data of the areas, which are meant for water for household consumption; 6) to prepare the classification system for water bodies; 7) to organise monitoring of water bodies and prepare monitoring programme of water bodies; 8) to prepare the river basin management plan and the programme of measures; 9) to take care of the other tasks defined by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Finnish Environment Institute (LVHJ 5 ) will give expert assistance of before mentioned issues for regional environment centres, and keep the register mentioned in chapter 4 (LVHJ 5 ). Necessary regulations of the river basin districts and the coordinating regional environment centre will be given by the statute of the Council of State (LVHJ 6 ). Contact information of the authorities The Ministry of the Environment Visiting address: Kasarminkatu 25, Helsinki, Finland Postal address: P.O.Box 35, VALTIONEUVOSTO (Council of State) Tel The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

4 Visiting address: Hallituskatu 3 A, Helsinki, Finland Postal address: P.O.Box 30, VALTIONEUVOSTO (Council of State) Tel Uusimaa Regional Environment Centre Visiting address: Asemapäällikönkatu 14, Helsinki, Finland Postal address: P.O. Box 36, HELSINKI Tel Southwest Finland Regional Environment Centre Visiting address: Itsenäisyydenaukio 2, Turku, Finland Postal address: P.O.Box 47, Turku Tel Häme Regional Environment Centre Visiting address: Birger Jaarlin katu 13, Hämeenlinna, Finland Postal address: P.O. Box 131, Hämeenlinna, Finland Tel Pirkanmaa Regional Environment Centre Visiting address: Rautatienkatu 21 B, Tampere, Finland Postal address: P.O.Box 297, Tampere, Finland Tel Southeast Finland Regional Environment Centre Visiting address: Kauppamiehenkatu 4 Postal address: P.O.Box 1023, FIN KOUVOLA, FINLAND Tel South Savo Regional Environment Centre Visiting address: Jääkärinkatu 14, Mikkeli, Finland Postal address: Jääkärinkatu 14, Mikkeli, Finland Tel West Finland Regional Environment Centre Visiting address: Koulukatu 19, Vaasa, Finland Postal address: P.O.Box 262, Vaasa, Finland Tel Central Finland Environment Centre Visiting address: Ailakinkatu 25, Jyväskylä, Finland Postal address: P.O. Box 110, Jyväskylä, Finland Tel North Savo Regional Environment Centre Visiting address: Sepänkatu 2 B, Kuopio, Finland Postal address: P.O. Box 1049, Kuopio, Finland Tel

5 North Karelia Regional Environment Centre Visiting address: Torikatu 36 A, Joensuu, Finland Mailing address: P.O. Box 69, Joensuu, Finland Tel North Ostrobothnia Regional Environment Centre Visiting address: Isokatu 9, Oulu, Finland Postal address: P.O. Box 124, Oulu, Finland Tel Kainuu Regional Environment Centre Visiting address: Kalliokatu 4, Kajaani, Finland Postal address: P.O. Box 115, Kajaani, Finland Tel Lapland Regional Environment Centre Visiting address: Hallituskatu 5, Rovaniemi, Finland Postal address: P.O. Box 8060, Rovaniemi, Finland Tel Finnish Environment Institute Visiting address: Mechelininkatu 34 A, Helsinki, Finland Postal Address P.O.Box 140, Helsinki, Finland Tel Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute Visiting address: Pukinmäenaukio 4, Helsinki, Finland Postal address: P.O.Box 6, Helsinki, Finland Tel The status and duties of the fore-mentioned governmental environmental authorities are enacted in the Act on the Environmental Administration /55 and Decree on Regional Environment Centres /527 and Decree on the Finnish Environment Institute /234. The status and duties of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the institutions within its jurisdiction are enacted in the Decree on the Council of State on the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry /1061. Agreements concerning frontier watercourses Finland has agreements concerning the cooperation on frontier watercourses with all the neighbouring countries with whom she has a common border; the Agreement between Finland and Russia concerning Frontier Watercourses (SopS 26/1965), the Agreement between Finland and Sweden concerning Frontier Rivers (SopS 54/1971) and the Agreement on a Finnish-Norwegian Commission on Boundary Watercourses between Finland and Norway (SopS 32/1981). The Water Framework Directive does not cause any needs for change in the agreements between Finland and Russia or Finland and Norway. The content of the agreement between Finland and Sweden is being revised so that the new Border River Commission would be responsible for the consolidation of water management plans, and matters related to permits would be processed by national permit authorities. Groundwater bodies in the borderline of River Basin Districts In Finland the work on the definition and grouping of groundwater bodies has not been completed yet. Thus Finland does not, at this stage, give a report on the groundwater bodies in the borderline of River Basin Districts.

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