The Legal 500

The EC waste directive (2008/98/EC) will be implemented in Finland by the new Finnish Waste Act, which will enter into force on May 1, 2012.

In a unanimous yearbook decision the Finnish Supreme Administrative Court ruled that guarantee insurance is an adequate environmental permit security. Further, the Court, by referring to the free movement of financial services within the EU, stated that a party in an arrangement for security regarding adequate and proper security may be a financial institution based in another EU-country.

The Finnish Government issued a new decree on assessment of soil pollution and need of soil treatment. Practical significance the new legislation can have for instance in real estate transactions, where the question of soil pollution often arises. If contaminants are found in the soil of the sold property, the adequate treatment level will be assessed on the grounds of the new legislation.

The award of contracts by contracting authorities is regulated by the Act on Public Contracts (Laki julkisista hankinnoista 30.3.2007/348; “APC”) and the Act on the Procurement Procedures of Entities Operating in the Water, Energy, Transport and Postal Services Sectors (Laki vesi- ja energiahuollon, liikenteen ja postipalvelujen alalla toimivien yksiköiden hankinnoista 30.3.2007/349; “Utilities Act”) which entered into force on 1 June 2007.