Nature Conservation Act Approved After Heated Debate

THE NEW NATURE CONSERVATION ACT WILL ENTER INTO FORCE ON 1 JUNE 2023

Parliament approved the new Nature Conservation Act on 13 December 2022. It will enter into force on 1 June 2023, replacing the old Nature Conservation Act (1096/1996) that has been in force since 1997.

The structure and contents of the new Act remain largely the same. The aims of the Act are modernised by including climate change adaptation as one of the objectives. Some major reforms include laying down the precautionary principle in the Act, adding provisions on voluntary ecological compensation (see our blog on ecological compensation) and strengthening the protection of threatened species. Under the new Act, Metsähallitus can no longer allow ore exploration in national parks and strict nature reserves. The Act also prohibits the weakening of the traditional Sámi livelihoods and culture.