Working group to prepare national space legislation
Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä appointed a working group to prepare national space legislation on 16 January 2017. The working group is also tasked with giving proposals for organising the registration and authorisation procedures for space objects. The term of the working group is 1 February–29 December 2017.
Finland is becoming one of the space nations when the first nanosatellite of the Aalto University is launched to space, very likely this spring. There are also other nanosatellite projects under way. Besides scientific research and study projects of the universities, small commercial satellites will become increasingly common.
At the moment Finland has no national legislation on space activities. International activities in outer space are regulated by the UN Space Treaties. Within the EU there is national space legislation at least in Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and France.
As the sector is advancing, it is also important for Finland to lay down the conditions for space activities by law, including the registration and authorisation procedures for satellites, additional insurance requirements, and requirements for advance risk analyses.
The working group is chaired by Marjaana Aarnikka, Commercial Counsellor at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, and the members are:
Tuija Ypyä, Ministerial Adviser, (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment),
Tarja Långström, Counsellor (Ministry for Foreign Affairs),
Kai Knape, Deputy Security Director (Ministry of Defence),
Petteri Kauppinen, Counsellor of Education (Ministry of Education and Culture),
Seija Miettinen-Bellevergue, Senior Adviser (Ministry of Transport and Communications),
Ari-Matti Harri, Head of Unit (Finnish Meteorological Institute),
Tiina Sarjakoski, Research Director (National Land Survey of Finland),
Pauli Stigell, Senior Adviser (Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation Tekes),
Juha Ilola, General Counsel (PIA ry/Reaktor Innovations Oy) and
Jaan Praks; Professor (Aalto University).
Professor Minna Palmroth from the University of Helsinki acts as a permanent expert of the working group. The secretary of the working group is Maija Lönnqvist, Senior Legal Counsel at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. The working group reports on its work to the Finnish Space Committee, which operates under the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.
Inquiries:
Marjaana Aarnikka, Commercial Counsellor, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 50 338 4350
Maija Lönnqvist, Senior Legal Counsel, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 50 331 3791