Reform of the Mining Act to be circulated for comments: Minister for Economic Affairs Lintilä stresses the necessary conditions for sustainable mining

On 23 February 2022, the Government parties agreed on the key content of the reform of the Mining Act. The reform has been prepared by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, together with the relevant stakeholders.

According to the draft Mining Act, municipal zoning would be required for mining operations and more detailed provisions would be laid down related to mining operations and ore exploration reservations.
 
Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä thanks the Government parties for their constructive cooperation and stresses that the new act will improve the conditions for mining operations in Finland.
 
“The reformed Mining Act will improve the opportunities to influence what is happening locally, as well as the prospects for business activities and the way environmental considerations are taken into account. I consider it most important that we will have sustainable mining operations in Finland that are widely accepted in the whole society, also in future’” Minister Lintilä says.
 
In the negotiations the Government parties also agreed on prohibiting ore exploration in national parks and strict nature reserves and on stricter conditions for exploration to be allowed in other nature reserves on state lands. These proposals will be included in the draft government proposal concerning the Nature Conservation Act.
 
The draft government proposal on the reform of the Mining Act will be sent out for comments in the beginning of March. The request for comments will be published at lausuntopalvelu.fi service. The start of the consultation round will be announced separately.

Inquiries: 
Antti Siika-aho, Special Adviser to the Minister of Economic Affairs, tel. + 358 50 575 4118
Eeva-Maija Puheloinen, Chief Specialist, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, [email protected] 
Riikka Aaltonen, Senior Officer, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, [email protected]
Tuula Manelius, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, [email protected]