Draft proposal on low-emission vehicle procurement of wellbeing services counties circulated for comments

The Ministry of Transport and Communications is requesting comments on a draft Government proposal on amending the Act on Environmental and Energy Efficiency Requirements for Vehicle and Transport Service Procurements.

The draft proposal proposes the amendment of the Act on Environmental and Energy Efficiency Requirements for Vehicle and Transport Service Procurements. The proposal seeks to define the minimum level of obligations that wellbeing services counties must comply with. In addition, the level of obligations of joint municipal authorities and companies with a municipal background is to be clarified. The draft proposal does not propose any additional obligations under the existing act.

As a result of the health and social services reform, health, social and rescue services duties transfer from municipalities to wellbeing services counties on 1 January 2023. Wellbeing services counties are already covered by the act. However, the act does not specify minimum shares for wellbeing services counties, which is why it is necessary to determine which shares apply to the procurement of vehicles and transport services by wellbeing services counties.

Levels of obligation of wellbeing services counties to be staggered according to specificities

It is proposed that the minimum obligations for the procurement of vehicles and transport services by wellbeing services counties be divided into three different categories according to regional specificities. Specificities affecting the level of the obligations include, for example, distances, financial capacity, availability of charging points and the situation of the taxi market. The minimum obligations would be divided into 20%, 35% and 45%.

The current act lays down the obligations of municipalities in a staggered manner, where the level of obligation takes into account regional specificities. The levels of obligation would not be tightened, as the obligations of wellbeing services counties would be based on the current levels of obligations of municipalities.

Clearer obligations for joint municipal authorities and companies with a municipal background

The draft proposal sets out unequivocally the levels of obligations of joint municipal authorities and companies with a municipal background. In principle, the level of obligations of the municipality would apply to the purchase of vehicles by a joint municipal authority or a company with a municipal background.

The draft proposal defines the applicable levels of obligations for the procurement of different categories of vehicles in situations where municipalities belonging to different obligation categories are located in the operating area of a joint municipal authority or municipally owned company. In this case, the level of obligation of the wellbeing services county would apply to the procurement of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, and the national level of obligation would apply to the procurement of lorries. If the procuring party were to consist of municipalities belonging to several wellbeing services counties, the average of the levels of obligation of different wellbeing services counties would be applied to the procurements.

Based on an EU directive

The Act on Environmental and Energy Efficiency Requirements for Vehicle and Transport Service Procurements obliges public procuring entities, such as municipalities and the state, to purchase a certain share of low- and zero-emission vehicles when they make new procurements. The act implements the requirements of the EU Clean Vehicle Procurement Directive. The minimum requirements of the act are divided into three different vehicle categories: passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, lorries, and buses and coaches. Municipalities have different minimum shares based on their specific circumstances.

What comes next?

The deadline for comments on the draft proposal is 12 August 2022. All organisations and private individuals may submit comments at www.lausuntopalvelu.fi. Following the consultation round, the preparations will continue at the Ministry.

The aim is that the amendments to the act will enter into force from the beginning of 2023.

Inquiries:

Pinja Oksanen, Senior Officer, tel. +358 46 921 2693, [email protected]

Päivi Antikainen, Director of Unit, tel. +358 50 382 7101, [email protected]