Ministry of Transport and Communications appointed a working group to consider the fairway due reform

Ministry of Transport and Communications of Finland has appointed a working group to consider the reform of fairway due legislation.

An urgent task of the group is to find ways to solve the unclear issues related to ice classification directions and fairway dues. The group must consider how to avoid unnecessary retrospective payments and how to ensure that there are sufficient legal grounds to resolve the existing problems and that these grounds will hold also in the future.

The deadline for the group's work with regard to these issues is 16 February 2004.

The main function of the group is to suggest amendments to the Act and the Decree on Fairway Dues and submit the suggestions in the form of a government proposal. The group should examine the fairway due system in the light of the new Constitution and analyse the need to develop it as a financial tool.

The group's further tasks are to explore the regional distribution of the costs and payment income of the sea routes and whether the organisational reform of the Finnish Maritime Administration affects the cost estimates and payment accrual of fairway dues. The group should also consider if it is possible to grade the fairway dues on environmental grounds.

The working group's report must include a proposal on the possible need to review the fairway due legislation due to the EU Commission's statement to Finland. The statement concerned fairway dues collected in Finland from vessels in domestic and international transport.

The group should also find out whether changes to fairway dues collected from cruising traffic are necessary.

With regard to fairway dues in cruising traffic, the work must be completed by 30 April 2004. As to other matters, the deadline is 30 September 2004.

The working group's proposals will be dealt with in a steering group consisting of representatives from the industry, ports, shipbrokers, port operators and forwarders. When necessary, the group will invite other experts as well and organise public hearings.

The group will be chaired by Mr Harri Cavén, Director-General from the Ministry of Transport and Communications.



For further information, please contact:
Mr Harri Cavén, Director-General, Chairman of the working group, tel. +358 9 160 28500, +358 400 607 848
Mr Raimo Kurki, Director of Shipping Unit, tel. +358 9 160 28490, +358 40 557 6911