Requirement ensuring a certain proportion of low-emission vehicles in public procurement assigned to wellbeing services counties

On 16 February, the President of the Republic approved an amendment to the Act on Environmental and Energy Efficiency Requirements for Vehicle and Transport Service Procurements. The Act will enter into force on 20 February. With the health and social services reform, the Act will be amended so that the requirements assigned to municipalities will transfer to the wellbeing services counties, which started operating on 1 January 2023. The Act will lay down unambiguous provisions on the obligations placed on joint municipal authorities and municipality-owned companies.

The wellbeing services counties took over the healthcare, social welfare and rescue services duties from the municipalities in the beginning of 2023. The amendment determines the minimum requirements for the counties' procurement of vehicles and transport services. The amendments do not add any new requirements to the Act.

Three requirements levels, amendments in Parliament for Lapland and North Karelia

With regard to passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, the minimum requirements for the county-level procurement of vehicles and transport services will be divided into three categories according to regional circumstances, including distances, financial capacity, availability of charging points for electric vehicles and the state of the taxi market. The requirement level of 20, 35 or 45 per cent will determine the proportion of statutory low-emission passenger cars and light commercial vehicles out of the new purchases.

1. The highest level of 45 per cent will apply to the wellbeing services counties of South Karelia, East Uusimaa, Kanta-Häme, Central Finland, Central Uusimaa, Kymenlaakso, West Uusimaa, Pirkanmaa, Päijät-Häme, Satakunta, Southwest Finland, Vantaa and Kerava, the City of Helsinki and HUS Group.

2. The middle level of 35 per cent will apply to the wellbeing services counties of South Ostrobothnia, Ostrobothnia, North Ostrobothnia and North Savo.

3. The lowest level of 20 per cent will apply to the wellbeing services counties of South Savo, Kainuu, Central Ostrobothnia, Lapland and North Karelia.

The Act was amended in Parliament in terms of the requirement levels of two wellbeing services counties. Parliament decided that the requirement level applied to Lapland and North Karelia be 20 %, while the original government proposal suggested that it be 35 %.

The current national requirement levels apply to the wellbeing services counties' procurement of lorries and M3 category buses.

What's next?

The amendment to the Act on Environmental and Energy Efficiency Requirements for Vehicle and Transport Service Procurements will enter into force on 20 February 2023.

Inquiries:

Pinja Oksanen, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 46 9212693, [email protected]

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