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Finland

Legislation

  • Mining Act 2011
  • Decree on Mining Activities 2012

Regulatory Risk Rating

Low
Regulatory Risk

Regulatory Corruption Risk

Moderate
Regulatory Corruption Risk

Corruption Exposure Risk

Very Low
Corruption Exposure Risk
Regulatory Risk Rating Factors Risk Level
First Come / First Serve Subscribe
Application Criteria Subscribe
Duration Subscribe
Right to Renew Subscribe
Competing Licences Subscribe
Mineral Coverage Subscribe
Right to Mine Subscribe
Criteria for Mining Rights Subscribe
Tenure Subscribe
Surface Rights Subscribe
Government Take Subscribe
Transfer Rights Subscribe
Change of Control Subscribe
EIA Process Subscribe
Power to Revoke Subscribe
Age of Legislation Subscribe
Other Factors Subscribe

Finland’s mineral law is well-drafted and structured and is a thoughtful piece of compromise as between the State, Indigenous communities, landowners and mineral developers. Its stated purpose is to promote mining and exploration in a socially, economically, and ecologically sustainable manner and, in our view, it has achieved its purpose, introducing reasonable balance amongst various possibly competing interests. In terms of European mining legislation, Finland is amongst the continent’s leaders and is an attractive prospect from a legal risk perspective which investors should be equipped to navigate successfully.

Contents

Legislation

  • Mining Act 2011
  • Decree on Mining Activities 2012

Regulatory Risk Rating

Low
Regulatory Risk

Regulatory Corruption Risk

Moderate
Regulatory Corruption Risk

Corruption Exposure Risk

Very Low
Corruption Exposure Risk

Overview

Iron ore mining in Finland dates back to the 16th century and up until 25 years ago the country’s mining industry was dominated by domestic players, often heavily supported by Finnish government agencies. Today, the country hosts a large presence of international companies and currently exports commercial quantities of iron, copper, nickel, lead and zinc, amongst others. Finland is also one of Europe’s largest nickel producers and has the largest cobalt reserves in Europe. It is also a major copper producer and seen as having strong ‘battery minerals’ potential. Green mining and sustainability are currently major programme initiatives for the Finnish government which is exploring improvements in the use of technology and research to lessen the environmental impacts of mining activities and conducting legislative amendments to increase sustainable practises and meet climate objectives. The government is also taking steps to meet the requirements of the Critical Raw Materials Act 2024 (CRMA). In the future, this is likely to involve the establishment of a new permitting agency and processes to streamline and expedite permitting for strategic projects for minerals required to secure Europe’s mineral supply.

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