The Health Protection Act was renewed

The key changes in the new health protection act are related to payments

The aim of reforming the regulation regarding payment is to increase the resources of municipalities for monitoring the Health Protection Act and to promote the municipalities' freedom of action in the organization of services.

In the future, operators will be charged a tax-based annual basic supervision fee, which covers the costs of planned supervision, the assessment of which is difficult to determine on an accrual basis or to which an accrual-based payment cannot be applied. Fees for non-planned supervision are charged in accordance with current legislation. The fees are defined in the municipality's tax and the fees correspond at most to the expenses caused by supervision.

The purpose of the Health Protection Act (763/1994) is to maintain and promote the health of the population and the individual. The aim of the law is also to prevent, reduce and eliminate factors in the environment that may cause health problems. The task of the health protection authority is to promote and monitor health protection in its area in such a way as to ensure a healthy living environment for the residents.

The supervision according to the Health Protection Act is carried out by planned supervision based on suspicions of health hazards carried out by the municipality's health protection authority. The health protection authority supervises with planned prior supervision the objects required to be notified by law. Fees related to health protection supervision are currently collected in municipalities only on a pay-as-you-go basis. The inspector visits the site, after which the municipality collects a fee for the inspection according to the fee it has approved.

In the future, an annual fee will be charged for supervision 

The fixed basic fee is 150 euros and it is charged once a year. About payment late payment interest may be charged. In addition to the basic fee, a performance-based fee according to the payment fee (fee for a completed inspection) is charged for the completed inspection.

Such small-scale operators, for whom the basic annual supervision fee is unreasonable in relation to the supervision and control needs arising from the activity, are excluded from the obligation to pay. In addition, it is specified which operators are obliged to notify the commissioning of locations and functions.

Listed below are all operators/offices that are required to report. In addition, the locations to which the basic fee will apply are bolded in the list.

• hotels, hostels, apartment hotels, motels, passenger homes
• accommodation apartments in holiday centers and campsites
• accommodation barracks
• gymnasiums and exercise facilities open to the public with more than one exercise room
• sports halls, ice rinks
• saunas open to the public (main purpose of use)
• spas, swimming pools, inland swimming pools and public beaches (EU beach)
• kindergartens
• an educational institution that organizes pre-primary or basic education, vocational training, upper secondary education and higher education
• enhanced serviced housing and a unit providing institutional care
• child welfare institutions
• A facility supplying domestic water subject to a permit under § 18
• At least 10 m³ / day or a plant supplying water for the needs of 50 people
• other accommodation facilities such as bed and breakfasts, dormitories, night lodges and reception centers
• gyms and sports facilities open to the public, including one gym
• other swimming beaches open to the public
• group family daycare centers in the space reserved for it
• a place to organize activities related to the gathering of children and young people
• an educational institution that organizes basic art education or free educational work
• place of teaching
• emergency and shelters
• solarium service, skin-breaking activity (tattoo, piercing)
• Less than 10 m³ / day or a facility supplying water for the needs of less than 50 people
• Water intake or water tank, when water is taken with water users' own devices for the needs of at least 50 people or at least 10 m³/day

Notification of the end of the activity

In the future, it is of paramount importance that when the activity ends, the actor does notice of termination electronically through the Ilppa system or otherwise in writing. After receiving the notice of termination, the supervisory authority removes the object from the supervision register and the collection of the basic fee ends at the beginning of the following calendar year.

For more information:

environmental engineer Armi Kainulainen phone 020 617 4330

environmental engineer Marcella Suomalainen phone 020 617 4324