Ministry of Transport and Communications

In the Government, the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) handles matters related to shipping and other waterborne traffic, marine research, and ports where they are not handled by other ministries.

Institutions under the MTC are the Finnish Maritime Administration, the Shipping Enterprise Finstaship, the Pilotage Enterprise Finnpilot, the Marine Research Institute, and the Meteorological Institute.

Shipping matters are handled by the department of transport policy, which has a special shipping unit for this purpose. It handles matters related to the industrial policy of shipping and other waterborne traffic, the safety of shipping and other waterborne traffic, legal matters of liability concerning sea transports and prevention of water pollution caused by ships. The unit also handles other environmental matter related to shipping and waterborne traffic, with the exception of regulations concerning sea and inland water transportation of dangerous substances carried as general cargo.

One central task for the Ministry in the shipping sector is to handle shipping policy measures. The guiding principles for government subsidies to the shipping industry as confirmed by the European Commission refer to acceptable subsidies to shipping. The Finnish subsidy system is also to be in line with these principles.

In June 2003, an extensive study of the maritime cluster in Finland was completed. A study of the shipping strategy was completed in December 2002.

Read more at: www.mintc.fi