10.02.2025
Meeting press release of the the Board of the Regional Assembly
The provincial government met for its first meeting of the year on Monday 10 February in Oulu.
The provincial plan proposal for the energy and climate phase will be re-opened to the public.
A new public consultation will be held on the proposal for a regional plan for the energy and climate phase of Northern Ostrobothnia. An update of the Natura 2000 risk assessment has been prepared on the plan solution, which complements the previous risk assessment carried out at the stage of the authority's proposal. The plan solution has been changed for regionally significant wind power areas. Compared to the first consultation of the proposal phase, five wind power areas have been removed from the land areas, and demarcation changes have been made to 20 areas. Twenty-six television stations remain unchanged. After a risk assessment, the exiting areas turned out to be too small to meet the regional criteria. Of the previous phase plans, 48 onshore wind power areas remain legally valid. Three offshore wind power areas have been reduced in the territorial waters of the Bothnian Bay, two areas remain unchanged. In addition to the changes concerning wind power, the archaeological sites of national significance in Northern Ostrobothnia approved in late 2024 have been included in the plan data and the electricity transmission markings have been revised.
The Provincial Government decided to add to the plan proposal entries enabling further refining of renewable energy in Jylkkä in Kalajoki and Leppiniemi in Muhos, and to replace section 7.3.1. of the plan report with the following: ‘A regionally significant wind power component master plan may also be drawn up outside the wind power areas of the regional plans on the basis of sufficient studies, provided that the plan to be drawn up does not conflict with the main objectives or principles of the regional plan and that the plan does not hamper the implementation of the regional plan.’
A new public consultation will take place between February and March 2025. At the public proposal stage, statements are no longer requested separately, but the members of the municipalities and other participants in the plan area have the right to make a reminder of the plan proposal. The responses to the reminders shall be forwarded to the originators. The aim is to process the approval of the plan proposal in May 2025.
Request for an opinion on the draft national transport system plan and the environmental report
The Provincial Government held an exchange of views on the opinion on the National Transport System Plan 2026-2037 and the related environmental report. The national transport system plan is a strategic plan for developing the Finnish transport system for 12 years. At the beginning of each government term, the national transport system plan is reviewed and coordinated with the fiscal plan. The transport system plan creates a unified situational picture of the development needs and solutions of the transport system and brings together the measures taken by the state and municipalities to develop the transport system. The plan presents an assessment of the current state of the transport system and changes in the operating environment, a vision for the development of the transport system until 2050, the objectives of the national transport system plan and the strategic guidelines, regional priorities and measures to achieve the objectives of the operational programme. The plan includes a state funding programme. For 2026-2029, the draft plan is being prepared to put the fiscal plan in the economic framework.
Changes in the North Ostrobothnia Regional Cooperation Group
- Saija Tikkanen was appointed as a full member to replace Päivi Keisanen as a representative of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia.
- Janne Rönkkömäki was appointed as STTK's representative and Ulla Tynkkynen as an alternate member.
- Henna-Kaisa Turpeinen was appointed as an alternate member of SAK ry.
In brief
- In autumn 2024, the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia started scenario work together with the Regional Council of Uusimaa, which challenges current ways of thinking and creates scenarios with significant visionary breakthroughs compared to current development. The aim is to improve the ability of regional actors to interpret and understand current phenomena and to make decision-making more efficient. The scenario work will be completed in February.
- The Provincial Government issued an opinion on the draft Government proposal to Parliament for an Act amending the Act on Public Procurement and Concessions, the Act on Procurement and Concessions of Entities Operating in the Water, Energy, Transport and Postal Services Sector and Section 6b of the Criminal Records Act.
- The Provincial Government decided that the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia will choose Korpilaavu Oy as the implementer of the project for the construction of Rysä and trapping of smolts in Livojoki 2025 and 2026. The total price of the procurement is EUR 67 500, VAT 0 %. The hourly rate for additional work to be agreed separately is 50 e/h, VAT 0 % and mileage allowance of 0.7 e/km, VAT 0 % (car) and 1,00 e/km, VAT 0 % (car + trailer). A separate procurement contract will be drawn up. The costs of the acquisition will be allocated to the Lohi Iijoki 2 project.
- The Provincial Government decided that the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia will initiate the procurement of the measure ‘Catching and overloading live Atlantic salmon and trout in Iijoki 2025’. The tendering is done in the HILMA system.
- The official decisions for the period from 11 December 2024 to 3 February 2025 were recorded for information. The provincial government did not exercise the right of withdrawal under Section 92 of the Local Government Act.
- The opinions issued by the Office between 11 December 2024 and 3 February 2025 were noted.
- The operating model of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia in the CPMR and the guidelines of the EU financial framework 2028-2034 were postponed to the next meeting.
