Finland will allow remote pilotage subject to authorisation in public channels and in the Saimaa Canal lease area, that have been marked as routes requiring pilotage. The Pilotage Act will now allow the pilot to perform his/her duties somewhere else than onboard the vessel.
Finland proposed on 17 January 2019 that the Pilotage Act be adopted and is now expected to enter into force on 1 February 2019.
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Up until now, a pilotage company has to apply for an authorisation from the Transport and Communications Agency. A requirement for awarding an authorisation is that remote pilotage will not as such or in combination with other functions cause any danger to vessel traffic safety or any danger to other vessel traffic or the environment.
The remote pilotage authorisation defines the routes and parts of routes where remote pilotage is allowed. It also describes the vessels involved and the origin and destination of the remote pilotage. The authorisation will be granted for a maximum of five years and can be renewed if necessary.
A provision will now be added to the Act stating that the Defence Forces will be able to exempt foreign state ships from the necessity of using a pilot. The Defence Forces could exempt vessels that participate in a training or exercise organised by them, take part in another form of defence cooperation or are hosted by the Defence Forces.
