The environmental impact review process at Finnvera

Screening, classification and environmental review

The objective of screening is to identify the export credit guarantee applications falling within the scope of environmental review. An application falls within the scope of environmental review if it involves a project. Project classification involves identifying the potential environmental impacts of a project and defining the appropriate extent of the external environmental assessment for the project.

In the case of guarantee applications falling within the scope of environmental policy, the projects will be pre-screened on the basis of information given in the application form. Applications in which the contract price is not over 5 million euros and in which the project is not located in or near a sensitive area, will be reviewed by making an information search to find out potential environmental risks of the project. Applications without environmental risks will be classified as non-projects.

In the case of applications in which the contract price is above 5 million euros and in cases where the project is located in or near a sensitive area, the exporter, the project sponsor or the buyer is required to fill in a separate environmental impact questionnaire or submit corresponding information to Finnvera using e.g. by providing an EIA study. The information to be filled in into the questionnaire as a basis for the environmental classification and review includes basic information on the exported product and on the project it may involve, as well as information on the location in order to determine the environmental sensitivity of the project and its location, and the potential environmental effects.

In the case of guarantee applications not falling within the scope of environmental policy (see Scope of application for the environmental policy), the application is neither classified under any environmental category nor a further processing in terms of environmental aspects is required.

Links:
Environmental impact questionnaire