Maritime cultural heritage laws, agreements, and programmes

The protection of maritime cultural heritage and other official activities is governed by the legislation for general cultural heritage. There is no specific legislation for the protection of the maritime cultural heritage.


The protection of cultural heritage affects many actors

The protection of cultural heritage requires more than legislation. It indirectly touches on many different levels of authorities, communities, and individuals.

The following measures are used to protect cultural heritage:

  • Legislation
  • Planning/Zoning
  • Cooperation between environmental and cultural administrations
  • Citizens' own activities

National Land Use Targets guide how land is used

In Finland, land-use planning is guided by National Land Use Targets. These entered into force in a revised form on the 1st of April 2018.

National Land Use Targets

Cultural heritage inventories, within the meaning of national land-use targets, include nationally significant built cultural environments and nationally valuable landscape areas.

Nationally significant constructed cultural environments (in Swedish)

Nationally valuable landscape areas

Cultural Environment Strategy

One of the agreements related to cultural heritage is the Cultural Environment Strategy 2014-2020. It was approved by the Finnish government by a decision of principle on the 20th of March 2014.

The objectives of the cultural strategy can be summarised from three perspectives:

  1. The cultural environment is an important asset.
  2. The management of the cultural environment is part of sustainable development.
  3. Good governance enables a comprehensive cultural environment policy.

An implementation plan for 2014–2020 has been prepared based on the Cultural Environment Strategy. It was published in 2015. The implementation plan strives, among other things, to increase the knowledge of marine and underwater cultural heritage.

Laws, agreements, and programme

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