Exemption

You can apply to Tukes for an exemption to sell or buy a product that exceeds the limits stated in the VOC Paints Decree. The product must be intended for the restoration or maintenance of buildings or vehicles of particular historical or cultural value.

Tukes can only grant an exemption for a specific use and for a restricted amount.

For some restricted sites, a representative of those who own or maintain the buildings can also request an exemption for several buildings under one application.

You can apply for an exemption, if the following conditions are fulfilled:

  • Products compliant with the VOC Paints Decree available on the market are not suitable for the purpose.
  • The object of restoration, repair or maintenance is a building or old vehicle of particular historic and cultural value.

You can apply for an exemption for the restoration or maintenance of the following buildings or vehicles of particular historical or cultural value:

  • valuable buildings or areas protected in a local detailed plan
  • sites designated as building conservation areas in a local detailed plan
  • sites protected under the Act on the Protection of Buildings (60/1985), the Church Act (1054/1993), the Antiquities Act (295/1963) or the Decree on the Protection of State-Owned Buildings (480/1985)
  • sites declared to be of architecturally historical value or of cultural value in national, regional or local inventories
  • sites that have been approved for inclusion in the World Heritage List created under the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (Finnish Treaty Series 19/1987)
  • sites that have been granted National Board of Antiquities funding for building restoration under section 19 of the Act on the Protection of Buildings or funding for architectural heritage management from a regional environment centre
  • other sites of particular historical and cultural value that are comparable to the sites referred to in the paragraphs above. Submit a statement by the National Board of Antiquities regarding the historical and cultural significance of the building.
  • the restoration or maintenance of a vehicle of historic interest or a vehicle intended to be classified as a vehicle of historic interest (section 24 of the Vehicles Act 1090/2002). A vehicle of historic interest is a vehicle which is approved as being a vehicle of historic interest on the basis of a statement of a nationally registered historic vehicle organisation which was manufactured at least 30 years earlier and has either been kept in a condition equivalent to its original condition or restored in an appropriate manner.

How to apply to Tukes for an exemption

Use a template.

Tukes charges a fee in accordance with the valid decree for processing the exemption application.

The following information is needed for applying for an exemption:

  • the applicant's name and contact details
  • whether the application is for sale or purchase
  • the subcategory of the product
  • the total quantity of the product to be sold or purchased
  • the product’s VOC content
  • information about the site/vehicle for which the exemption is applied
  • a statement of the historical or cultural significance of the building or information showing the vehicle is a vehicle of historic interest or a vehicle intended to be classified as a vehicle of historic interest. If the site is another site as referred to in the Decree, enclose a statement by the National Board of Antiquities with the application. You can request a statement from the National Board of Antiquities using a free-format request that contains at least the address or other identifiers of the building.