“The maintenance and clearing work is closely linked to the unambiguous nature of the state boundary, which means that we, together with the Norwegian Border Authority Kartverket, will ensure that the border is clearly marked and distinguishable from the rest of the terrain," says Jyrki Lämsä, a member of the state boundary review delegation from the National Land Survey of Finland.
In addition to the border corridor, the state boundary can be identified by signs and yellow border markers.
Don’t move the stones
When working on state boundary review, the delegation sometimes encounters things that do not belong in the border corridor. Some kind of permanent structure may have been built on it, or objects belonging to someone’s property may have been moved into the boundary corridor for some reason. In these situations, the owners of the structures and items will be notified that the matter needs to be dealt with.
“Of course, you are free to move around the corridor, visit at the border markers and, for example, have a cup of coffee at the border marker. However, border markers and signs must not be tampered with. It is forbidden to remove the stones," says Jyrki Lämsä. The heart stones in the border markers are protected by Norwegian law.
There may be exceptional circumstances that lead to changes in border crossings.
“In general, the Schengen Agreement allows citizens to cross the land border between Finland and Norway at any point, but for example during the Covid19 restrictions the border could only be crossed at marked points. The authorities will, of course, inform separately about exceptional situations," says Jyrki Lämsä.
Keep the area tidy
A good rule of thumb when walking along the border between Norway and Finland is to respect the environment: do not touch the border stones and keep the area tidy. If someone notices buildings or objects that do not belong at the border area, one can report them to the Border Guard using an online form.
“Most of the state boundary between Finland and Norway is in difficult terrain and far from anything, which means that in practice you see very little man-made waste or structures in the area. On the other hand, you see construction waste related to reindeer fences," says Lämsä. According to an agreement between the two countries, the reindeer fence runs along the national border.
The work continues in summer 2024
The state boundary review every 25 years is a part of good relations between neighbours and the work will continue next summer. Delegations from Finland and Norway will carry out the work under the leadership of the foreign ministries, and the results will be documented for joint use by the foreign ministries.
The NLS participates in the demarcation process by adopting an operative role. In practice, NLS employees participate in surveying and other fieldwork, documentation and communication. The Finnish Border Guard takes care of maintenance, including the repair of any boundary markers that have collapsed or are in need of new paint.
"This is the third summer of the review, when we will be maintaining the border structures, such as the border markers, and clearing the area to keep the border corridor tidy. Of course, maintenance work is also carried out between border reviews," says Major General Matti Sarasmaa of the Finnish Border Guard.
For further information
Jyrki Lämsä, Head of Mapping, 040 524 2508, firstname.lastname@nls.fi