New legislation to step up fight against organised crime

Finland’s Ministry of the Interior has set up a legislative project to strengthen the administrative approach to combating organised crime and the related exchange of information as outlined in the Government Programme.

The project will prepare legislation to combat organised crime and the necessary amendments to key legislation governing the authorities implementing the administrative approach to combating organised crime.
The administrative approach to combating organised crime means that the authorities can identify organised crime in different kinds of permit processes and target their supervision and inspections based on risk. The key is to prevent and hinder organised crime.

“We must prevent organised crime from exploiting society’s legal structures. Finland must find ways to address the trajectory of organised crime before problems escalate,” said Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen.

In addition, the project will assess whether loitering bans and anti-crime zones, such as exist in Denmark, or other types of restrictions on gatherings could be employed in combating organised crime.

On 27 February, the Government adopted a new strategy and an action plan for combating organised crime in 2025–2030. One of the key measures is to introduce a specific regulation on the administrative approach to combating organised crime.

The legislative project will assess the possibilities of laying down provisions on the criteria for and the legal effects of defining individuals or entities as members of organised criminal groups. It will formulate a legal definition of the authorities responsible for the administrative approach to combating organised crime and prepare provisions on the authorities’ right to access, disclose, classify and process information to combat organised crime.

In addition, the project will examine whether a centre of coordination or analysis should be established to ensure efficient, cross-administrative measures to combat organised crime.

The term of the project will run until 31 August 2026.

Inquiries:
Suvi Pato-Oja, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 488 379, [email protected]
Katriina Laitinen, Director of Legislative Affairs, tel. +358 295 488 559, [email protected]