Haku

Civil defence protects the civilian population The Ministry of the Interior leads and coordinates national civil defence. Rescue services are responsible for civil defence duties falling under their mandate at the national, regional and local leve...

Civil defence shelters would be used during military threat Civil defence shelters provide protection for the population particularly against a military threat in areas where people normally move, live and go to work. Civil defence shelters protec...

21.1.2026 | The Ministry of the Interior has published three new guides containing practical instructions on how to use and maintain civil defence shelters and on how to draw up emergency plans. The guides are intended, for example, to support building owners (such as housing companies) and other building operators.

16.4.2026 | Ministers responsible for internal security and preparedness (or their deputies) from Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden will meet in Helsinki on 16 April to discuss how the EU can prepare for security threats and various crises. Sauli Niinistö, former President of Finland, and Hadja Lahbib, the EU Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, will deliver the opening addresses.

8.12.2025 | The Finnish Ministry of the Interior and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU) have agreed to deepen cooperation across different sectors. The cooperation emphasises support for Ukraine's international civil defence coalition. 

27.11.2025 | The inauguration of the civil defence coalition co-led by Ukraine and Finland will take place in Kyiv on 27 November. Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will attend the inauguration to announce Finland’s EUR 11 million funding for constructing civil defence shelters. Finland has earlier confirmed approximately EUR two million in funding for the bilateral project, which makes Finland’s total support to Ukrainian civil defence sector about EUR 13 million. 

6.3.2026 | Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Germany have agreed to deepen their cooperation on protecting the civilian population and have signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the ministries responsible for civil preparedness. The ministers discussed the Memorandum at a videoconference in February, with Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen representing Finland.

12.6.2025 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a draft guide intended to support the planning of the activation and use of civil defence shelters and to harmonise the preparation of related plans. The deadline for submitting comments is 11.8. 2025.

23.4.2025 | Finland’s Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen and Sweden’s Minister for Migration Johan Forssell met in Helsinki on Wednesday 23 April. Later the same day, Minister Rantanen also had a meeting with Sweden's Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin in Espoo.

19.3.2025 | The Finnish Ministry of the Interior and the Ukrainian Ministry of Strategic Industries signed a joint letter of intent concerning cooperation on civil defence shelters on 19 March 2025 in connection with the meeting between President of the Republic Alexander Stubb and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

16.9.2024 | At a meeting between the Finnish and Swedish governments in Stockholm on 16 September, the countries agreed to further intensify their cooperation in civil preparedness and emergency planning. Minister of Transport, Communications and the Interior Lulu Ranne and Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin signed a letter of intent concerning the joint planning of the protection of the civilian population.

28.5.2025 | Prime Minister Petteri Orpo travelled to Kyiv on Wednesday 28 May at the invitation of Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

4.5.2026 | The Ministry of the Interior has launched a project to develop guidance for the public on how to prepare for emergency conditions. The guidance will complement existing preparedness advice in the Preparing for Incidents and Crises guide published on Suomi.fi.

24.10.2024 | On 24 October, the Government issued a decree laying down provisions on cooperation in preparedness for civil defence and related plans in the wellbeing services counties. The decree specifies the practices of cooperation between the authorities of the wellbeing services counties.

8.11.2023 | Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen and Swedish Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin met in Espoo on 7 November. The Ministers had a general discussion on the importance of civil preparedness and civil defence shelters. Minister Bohlin recognised the long-term work carried out in Finland on civil defence shelters.

Government Programme measures to reform rescue services and emergency response centre operations The Government aims to ensure high-quality rescue services throughout the country. Rescue services must be of high quality and carried out in a unifor...

Government Programme measures to reform rescue services and emergency response centre operations The Government aims to ensure high-quality rescue services throughout the country. Rescue services must be of high quality and carried out in a unifor...

NATO membership and Finland’s resilience Finland joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 2023. NATO membership will strengthen Finland’s security as well as the security and stability of the Baltic Sea region and Northern Europe. A...

Preparedness is the key for the rescue services

Civilian material assistance to Ukraine A highly exceptional aid operation is underway in Europe. Extensive amounts of assistance have been sent to Ukraine and neighbouring countries through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. The Depar...