Search

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...

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...

Civilian intelligence protects Finland’s national security

What is national security? National security concerns Finland’s sovereignty and the security of all of Finnish society. The concept of national security is dynamic and it is defined both temporally and in relation to Finland’s changing threat and ...

Hybrid threats and hybrid influence activities Hybrid threats refer to malign external influence by which a state actor seeks to systematically influence the targeted country by combining different means. The aim of hybrid influence activities is ...

Hunting and target practice popular recreational activities in Finland Finland is a country of hunters and gun enthusiasts. There are approximately 460,000 licence holders and slightly under 1.5 million licensed firearms in Finland. Responsibility...

28.10.2025 | The interior ministers of Finland, Norway, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Germany, Sweden and Denmark will meet in Gdánsk, Poland, on 28 October. The ministers will discuss countering hybrid threats posed by Russia and Belarus, and evacuation practices in the countries in the Baltic Sea region. Finland will be represented at the meeting by Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen.

Rescue service operators and responsibilities Rescue departments carry out rescue service duties in their respective regions There are 21 regional rescue departments in Finland. Rescue departments carry out rescue service duties in their respectiv...

Departments and units Police Department The Police Department deals with matters concerning the police administration under the National Police Board, combating crime, public order and security, licencing, firearms, gambling policy, the private se...

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.

16.4.2026 | Ministers responsible for preparedness from Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Poland and Germany have issued a joint statement in connection with their meeting in Helsinki on 16 April. According to the statement, Russia’s large-scale war of aggression against Ukraine remains the most significant factor affecting Europe’s security in the long term.

12.3.2026 | The Finnish Security and Intelligence Service and military intelligence authorities will be able to disclose information on offences to other authorities more extensively than before. In its session on 12 March, the Government proposed that the President of the Republic approve the bills concerned on 13 March. The amendments will enter into force on 20 March 2026.

14.4.2026 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a draft government proposal to update civilian intelligence legislation in response to the changed security environment.  The proposal would introduce new powers, including measures to prepare for state-sponsored threats, and clarifying amendments arising from practical needs identified in intelligence activities. Changes are also proposed to the non-disclosure periods for documents. The deadline for submitting comments is in late May.

27.3.2025 | The European Commission published the Preparedness Union Strategy on Wednesday 26 March, outlining actions to strengthen the security of the European Union over the next five years. The strategy aims to build a more resilient and secure Europe where citizens are protected. We must be able to prepare for all kinds emerging threats, ranging from extreme weather events to hybrid threats. We cannot ignore the most serious scenarios either, and Europe must also prepare for the possibility of war.

16.4.2026 | Helsinki, 16 April 2026 Statement of the European Coalition for Civil Preparedness and Resilience Ministers and representatives responsible for the internal security, civil preparedness and resilience of the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of Denm...

13.11.2025 | Nordic ministers responsible for civil preparedness or their deputies will meet in Helsinki on 13 November. This so-called Haga ministerial meeting will be chaired by Finnish Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen. The ministers will discuss topical issues related to crisis preparedness in the Nordic countries.

13.2.2026 | The Ministry of the Interior has launched a project to develop a new feature for the Emergency Response Centre Agency’s 112 Suomi app to warn of airborne threats. The project will be carried out with EU funding, and other EU Member States can also benefit from the results of Finland’s development work.

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.

11.12.2025 | A round table discussion on port safety and security took place on 11 December 2025 at the invitation of Minister of Transport and Communications Lulu Ranne and Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen. The meeting focussed on the security situation in Finnish ports and how they might be impacted by changes taking place in the operating environment.

13.11.2025 | On 16 July, the European Commission put forward a proposal for a reform of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The reform is one of the key measures to implement the EU Preparedness Union Strategy. The Government informed Parliament of the proposal by submitting a Union communication on 13 November.