Government report outlines proposals to develop security of supply in the long term

The operating environment, which has changed rapidly, requires a more comprehensive review of Finland’s security of supply and the development of the operational framework. The report on security of supply prepared by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment outlines the long-term development objectives for security of supply.

The Government submitted a report on security of supply to Parliament on 15 September 2022. The first of its kind, the report defines the key objectives for developing security of supply by 2030. The report aims to address security of supply as a strategic whole instead of focusing on individual and operational issues on security of supply. The implementation of the report on security of supply will ensure an adequate level of security of supply as part of the society’s comprehensive security. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s attack on Ukraine, climate change and Finland’s application to NATO have changed the security situation and operating environment in Finland and throughout Europe. In these times of change, it is important to look at the big picture of security of supply. It became clear during the coronavirus pandemic that we needed to update the overall picture of Finland’s security of supply. On my initiative, the Government began to prepare its first report on security of supply. The release of the report comes at an opportune time,” says Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen, who is responsible for security of supply issues and chairs the parliamentary group that monitored the preparation of the report.

The most important areas of development in the report concern the economic resources of security of supply, regulation, competence and closer cooperation.  

Ensuring security of supply requires financial resources and skills

Finland’s security of supply is funded by the National Emergency Supply Fund, which is not part of the Budget. The report proposes that the National Emergency Supply Fund remain outside the Budget and continue to provide funding to projects critical to security of supply in a rapid and flexible manner. The Fund must be able to respond to the requirements of the changed operating environment.

The competences necessary for Finland’s security of supply and the measures to safeguard such competence in future must be defined more clearly than now. In addition, the Government will launch an update of the security of supply regulation.

Each ministry is in charge of preparedness in their administrative branches but closer cooperation needed

Each ministry is responsible for preparedness in its administrative branch. Ministries are also responsible for the security of supply operations within their respective areas of responsibility during normal times. As a rule, the National Emergency Supply Fund will not fund such operations in future either. The report recommends closer cooperation in security of supply matters between different sectors in Finland as well as internationally. 

The strength of the Finnish security of supply system is based on close cooperation between the public, private and third sectors. The functioning and development of this system must be secured in the future too.

Report to be updated regularly to continue parliamentary debate

It is proposed that the report on security of supply be updated at regular intervals to ensure a continued parliamentary debate on the issues.

“It is important that Parliament can discuss the security of supply issues as part of the report. Also during peaceful times, we must ensure that security of supply remains on the political agenda,” Haatainen says.

After Parliament has discussed the report, a reform of the Government decision on the objectives of security of supply will begin. There will be a separate schedule for evaluating the need to amend the security of supply legislation. The work will also draw on the broad-based feedback received from stakeholders during the consultation round on the need to develop sector-specific security of supply measures. The draft report was circulated for comments in June−August 2022. Almost one hundred comments were submitted.

A parliamentary monitoring group and an intersectoral steering group guided the preparatory work by public officials at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. 

Inquiries: 
Iiris Niinikoski, Special Adviser to the Minister of Employment, tel. +358 295 047 372 
Antti Neimala, Director-General, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 295 047 039 
Eeva Vahtera, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 295 049 009 
Henri Backman, Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 295 063 581