Finland has participated in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s bilateral Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme since 1994 and has been a member of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) since its founding in 1997. There are 28 NATO Nations and 22 Partner countries in the EAPC.
The predecessor of the EAPC was the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (NACC), established in 1991. Finland did not join the NACC, but it did participate in the meetings of the Council as an observer from 1992 onwards
PfP activities entail foreign and security policy cooperation, participation in crisis management operations and the development of military capabilities needed in crisis management activities. In addition, they cover defence materiel cooperation and participation in Civil Emergency Planning. Several Finnish ministries and other authorities participate in the implementation of the PfP programme.
Under the PfP programme Finland also supports some Partner countries' defence sector reforms. Finland has contributed, within its resources, to several PfP Trust Fund projects which increase stability in Central Asia, South Caucasus and Western Balkans. At present, the scope of the projects includes mine action and clearance of unexploded ordnance, destruction of small arms and light weapons (SALW) and surplus munitions as well as assistance to defence reform.
NATO cooperation provides Finland an opportunity to create and maintain the capability to participate in international crisis management operations. In practice, this capability is established through common technical, qualitative and capabilities-based standards as well as through an extensive training and exercise programme. The crisis management capacities developed under the auspices of the UN, EU and OSCE are, for the most part, also built on NATO standards.
At present, Finland is participating in two NATO-led crisis management operations: Kosovo Force (KFOR) in Kosovo and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.
In June 1999 the United Nations mandated NATO’s KFOR troops to establish a secure environment and facilitate the safe return home for refugees and displaced persons. The primary task of KFOR troops is to stabilise the situation in Kosovo. The Finnish crisis management contingent in KFOR comprises approximately 450 troops. The total number of KFOR troops is approximately 15 000.
The mission of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) is to assist the Afghan Government in the maintenance of stability and security so that the personnel of the United Nations and other international organisations engaged in reconstruction and humanitarian relief can operate in a secure environment.
The size of the Finnish ISAF contingent is approximately 120 personnel. Finnish peacekeepers are deployed to Kabul as well as to Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) operating in Masar-e-Sharif in North Afghanistan. The total number of troops in the ISAF is approximately 58 000.
NATO mainly improves its Partner countries’ military interoperability and quality through its Planning and Review Process (PARP), which bears resemblance to NATO’s own force planning process. NATO offers its Partner countries a list of Partnership Goals (PG) from which each country can select items that suit its national plans and resources. Partnership Goals are agreed on a bilateral basis and progress is monitored through regular reporting.
The PGs selected by Finland contribute to Finland’s international crisis management participation as well as the development of its national defence. In 2008 Finland had in all 52 Partnership Goals: 20 general, 15 Army, 8 Navy and 9 Air Force.
Partnership for Peace makes participation in several NATO military functions possible. Nevertheless, NATO does not provide security guarantees to Partner countries.
Finland participates in NATO defence materiel cooperation in order to improve crisis management capabilities and interoperability. NATO PfP cooperation improves defence materiel interoperability, lowers life cycle costs and strengthens domesticindustry’s competitiveness. NATO STANAGs (standardisation agreements) do not only lay the foundations for the interoperability of crisis management contingents, they also improve the reliability of logistics.
The Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD) coordinates defence materiel cooperation. Finland participates in the activities of technical working groups and NATO agencies open to Partners, such as the NATO Standardisation Agency (NSA), the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA) and the Munitions Safety Information Analysis Center (MSIAC). The working groups exchange information on national R&D projects, identify opportunities for cooperation and harmonise user requirements. A separate body, the Senior NATO Logisticians Conference (SNLC), handles logistics issues.
Finland, along with 10 NATO countries and Sweden, also participates in the Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) initiative, which meets the transport requirements of troops deployed to operations by multinationally procuring transport aircraft.
Civil Emergency Planning (CEP) is an increasingly visible area of NATO cooperation which aims to protect societies in crises and to alleviate the consequences of terrorist action. The significance of CEP and the volume of its activities continue to grow in parallel with new threats.
Civil Emergency Planning covers topics related to the functions vital to society such as security of supply, contingency planning and rescue services. CEP-related activities highlight civil-military cooperation and collaboration with international organisations.
Finland has actively participated in CEP since 1997 by engaging in the work of the Senior Civil Emergency Planning Committee (SCEPC) and its eight subordinate committees when they convene in a PfP composition.
Civil Emergency Planning participation does not only provide information on other countries’ arrangements, it also offers an opportunity to network and promote Finnish crisis preparedness expertise. Finnish authorities closely cooperate under the auspices of CEP, with their representatives attending meetings at NATO HQ in Brussels on an almost weekly basis. The Senior Civil Emergency Planning Committee convenes at least once a month. An expert from the Mission of Finland to NATO is the standing representative of Finland in these meetings. The SCEPC organises biannual plenary sessions in which Finland is represented by the Director-General of the Department for Rescue Services, Ministry of the Interior. The Director of the National Emergency Supply Agency is his deputy as regards the plenary sessions.
Competent authorities and expert organisations represent Finland in the following subordinate committees of the Senior Civil Emergency Planning Committee:
Other civilian committees:
The subordinate committees to the SCEPC have designated experts in their respective fields. In all, Finland has earmarked 14 experts for 8 different committees. The committees themselves have also established various ad hoc working groups in which Finns actively participate.
The Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) is responsible for coordinating disaster relief efforts among EAPC countries. The Centre was established by Russian initiative in 1998 and operates on a 24/7 basis. As regards Finland, the EADRCC forwards requests for assistance received from member and partner countries to the Emergency Response Centre of Helsinki which, in turn, alerts the duty officer at the Ministry of the Interior. The duty officer then makes a decision on the required action and, if required, relays the request to the other competent authorities.
The EADRCC arranges large international table top and field exercises together with the authorities of member and partner countries. Finland normally sends participants from several administrative branches to these exercises. The exercises concentrate on improving preparedness for natural and man-made disasters as well as managing the consequences of terrorists strikes in which chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear agents were used. The Centre closely cooperates with other international disaster relief organisations. Field exercise “Uusimaa 2008” was organised in Finland in June 2008.
Updated 8/25/2009
