Estonian govt allocates EUR 93 mln for strengthening internal security

TALLINN - The Estonian government decided on Tuesday to allocate altogether 93 million euros to the area of government of the Ministry of the Interior for the purpose of strengthening civil protection and internal security in 2022-2023.

Minister of the Interior Kristian Jaani said in a press release that contributions to national defense this year have been larger than ever before. 

"The volume of decisions made in principle within slightly over one year totals almost 140 million euros and a part of the resources have already been put to use. Today's decision to allocate more than 90 million euros to the Ministry of the Interior shows clearly that civil protection and security play a crucial part in national defense," the minister said.

"The war in Ukraine and the security situation in Europe have pointed out the importance of comprehensive funding for broad-based national defense. The additional resources will help us take several good steps forward in strengthening the preparedness of the state and people. We can be more certain in the future that we're even better prepared than before for any crisis and can thus ensure a sense of security for both people and the state," he added.

The supplementary budget will see close to 62 million euros allocated to the area of government of the Ministry of the Interior in 2022 for improving civil protection and internal security. The sum also includes a funding decision made by the government in principle at the start of the year, which will now be added to the supplementary budget. 31 million euros' worth of decisions have been made regarding  additional funding for 2023.

The additional resources will be used for creating threat alert systems and capability for large-scale evacuation. Shelters will be prepared and local residents' and governments' awareness and preparedness for coping with crises will be improved. The capability for rescuing people trapped by slides as well as for explosive ordnance disposal, stocks and emergency aid, border guard and cyber defense will likewise be improved.