Why does Finland participate in NATO Civil Emergency Planning?
NATO Civil Emergency Planning (CEP) has two main dimensions: systematic and efficient utilisation of civilian preparedness in NATO’s strategic planning as well as activities related to civil protection. An increasingly important area of CEP is the protection of critical infrastructure, such as networks. The civilian sector has gained increasing prominence in NATO activities in recent years. The same applies to civil-military cooperation. This is not only evident in preparing for and supporting crisis management operations, it can also be seen in the military authorities’ preparedness in assisting the civilian authorities during natural disasters as well as in managing the consequences of chemical, biological and radiological terrorist strikes. Participation in NATO CEP not only provides information on the arrangements of Member and Partner countries, but it also offers an opportunity to network with the authorities of other countries and promote Finnish crisis preparedness expertise.
