Finland has put forward legislative changes to adjust its legal framework on nuclear-related activities.
The draft amendments to the Nuclear Energy Act and the Criminal Code would lift existing restrictions on the import, transport, storage, and handling of nuclear weapons on Finnish territory.
These activities would be permitted when conducted in support of national defense, NATO alliance obligations, or broader military cooperation.
At the same time, the proposal preserves strict criminal liability for core nuclear weapons activities.
The development, acquisition, manufacture, or use of nuclear devices would remain prohibited, along with any research intended to enable their production.
Acts involving nuclear devices carried out with terrorist intent would continue to be prosecuted under existing criminal provisions.
“The proposal aims to maximise Finland’s security in an unpredictable operating environment,” stated Finnish Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen.
Integration Into NATO
The legislative change is intended to align the country’s legal framework with the operational requirements of NATO membership, addressing existing restrictions that currently limit its role in the alliance’s deterrence posture.
It forms part of a broader set of legal adjustments introduced after accession, aimed at enabling full participation in collective defense mechanisms.
Finland would remain bound by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, preserving its status as a non-nuclear-weapon state.
The proposed amendments would remove these constraints, allowing allied nuclear-related activities, such as transit or logistical support, on national territory, while not permitting the development or possession of nuclear weapons.
Decision-making authority would remain at the national level, ensuring political control over any involvement and preserving autonomy within NATO’s consensus-based system.
