By Desh Tv News
Copyright dailyfinland
Finland and Norway held a preparedness exercise on 15–16 September to prepare for serious accidents, crises and emergencies, said the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and Ministry of the Interior in a joint press release Wednesday.
The exercise entailed Finland sending medicinal products and medical supplies to Norway in a fictitious crisis scenario. The exercise was related to the EU’s shared emergency stockpiles, known as rescEU stockpiles, some of which are located in Finland.
Finland has hosted rescEU stockpiles since 2023, storing supplies such as medicinal products, medical supplies, personal protective equipment and measuring devices.
Finland has received a total of EUR 305 million in funding from the European Commission for the establishment of these stockpiles.
Emergency stockpiles have also been located in other EU countries, and they are part of the strategic capacities under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
“This week’s exercise was an excellent opportunity to test the delivery of supplies from the rescEU stockpiles hosted by Finland. In a crisis situation, sending supplies requires seamless cooperation between the country requesting and the country sending assistance and the European Emergency Response Coordination Centre,” said Project Manager Ilona Hatakka of the Ministry of the Interior.
Supplies must be ready for delivery within 12 hours of an offer of assistance being accepted.
“It is important that we were able to carry out this exercise in collaboration with the European Commission and our Norwegian colleagues. Exercises focusing on cross-border assistance strengthen preparedness and help identify any practical challenges related to the delivery of medicinal products, for example,” said other Project Manager Piia Ollila of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
In the current global political situation, it is extremely important that the Nordic countries cooperate in preparedness matters.
“Exercising together is vital for our common safety and security. The Nordic countries have a long standing tradition of preparedness cooperation. Especially in the Northern parts of our countries, preparedness resources may be few and far between. A cross border response may be required in dealing with whatever crises hit us,” said Norway’s exercise coordinator, chief analyst Anders Gundersen, from the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB).
The rescEU project consists of two different projects. The rescEU CBRN project stockpiles materials used to prepare for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats. The rescEU Medical project, in turn, stockpiles medical supplies, medicinal products and radiation meters for major accidents.
