Finland to adopt EU-wide emergency alert system by 2027 after years of funding delays

Finland will introduce an EU-compliant emergency alert system using Cell Broadcast technology, capable of reaching millions of mobile phones within seconds, the Ministry of the Interior announced on Wednesday.

The new system, set to be operational by 2027 at the latest, will send direct alerts to all phones in affected areas regardless of network settings or user preferences. A warning sound and message will appear on screens, bypassing existing app-based solutions.

Mikko Jääskeläinen, a rescue services expert at the ministry, told national broadcaster Yle that the system will complement—not replace—current channels like the 112 Suomi app. “If one warning method fails, another will work. Multi-channel alerts will only improve,” he said.

Finland has faced criticism for lagging behind other EU countries, where similar systems have been operational for years. Jääskeläinen attributed the delay to funding shortages, noting that requests for the system had been pending since 2005. “There simply wasn’t money before. We’ve applied for years, but only secured funds in last year’s supplementary budget,” he explained.

The urgency follows recent security incidents, including drone sightings in Kouvola and Luumäki in late March, which prompted plans to expand the 112 Suomi app with air-raid alerts modeled after Ukraine’s system. Jääskeläinen also cited evolving security threats and lower operator costs as factors accelerating the project.