According to the committee, changing the law would strengthen Finland’s security and the credibility of Nato’s nuclear deterrent.
A majority of the Defence Committee support a pending legislative amendment that would allow nuclear arms to be brought into Finland during crisis situations.
The Finnish parliament’s communications unit made the announcement on Tuesday.
The government has proposed removing a clause in the Nuclear Energy act that prohibits the import, manufacture, possession, and detonation of nuclear explosives.
Instead, the government wants to place legislation regarding the country’s ban on nuclear weapons into the criminal code — with the exception of allowing the transport of nuclear arms in crisis situations.
According to a report by the defence committee, such a legislative amendment would strengthen Finland’s security and the credibility of Nato’s nuclear deterrent.
It said that Russia’s increased aggression makes nuclear deterrence critically important, despite that Nato’s defense relies on conventional military capabilities and missile defense.
“The purpose of deterrence is precisely to prevent war and prevent pressure against the alliance, and thus bring as much security as possible and ensure the preservation of peace,” defence committee chair Heikki Autto (NCP) said in a press release.
According to Autto, once the legislative amendment goes through, Finland’s nuclear arms legislation would be in line with Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.
The committee underscored that the legislative amendments would not transfer authority away from Finnish state bodies and do not change Finland’s international arms control or nuclear non-proliferation treaty obligations nor the country’s status as a non-nuclear-weapon state. It said Parliament’s position in decision-making will be secured in all situations.
However, support of the matter was divided. The SDP, Greens, and Left Alliance — all of which are currently opposition parties — submitted a joint dissenting opinion to the report.
