Sending emergency warnings directly to mobile phones
Act amending sections 5 and 7 of the Act on Warning Messages
Authorities will be able to send emergency warnings directly to the mobile phones of people in a danger area without downloading a separate application. The new cell broadcast system will complement existing warning channels, such as radio, television and the 112 Suomi app.
- Status
- In progress
- Submitted
- 27 Aug 2026
- Latest event
- 10 Sep 2026
- Votes
- 0
- Speeches
- 17
- Source
- eduskunta.fi ↗
What is proposed
A cell broadcast system will be added to the Act on Warning Messages as an official transmission channel for emergency warnings, and the Emergency Response Centre Agency will be made responsible for relaying warnings to this system. The Emergency Response Centre Agency will also be permitted to relay emergency warnings to the online services of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle).
What it means
The amendment will enable emergency and danger warnings to be distributed within seconds and accurately targeted to all phones in the area regardless of mobile subscription or apps, improving the safety of residents and travellers. The reform assigns a new transmission duty to the Emergency Response Centre Agency. An allocation of 4.7 million euros has been reserved for building the system, with around 300,000 euros per year for maintenance. The act is intended to enter into force on 1 November 2026.
How Parliament voted
Consideration is ongoing: Parliament has not yet voted on the bill in plenary.
Debate in the chamber
What was argued and where each group stood, followed by MPs' speeches verbatim from the parliamentary record. Speeches are shown in their original language.
17 speeches · 1 debate
Key points of the debate
Parliament debated a proposal for a new emergency warning system that allows warnings to be sent directly to the mobile phones of people in a danger area without separate applications. All parliamentary groups supported the proposal unanimously and considered the reform essential for improving comprehensive security in society. The debate also drew attention to mobile network dead zones and the clarity of instructions provided to the public.
- National Coalition PartyIn favour
The reform enhances the operational capacity of authorities and crisis resilience by supplementing existing warning channels in a changed security environment.
”Tämä uudistus siis parantaa osaltaan viranomaisten mahdollisuutta pitää huoli suomalaisten turvallisuudesta ja on siten kannatettava.”
— Sofia Vikman - Finns PartyIn favour
The new system enables emergency warnings to be targeted quickly and accurately to mobile phones, improving public reach and strengthening comprehensive security.
”Uuden järjestelmän avulla vaaratiedotteet voidaan välittää matkapuhelimiin nykyistä nopeammin ja aiempaa tarkemmin rajatulle maantieteelliselle alueelle.”
— Mari Rantanen - Christian DemocratsIn favour
The new technology improves public alerting effectively and quickly, as receiving messages does not require a smartphone or separate applications.
”On erittäin hyvä, että tämä nyt viedään eteenpäin.”
— Päivi Räsänen - Social DemocratsIn favour
A multi-channel warning system and alerts delivered directly to phones significantly increase citizens' safety during exceptional situations and emergencies.
”Tässä tosiaankin puhutaan nyt hyvästä esityksestä ja siitä, että tällä saadaan suomalaisten turvallisuutta kyllä lisättyä.”
— Juha Viitala - Centre PartyIn favour
The proposal is very necessary and welcome, although mobile network coverage must also be ensured and dead zones eliminated.
”Pidän tätä hallituksen esitystä erittäin tarpeellisena, ja on erittäin hyvä, että olemme tästä keskustelemassa tänään täällä salissa.”
— Hanna Räsänen - Left AllianceIn favour
The proposal is important for security, and alongside it, steps must be taken to ensure citizens have clear information and understanding of how to act in emergencies.
”On tietenkin ensisijaisen tärkeää yhteiskuntamme turvallisuuden kannalta, että ihmiset saadaan tiedotettua mahdollisimman vaikuttavasti ja tehokkaasti mahdollisesta vaarasta.”
— Timo Furuholm
This digest was generated by AI from 17 speeches 13 Sep 2026. Group positions are read from the speeches, not from votes; quotations were checked verbatim against the record.
Keskustelu päättyi. Asia lähetettiin hallintovaliokuntaan.
Stages of consideration
The bill's path from the preliminary debate to the decision, as recorded by Parliament.
- 27 Aug 2026Eduskuntakäsittelyn vireilletulo · Sisäministeriö
- 9 Sep 2026Lähetekeskustelu · Täysistunto
Decisions by law proposal1
- 1Laki vaaratiedotteesta annetun lain 5 ja 7 §:n muuttamisesta
Proposed law text
The law proposals in the bill as the Government presented them. The final act may differ after committee consideration.
The law text is shown in Finnish or Swedish from Parliament's official documents; it is not translated into English.
Laki vaaratiedotteesta annetun lain 5 ja 7 §:n muuttamisesta
Eduskunnan päätöksen mukaisesti muutetaan vaaratiedotteesta annetun lain (466/2012) 5 §:n 1 momentti ja 7 §:n 2 momentti, sellaisina kuin ne ovat laissa 1210/2020, seuraavasti:
5 §Vaaratiedotteen välittäminen väestölle
Vaaratiedote välitetään väestölle solulähetysjärjestelmän, Hätäkeskuslaitoksen tarjoamaan telepäätelaitesovelluksen ja radion kautta.
7 §Vaaratiedottamisprosessin kulku
Hätäkeskuslaitos välittää vaaratiedotteen solulähetysjärjestelmään ja tarjoamaansa telepäätelaitesovellukseen sekä radiossa, televisiossa ja Yleisradion Oy:n internetissä tarjoamissa palveluissa tapahtuvaa jakelua varten Yleisradio Oy:öön.
§
Tämä laki tulee voimaan päivänä kuuta 20 .
Main content of the bill (official)
The summary and title were produced with AI on 13 Sep 2026. They are not official documents – check the details in the original bill. The title and summaries are machine translations of the Finnish AI summaries. Speeches and quotations are always shown in their original language.