New public buildings must be built with shelters from 2026
From next year, new public buildings in Estonia must be built with emergency shelter spaces under newly passed legislation.
The Riigikogu passed an act strengthening civil protection on Wednesday, which regulates the national alarm system and public shelters.
From July 1 next year, public shelters will have to be built in new buildings that are visited by crowds or have a closed net area of at least 10,000 square meters.
Additionally, a non-public shelter will have to be built when a residential building or another public or special building with a closed net area of at least 1,200 square meters, or an industrial or warehouse building with a closed net area of at least 1,500 square meters, is built.
The bill was originally set to introduce the requirement from 2028, but MPs added an amendment to bring the deadline forward by two years.
Under the act, spaces will also have to be adapted as sheltering locations in existing buildings wherever possible.
There are also new requirements to develop plans for informing the public and raising awareness, which will be organized by the Rescue Board and local governments.
The new legislation also regulates the EE-ALARM national emergency notification system.
Under the new amendment, all possessors of mass media, electronic communications, information screens in public spaces, and national mobile applications with at least 10,000 end users will have to join the EE-ALARM system so that important information would reach people quickly in the event of a potential threat.
All employees of state and local government agencies, as well as agencies providing critical services, will be required to undergo civil protection training so that they can respond quickly, help people, and keep essential services running in a crisis situation.
The Bill on Amendments to the Emergency Act and Other Acts (662 SE), initiated by the Government, was passed with 66 members of the Riigikogu voting in favour.
The explanatory memorandum said that, since the security situation has changed due to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the organisation of sheltering in Estonia must also be improved and shelters must be built and sheltering locations adapted to better protect people in potential situations of danger.
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Editor: Helen Wright
