The ministry says it is aiming for half of apartment buildings and office and commercial buildings to have a functioning shelter option by 2034, which ensures that at least half of Estonia's population has access to a shelter.

While the requirement to build shelters primarily concerns buildings yet to be constructed, the regulation also assigns a key role to shelter spaces in existing buildings.

So far, only a few shelters have been built in new buildings in Estonia, the ministry says, while few shelter spaces have been adapted. At the same time, there are already rooms in existing buildings which can be converted relatively quickly and cost-effectively, which makes it viable to significantly improve civil defense in this area much faster.

The proportion of the populace who know where and how to seek shelter would at the same time rise to three-quarters.

Under the new rules, which amend the Emergency Act, from July 1 this year, shelters must be built in new residential and public buildings larger than 1,200 square meters and for which no application for a building permit or building notice has been submitted by that date.

In existing buildings meeting the same parameters, a shelter plan must be drawn up and, where possible, a shelter space must be adapted no later than July 1, 2028, or upon receiving a use permit.

Tuuli Räim, Deputy Secretary General for Crisis Preparedness and Civil Protection at the Ministry of the Interior, called shelters a vital part of civil defense, a part which helps save lives in situations where a rapid and direct threat to life or well-being arises. This would not only include military strikes but other unexpected crises like explosions, major accidents or natural disasters.

"Imposing the obligation to build shelters in new buildings is an analyzed and highly considered decision, also based on the experience of other countries. It is an investment in our shared security," Räim said.

Räim added that there is strong interest in building shelters within the real estate sector.

"Several developers have approached us to obtain clear design requirements as quickly as possible. The draft regulation is now ready, and experts in the field have contributed to its preparation. Next, the document will move to the coordination round," she said.

The regulation establishes minimum requirements for shelters and shelter spaces, specifies which buildings must include a shelter, and sets out the principles for calculating shelter size based on the building's use and the number of people present.

It also creates a framework for drawing up sheltering plans so that, in a crisis situation, it is clear where and how people in buildings should be directed to take shelter.

A wide range of stakeholders helped draft the regulation, including shelter specialists from Finland, designers and architects, developers, Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences, Riigi Kinnisvara AS, local governments, the Rescue Board (Päästeamet), the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA), the Estonian Defence Forces and the Ministry of Climate.

The Ministry of the Interior says it will review coordination-round proposals with experts as needed before submitting the regulation to the government for approval.

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