The Finnish Government submitted a bill to Parliament on 12 November. It would allow reservists to be sent to exercises in Sweden, Norway and the Baltic Sea without their separate consent.
The change would apply to reservists in refresher exercises when the activity is directly linked to the defence of Finland. According to the Ministry of Defence, Sweden and Norway are included because of their NATO membership and geographical location. Conscripts would still need to give express consent before training abroad.
The bill also scraps the rank-based limits on refresher exercise days. Instead, everyone liable for military service would face a single cap of 200 days. The ministry says this would make better use of reservists’ specialist skills.
Separate amendments to the Act on the Finnish Defence Forces would clarify defence officials’ obligation to take part in international tasks. They would also allow a Finnish contingent on an international mission to serve under another command.
Proposed changes to employment terms for international cooperation were dropped from the draft for further preparation. If Parliament approves the bill, the amendments are scheduled to enter into force on 1 July 2027.
