Subjects of oversight
The Finnish Security and Intelligence Service is responsible for civilian intelligence and the military intelligence authorities for military intelligence. The duties of the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service and the military intelligence authorities also include the prevention and detection of offences threatening national security. Civilian and military intelligence activities and the prevention and detection of offences by the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service fall within the Intelligence Ombudsman's authority of oversight.
The Finnish Security Intelligence Service is a police unit under the Ministry of the Interior.
Frontpage | Finnish Security and Intelligence Service
The military intelligence authorities are the Intelligence Division of Defence Command and the Finnish Defence Intelligence Agency.
Intelligence Division | Finnish Defence Forces
Intelligence Agency | Finnish Defence Forces
The purpose and subjects of civilian and military intelligence are defined in the intelligence legislation. The diagram below indicates who is responsible for intelligence, as well as how and why it is conducted.
The duties and powers of the intelligence authorities are based on law. The key enactments on civilian intelligence can be accessed through the links below:
Police Act 872/2011 (Finlex, in Finnish)
Telecommunications Intelligence Act 582/2019 (Finlex, in Finnish)
Act on the Processing of Personal Data by the Police 616/2019 (Finlex)
Government Decree on Civilian Intelligence 709/2019 (Finlex, in Finnish)
The corresponding enactments on military intelligence can be found through the links below:
Act on Military Intelligence 590/2019 (Finlex)
Act on the Processing of Personal Data by the Finnish Defence Forces 332/2019 (Finlex, in Finnish)
Government Decree on Military Intelligence Methods 711/2019 (Finlex, in Finnish)
Decree of the Ministry of Defence on the Oversight of Military Intelligence in the Defence Administration and on Oversight Reporting 1000/2019 (Finlex, in Finnish)