Main guidelines of Estonia’s security policy until 2015263 OE RIIGIKOGU RESOLUTION Approval of the“Main guidelines of Estonia’s security policy until 2015” Further to the need to ensure that life is organized based on the rule of law, guaranteeing protection of personal rights and freedoms, safety of the Estonian people and its visitors, functioning of the public authority and public services, considering the harmful effect of public offences on the society, noting that threat prevention, as a rule, proves more efficient than dealing with the consequences of public offences, and stressing the government’s obligation to adhere to the approved guidelines also when planning law enforcement measures and activities, and the need to enhance involvement of local governments and their associations, citizens’ associations as well as private individuals in threat prevention, the Riigikogu deems it necessary to treat the main guidelines of Estonia’s security policy as a matter of significant national importance. Further to the above, and on the basis of subsection 154 (1) of the Riigikogu Internal Rules Act (RT I 2003, 24, 148; 2007, 44, 316), the Riigikogu resolves to: 1. Approve the attached “Main guidelines of Estonia’s security policy until 2015” 2. To make the Government of the Republic a proposal to submit to the Riigikogu, by March 1 every year, a report on the implementation of the main guidelines of the security policy on the basis of the implementation of the internal security development plan. Ene Ergma Submitted by: Estonian Centre Party faction MAIN GUIDELINES OF ESTONIA’S SECURITY POLICY UNTIL 2015 INTRODUCTION 1. The “Main Guidelines of Estonia’s Security Policy Until 2015” (hereinafter main guidelines of the security policy) specifies the standard principles, vision, directions and long-term effect-based objectives of the security policy – principles which must be adhered to, and objectives which must be facilitated by the public sector, non-profit sector and the private sector. 2. The main guidelines of the security policy are based on the document approved by the Riigikogu – “The Basis of the Security Policy of the Republic of Estonia” – and the security policy objective of sustaining Estonian independence and sovereignty, territorial integrity, constitutional order and national security established therein. 3. The main guidelines of the security policy are based on the principle that prevention and combating of threats and extensive involvement of citizens in the process are a far more effective measure for ensuring internal stability in Estonia and saving and protecting human lives than penal measures. 4. The main guidelines of the security policy support implementation of a modern and standard public order system which is based on the rule of law. DEFINITIONS AND PRINCIPLES OF THE SECURITY POLICY 5. Definitions of the security policy 5.1. Security policy ― development, improvement and implementation of legal acts, development plans and activity plans with the aim of preventing threats to public order; and in case of a suspected threat, ascertaining and eliminating them. 5.2. Public order ― daily life in accordance with legal acts, aimed to ensure protection of personal rights and freedoms, social security as well as functioning of the public authority and public services. 5.3. Security ― a social state of affairs which is created with the help of many, which allows individuals to feel protected, and which ensures a truly safe living environment by reducing the probability of hazardous situations as well as enhancing the ability to react to threats and alleviate the damage caused by realisation of the threat. “With the help of many” means the obligation of every person, including the public sector, non-profit sector and the private sector, as well as each and every individual, to help, by way of law-abiding and conscientious behaviour, preserve the sense of security in the sense of psychological well-being and a safe living environment. 5.4. Threat ― a state of affairs where it can be considered on the basis of objective evaluation of the circumstances and social experience that there is a sufficient probability that similar public offences will occur in the near future. 5.5. Public offence – violation of the public order, i.e. violation of the legal rights which form a part of the public order. 5.6. Law enforcement ― protection of the public order, i.e. prevention of threats to the public order; ascertaining and combating of the threats in case of a suspected threat, and elimination of any public offences. 5.7. Threat prevention ― collection, exchange and analysis of data, as well as planning and implementation of measures for preventing future threats to the public order, including offence prevention. 5.8. Risk ― a danger of a threat being realised. 5.9. Social preventive measures – affecting the factors which cause public offences through social, educational, family, youth, cultural, economic, transportation and other policies, and by considering the generally accepted principles of involvement, with the aim of creating the basis for involvement of each and every person in social life by considering the development objectives established by the society, thus preventing deviant behaviour. 5.10. Circumstance-based preventive measures – prevention of public offences by way of minimising opportunities and shaping the environment by rendering public offences less profitable, more dangerous and more complicated. 5.11. Dealing with the consequences of public offences – measures aimed at reducing the offenders’ relapses, protecting the legal order, compensating the damage caused by the public offences, guiding and helping victims restore their former way of life and involving both parties in conflict resolution. 6. Principles of the security policy 6.1. Individual responsibility. Each individual’s own responsibility and obligation to increase, by way of law-abiding behaviour, the safety of the person and those closest to them, and to raise their children to be responsible members of the society is a top priority. Individuals who have created a threat through their behaviour or who have committed a public offence must first ward off the threat or make up for the offence. Officials must consider how their resolutions and the measures they apply affect the sense of security and safety. 6.2. Involvement. Public offences cannot be prevented or significantly reduced by the executive power alone. A safe living environment requires involvement of citizens, local governments, the private sector and the non-profit sector, allowing them to participate in the passing of resolutions which affect them. 6.3. Co-operation. Implementation of the main guidelines of the security policy requires co-operation between the public sector, the private sector and the non-profit sector as well as individuals on the national, local and personal level. The characteristic feature of successful co-operation is the ascertainment of common ground in public order protection activities, co-ordinated planning and implementation of these activities, mutual consulting as well as achievement of the common benefit in creating safety. 6.4. Prevention. Implementation of social and circumstance-based preventive measures for the purpose of ensuring security helps to reduce suffering and is cheaper and more effective than dealing with consequences. Prevention begins with each individual’s awareness of the need to plan life by minimising the risk of hazardous situations. 6.5. Long-term planning. Public offences cannot, in the long perspective, be prevented or significantly reduced by applying single measures. Social security can be enhanced only as a result of long-term co-ordinated effort. Above all, this means continual budget planning and environment change monitoring, as well as keeping an open mind for new solutions. VISION OF THE SECURITY POLICY 7. Estonia in the year 2015 will be a secure society, manifested by a safe living environment and an increase in personal safety as well as a decrease in fatalities and injuries. The security of all members of the society has been ensured in co-operation between the public sector, private sector and the non-profit sector - a partnership which functions on both the national and local level, and is focused on threat prevention. At the same time, a clear improvement can be seen in people’s ability to take the right course of action in hazardous situations, and help themselves or other individuals in need. OBJECTIVES OF THE SECURITY POLICY IMPROVED SENSE OF SECURITY 8. People’s fear of being assaulted in a public place will be eased For this purpose: 8.1. The public will be notified of the places and times where and when people are at a risk of falling victim to assault, as well as the individuals’ opportunities to contribute to public security; 8.2. The visibility of the police as the general law enforcement authority on patrol in public places will be enhanced and quick response to police emergencies guaranteed; 8.3. Tn analysis-based patrol work system will be enhanced in the police authorities, so as to put the resources allocated to law enforcement into maximum use in ensuring public security; 8.4. Effective co-operation networks will be established on the local government level for engendering law-abiding behaviour among risk groups. 9. The number of offences against the person will be reduced, while special attention will be paid to reducing the number of manslaughters and murders as well as offences against minors For this purpose: 9.1. Media campaigns will be conducted for drawing public attention to the problem of school violence and violence in personal relationships, and the measures for preventing such problems; 9.2. The co-operation between officials involved in protecting minors will be enhanced; 9.3. Support to non-profit associations which offer social programmes will be enhanced. 10. Tensions between different ethnic nationalities will be eased as a result of more efficient integration measures. ENHANCED TRAFFIC SAFETY 11. The number of fatalities and injuries in traffic accidents as well as the related property damage will be reduced For this purpose: 11.1. The police authorities will be equipped with an optimum amount of speed measuring equipment and evidential alcohol breathalyzers; 11.2. Automatic traffic surveillance systems (above all, speed cameras) will be implemented; 11.3. The legislative base for ensuring traffic safety will be updated; 11.4. The legislative base will be established in order for insurers to be able to take the traffic offences committed by road users into account in establishing the personal insurance payment of these offenders. 12. Traffic culture will be improved For this purpose: 12.1. The measures for informing the public of the traffic-related risks and the methods for hedging these risks will be enhanced; 12.2. The involvement of citizens in the ensuring of traffic safety will be increased; 12.3. Traffic safety-related instruction in kindergartens and basic schools will be improved. ENHANCED FIRE SAFETY IN THE LIVING ENVIRONMENT 13. the number of fatalities and injuries by fire, as well as the related proprietary damage will be reduced For this purpose: 13.1 The measures for informing the public of the necessity and the mandatory nature of autonomous smoke detectors in residential space; 13.2. Establishment of the legislative base for making the use of non-combustible textiles mandatory in public buildings; 13.3. The fire safety awareness of social workers and staff of welfare institutions will be increased; 13.4. Fire extinguishers will be made obligatory in residential space. 14. Public awareness of the right course of action in fire emergencies will be increased For this purpose: 14.1. More volunteers will be involved in the organisation of fire safety counselling-related home visits; 14.2. The public will be informed of the safety of furnaces and open flames as well as the use of primary fire fighting equipment, including fire extinguishers; 14.3. The measures for informing parents of child-related fire safety risks will be enhanced; 14.4. Fire safety-related activities in social welfare institutions will be improved. BETTER PROPERTY PROTECTION 15. The number of criminal offences against property will be reduced, while paying special attention to prevention of criminal offences against property committed by minors For this purpose: 15.1. Preventive measures based on the analysis of the criminal offences committed by minors will be redirected to affecting the causes of these offences; 15.2. The ability of police authorities to apprehend traders of stolen goods will be improved, and a system developed in co-operation with the private sector in order to complicate the disposal of assets deriving from crime and receiving the proceeds of crime; 15.3. The parent’s awareness of the risks related to minors and the options for hedging such risks will be enhanced; 15.4. The capacity for combating criminal offences committed with the help of information technology and the Internet will be improved. 16. Efficiency of the confiscation of assets deriving from crime will be enhanced For this purpose: 16.1. In the capacity of police authorities for ascertaining criminal gains will be developed; 16.2. Ascertainment of the criminal gains in the proceedings of all precursor offences to money laundry offences will be guaranteed; 16.3. Facilities for storing seized assets will be created in a way which guarantees preservation of the assets. 17. Public awareness of the options for property protection will be increased For this purpose: 17.1. The public will be notified of the potential risks and trends of criminal activity[1]; 17.2. Preventive work within the community will be expanded by involving in the process apartment associations, real estate developers, insurance agencies, security companies, companies which sell security products and citizens’ associations; 17.3. Sustainable development of the Neighbourhood Watch will be endorsed. FEWER ACCIDENTS 18. The number of fatalities and injuries in traffic accidents will be reduced For this purpose: 18.1. The legislative basis will be established for the activities of fire safety supervisors in case of any threat of fire; 18.2. An early warning system will be implemented, allowing the public to be timely notified of extraordinary events, accidents and emergencies, considering, among other things, the possibility of power and communication failure; 18.3. The criteria for preparing risk analyses in companies in danger of being exposed to major accidents will be specified, and mandatory legislative conditions worked out for taking the results of risk analyses of companies into account in the preparation of plans; 18.4. The legislation on the transportation of hazardous goods will be prepared; 18.5. safety awareness of teachers and students, including fire, water and household safety, will be increased; 18.6. The ability to conduct, on the basis of the risk-based selection, work environment-related inspection of the work space will be increased with the aim of reducing the probability of work accidents; 18.7. Academic and recreational facilities of educational establishments will be brought into compliance with health, occupational safety and fire safety requirements as well as the building norms (legal acts, standards and instructions for construction). 19. Public awareness of the right course of action in emergencies will be increased For this purpose: 19.1. An Internet environment will be launched, designed to help and instruct people, consisting of information on potential threats and instructions for behaviour in different emergencies, including fire, traffic accidents and other emergencies; 19.2. The measures for public protection will be improved, among other things by specifying the tasks of state authorities in educating the public in order to raise public awareness of the specific threats in the living environment, and the sustainable course of action in emergencies; 19.3. The activities of the organisers of social advertisements in the field of safety will be co-ordinated in order to increase their effect on target groups; 19.4. Public awareness of the course of action on bodies of water, handling of explosives found and ascertainment of threats conditioned by negligence, as well as the related preventive measures will be enhanced. A SAFER STATE 20. The state has the capability to reliably identify the people residing in Estonia. For this purpose: 20.1. Digital fingerprint information will be entered in travel documents; 20.2. identification and identification document-related databases will be harmonised with Personal status and identification procedures, with the options for cross-usage of the data being increased; 20.3. The options for use of personal identification documents will be expanded with the purpose of insuring their wider use. 21. Possibilities for illegal immigration and illegal stay in Estonia will be reduced For this purpose: 21.1. The measures for preventing, combating and discovering illegal immigration will be enhanced; 21.2. The accession of Estonia to the EU standardised Visa Information System (VIS) and the second-generation Schengen Information System (SISII) will be ensured; 21.3. The efficiency of the capacity for visual identification of marine surveillance system marks in heavy shipping traffic areas, and exchange of marine information with the competent agencies will be enhanced; 21.4. The land section of the external border, as well as the lake and river border will be developed; 21.5. The guarding of the land section of the external border with the help of technical surveillance systems and the use of modern technology for conducting border control will be increased. 22. Prevention and combating of intelligence and subversive activities targeted against the Republic of Estonia will be enhanced For this purpose: 22.1. Collection of information will be improved, and international co-operation enhanced for gathering data on the activities of special services hostile to the security of the Estonian state and for taking the appropriate counter-measures; 22.2. The awareness on the part of the subjects of scientific and industrial espionage of possible espionage activities will be increased; 22.3. The legislative basis will be established, making mandatory the electronic registration and preservation of the personal information on passengers who are departing to or arriving from EU member states in airports, passengers who are travelling through ports and railways that conduct customs and border procedures, and customers of accommodation establishments, as well as ensure electronic access by law enforcement authorities. 22.4. The country’s cyber security-related capacities will be developed, and the internal security and defence authorities’ co-operation with other interested parties and individuals with the corresponding competence improved. 23. The effectiveness of prevention and combating of acts of terror, including The prevention of attacks against persons protected by the state, will be enhanced For this purpose: 23.1. The security of objects with high risk of a physical attack will be raised; 23.2. The efficiency of security measures will be analysed on a regular basis; 23.3. The personal protection of individuals facing high risk of attack and the security of national events and state visits will be improved; 23.4. Security activities will be transformed into a set of information-based activities which are based on professional co-operation with various associated organisations; 23.5. The automatic fugitive and vehicle identification system will be developed; 23.6. The capacity for discovering radiation sources on the internal borders and in major ports will be developed; 23.7. The inspection of goods in ports and on ships will be made more effective. 24. The functioning of vital fields in case of accidents and emergency situations will be secured For this purpose, the required legislative base will be established. FASTER EMERGENCY AID 25. The time between suspicion of a threat and combating of the threat or elimination of the violation will be reduced For this purpose: 25.1. Self-initiative-based volunteer activities will be developed with the aim of implementing primary measures for alleviating the consequences before the arrival of professionals; 25.2. Standards will be established for police emergency response and standard emergency response priorities; 25.3. Sea patrol will be improved and the procurement of new multifunctional (patrol, marine rescue, pollution control, etc.) ships continues; 25.4. Public awareness of the 112 emergency phone number will be increased; 25.5. Emergency call response and emergency squad dispatch speed will be increased and the skills of forwarding emergency notices improved; 25.6. The capacity of rescue squads to independently conduct smoke-diving and rescue work in case of road accidents, accidents involving hazardous substances, and accidents higher than the 3rd floor will be increased; 25.7. The capacities for fighting the consequences of extensive forest fires, extensive coastal spills and combustible liquid fires will be improved; 25.8. The 24-hour national capacities for conducting aerial patrol, search and rescue, pollution surveillance, patient transportation and emergency flight operations will be increased, and brought into compliance with international requirements; 25.9. Implementation of additional fire detection equipment (in addition to autonomous fire alarm sensors) and the related awareness will be increased. ENHANCED SECURITY POLICY 26. Formation and implementation of the security policy will be enhanced 26.1. The causes of public offences, and the efficiency of the measures applied for prevention of public offences will be analysed, with the corresponding developments in the area co-ordinated and strategic planning carried out accordingly; 26.2. In enhancing internal security capacities, special attention will be paid on the areas material to the state’s integrity and national security, such as Ida-Viru County and local governments near the border; 26.3. A general legal act will be established in the field of crisis management, organising the entire legislative basis for crisis management; 26.4. The analyses of public threats and planning of preventive measures will be enhanced on local government territory; 26.5. The Defence League will be involved to a greater extent in guaranteeing internal security; 26.6. All internal security agencies will be connected to the two-way radio communication system; 26.7. All forms of proceedings (criminal, misdemeanour, administrative and civil proceedings) will be integrated with the E-Toimik (E-File) environment and services; 26.8. Volunteers and the non-profit sector will be involved in law enforcement, both in prevention of threats to the public order and alleviation of the consequences of major accidents; 26.9. The organisation of the psychological defence of the Estonian people will be developed, involving the measures for providing emotional comfort in case of major accidents and emergency situations and states of emergency, as well as measures required for creating and maintaining a bond of trust between the victims and their families and the state representatives, and for avoiding panic; 26.10. The organisation of the internal security will be developed in accordance with the changes and new risks in the operating environment as well as the need to increase cost efficiency. 26.11. The best opportunities will be created for training law enforcement, criminal police and other internal security officials in the Estonian Public Service Academy. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MAIN GUIDELINES OF THE SECURITY POLICY 27. Implementation of the common principles of the main guidelines of the security policy as well as attainment of the objectives is supervised by the Ministry of the Interior. 28. The ministries will involve as many local governments, companies, social and other organisations and volunteers as possible in implementation of the main guidelines of the security policy. 29. Every year by March 1, the Government of the Republic, represented by the Minister of the Interior, shall address the Riigikogu on the state of law enforcement affairs in the country, as well as implementation of the main guidelines of the security policy on the basis of the internal security development plan. 30. Implementation of the common principles of the main guidelines of the security policy as well as development and long-term planning of the law enforcement measures and development of activities necessary for attaining the objectives requires the preparation of an internal security development plan in co-operation between the public sector, non-profit sector and the private sector as well as the internal security council, with its implementation being based on the country’s financial-economic resources. 31. The ministries responsible for attainment of the objectives of the main guidelines of the security policy and implementation of the internal security development plan activities must include these in the development plans for their jurisdiction and the development plans for state agencies within the jurisdiction of the ministry. The Ministry of the Interior shall prepare a summarised overview of the planning-related activities, and inform the Government of the Republic on a regular basis thereof.
[1]The dominant type of criminal offence or selection of object identified on the basis of the analyses |
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