On 5 March 2020, the Government appointed a parliamentary committee to examine the development of general conscription and the fulfilment of national defence obligations. The framework conditions for the report by the Conscription Committee were that the development must produce operational added value for military national defence and support the strengthening of the will to defend the country and the equality of citizens. The Committee submitted its report on 26 November 2021, proposing extension of the call-up system to the entire age group.
Committee described in its report objectives that provide grounds for development and decision-making
The Committee recognised that the conscription system’s future is challenged by shrinking age groups and functional limitations that may prevent one from starting or completing military service. To stop this development, the Committee saw that we need to improve cooperation between different authorities to improve young people’s wellbeing and functional capacity. The Defence Forces will also assess the fitness for military service classification, which would allow military service with certain health limitations.
Young people’s knowledge of national defence should be boosted at school and through the call-up system. The Committee would like to strengthen the reservist period and have it included in the national defence obligation. The system of non-military service would be linked more closely with the comprehensive security concept while taking into account the nature of non-military service based on conviction. The Committee saw that women should be given the opportunity to do non-military service on a voluntary basis.
From the perspective of military defence, the system is well suited for its purpose of producing reserves to defend the entire country. The will to defend the country is high and the support for the system is strong. The Committee’s proposals would further strengthen the operating conditions of military national defence.
Some of the objectives can be achieved fast and within the administrative branch, whereas a number of objectives require more extensive analysis and preparation. Even without legislative amendments, the number of those starting military service can be increased by developing the assessment of fitness for service and by introducing new service duties, for example. Voluntary service can attract more women through targeted and active communications. In addition, the number of drop-outs can be reduced by developing the initial questionnaire and the selection system for those starting the service in order to match them with the most suitable tasks.
Development measures requiring legislative changes have also already been carried out. For example, the new Act on Voluntary Military Service for Women entered into force on 1 June 2022. The application for voluntary military service for women was brought forward by about six weeks. Thanks to the change, the selection events of women can be arranged at the same time as call-up events. Health examinations related to selection events were thus brought to the same rhythm as men’s.
Call-up working group proposed joint defence day and advance health checks for entire age group
On 1 September 2022, The Ministry of Defence appointed a working group tasked with further investigating and planning the extension of call-ups to the entire age group. The work was a follow-up to the report of the Parliamentary Committee.
The call-up working group submitted its final report on 31 January 2024 proposing a defence day for all 17-year-olds in educational institutions. During the defence day, young people would be given information on defence, conscription and comprehensive security. The aim would be to increase young men's awareness of the obligations related to the call-up age and young women's awareness of the possibility to apply for military service.
The actual call-ups, mandatory for men liable for military service and voluntary for women applying for voluntary service, would take place after the defence day and health checks. What is new is the proposal to combine call-ups and selection events for women's voluntary military service into a single joint event for both men and women.
Additionally, the working group proposed that uniform health checks be organised for the entire age group in student health care regardless of gender. The reform would combine the preliminary health check of the Defence Forces and the health checks by student health care so that both the young person's ability to pursue studies and the assessment of fitness for military service would be taken into account.
Carried out in student health care, health checks would be more likely to reach all call-up candidates and their quality would improve when carried out in an environment where young persons are known. The model would include an electronic health survey carried out in the first year of study, electronically received feedback and health checks carried out by a nurse and a physician. The assessment of fitness for military service would be submitted electronically to the Defence Forces. Based on the findings of the health checks, students could be referred to necessary forms of support.