The Finnish government has proposed a ban on municipalities selling water supply facilities to private investors, citing concerns about security of supply, Bloomberg reports.
Under a revised proposal announced on Thursday by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, municipalities will be required to maintain full ownership of all water treatment plants. This measure reverses an earlier proposal that would have permitted the sale of minority stakes in such facilities.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Sari Essayah said that there is a “strong political will” to eliminate the current option for municipalities to reduce their ownership. The proposal will now need to be approved by the Finnish parliament to become law.
The ministry’s action is part of Finland’s broader push to enhance the security of supply and protect critical infrastructure. The government is actively considering other measures, such as the potential confiscation of real estate holdings that could pose a threat to national security.
The focus on infrastructure security is also heightened by recent incidents of damage to undersea cables. Over the past 15 months, Finland has experienced three cases of cable damage caused by ship anchors. The most recent incident in December is currently being investigated as aggravated criminal mischief and aggravated interference of communications. These incidents have further underscored the need to safeguard critical infrastructure from potential threats.
