Together with our partners, our main objective is to ensure that stockpiles and security of supply are sufficient to ensure that the people of Estonia can cope in a crisis.
The main partners of the Estonian Stockpiling Agency are
- The government sector – the Government Office, ministries and agencies, institutions organising critical services
- Local governments and their associations – Association of Estonian Cities and Rural Municipalities
- The business sector – providers of critical services, manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers, and buyers of critical goods, sectoral associations and unions
- International organisations – other countries’ stockpiling agencies and government institutions, security of supply organisations, the International Energy Agency, European Commission institutions
The external environment affecting us
The highly uncertain global situation and the growing threat from Russia require us to act swiftly and be prepared for long-term crises. Russia’s warfare, sanctions, and hybrid activities have increased, and will continue to increase, risks to supply chains and security of supply.
Tackling cyber threats also requires additional investment in IT security. The impact of climate change on supply chains and on the security of food and drinking water supplies cannot be underestimated.
Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, which affects agricultural yields and can also lead to the spread of various animal diseases. The volatile economic environment and public budget cuts are putting constraints on resource use and we need to find smart solutions and move away from stockpiling towards security of supply solutions.
There is also concern that crisis preparedness of the society remains low and that few households have the recommended seven days’ supply, which could trigger panic buying in the event of a threat, creating further tensions in the supply chain. With this in mind, we have focused our activities against risks, we use the assets entrusted to us efficiently and we are committed to finding and implementing solutions with the whole team and in cooperation with our partners.
Main security of supply risks we need to be prepared for
- Supply chain disruptions (production, including availability of raw materials, logistics, storing, retail sale, consumption, pricing, compliance, etc.)
- Interruptions to critical services (dependencies on electricity, communications, fuel, good condition of roads, water, etc.)
- Attacks against infrastructure, equipment, and people, including military attack
Our challenges in the next few years
- We are developing an organisation that is a role model for Estonian businesses in terms of good governance, social responsibility, and high business culture. We value principles of responsible corporate governance and sustainability.
- We will shape the Estonian Stockpiling Agency into an organisation that is a centre of excellence for security of supply, creating solutions and being valued by its partners, providing advice and support to institutions and businesses, and within its competences, a trusted partner in international cooperation.
- We will ensure the implementation of resilience and protection measures that take into account the specificities of the stockpile areas, and advise and support our partners in this.
- We will ensure the fulfilment of the national defence tasks of the Estonian Stockpiling Agency and invest in the crisis resilience of the business and the crisis training of our people.
- We are investing in cyber security and bringing the Estonian Stockpiling Agency in line with the Estonian information security standard.
- We are ready to react quickly to market changes in managing the liquid fuel stockpile and are a reliable partner in national and international cooperation networks. We will build the infrastructure needed to store aviation fuel in Estonia. We will ensure rapid access to fuel for first responders and provide the public with information on the locations of resilient gas stations. We will create a picture of how liquid fuel logistics work in times of crisis and offer solutions for businesses and institutions to organise this.
- In order to ensure security of natural gas supply, we are ready to make use of the Port of Pakrineeme at any time, in cooperation with the gas network operator. We will illustrate the current situation of commercial supplies and domestic biogas production capacities.
- In terms of healthcare stockpile, we will support the development of domestic manufacturing capacity through our expertise to better ensure security of supply for critical medicines. We will contribute to the resilience of general pharmacies in times of crisis.
- To ensure access to food and essential goods in a crisis, we will establish a nationwide network of 110 generator-equipped crisis stores by 2026 to ensure access to food, essential goods and cash in the event of power outages and other crises. We plan to illustrate the situation of commercial food stockpiles and ensure food security of supply by increasing raw material stockpiles, managing the necessary stockpile of veterinary medicines and supporting the resilience and security of supply of domestic production capacity.
Last updated: 25.03.2025
