Until the end of 2029, Estonia will have access to €812 million in European Union cohesion policy funds, of which the government has decided to allocate €200 million toward the defense sector in the coming years. The Ministry of the Interior proposes using part of that EU funding for the construction of shelters and designated shelter areas.

"Fifteen percent of these funds, which are not yet contractually committed, may be reallocated according to the European Commission," said Minister of the Interior Igor Taro (Eesti 200). "And the question now is how much of that can be redirected toward national defense purposes. You can't use it to buy weapons or ammunition, but you can definitely consider using it to support things like shelter options — either adapting existing spaces or creating new shelters. These are issues that could be addressed with this funding. But this is still under discussion and no decision has been made yet."

A large share of the unused EU funds is tied to apartment building renovations. According to Taro, the most sensible approach in the future would be to include a dedicated section in renovation grant applications specifically for establishing shelter areas — similar to how applications now include components for insulation or solar panel installation.

"The simplest solution would be to add a dedicated section to the application form," Taro explained. "The main reason a housing association would pursue this funding is, of course, to renovate and improve their building. But if there's also the opportunity to get additional support to adapt a shelter space, then it's easiest to just include a few extra fields in the form — fill them in and add the needs for the shelter plan."

Tallinn Mayor Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE) said that issues related to civil protection are primarily the responsibility of local governments. The capital city aims to convert the basements of half of its apartment buildings into shelter spaces by 2030.

"We've reduced the amount of funding going toward apartment building façades because it makes more sense for the state to handle renovation subsidies while local governments focus on other matters," said Ossinovski. "Starting this summer, the City of Tallinn will begin supporting housing associations in converting basements into shelter areas. Our message — and we've demonstrated this with a model shelter — is that these are not excessively costly projects. Even with around €10,000, it's possible to prepare a functional basement."

All ministries are expected to submit their proposals for directing EU funds toward the defense sector by Thursday.

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