Estonia - Environment

Short-term priorities:

• continued transposition of framework legislation;
• establishment of detailed approximation programmes and implementation strategies related to individual acts;
• planning and initial implementation of these programmes and strategies.

Assessment (October 1999)

These priorities have been partially met.

Estonia has continued to move ahead with its transposition of framework Directives, particularly in sectors such as air, waste and chemicals. Efforts are still needed on industrial risk management, nature protection and genetically modified organisms. Administrative capacity to implement and enforce legislation needs to be reinforced, especially at local level.

Assessment (November 2000)

Progress has been made in transposing legislation in the areas of water management and waste management, air pollution and industries. Limited progress has been made in the area of nature protection. Legislation on environment impact assessment has been adopted. Further efforts must be made in drawing up plans for financing investment.

Assessment (November 2001)

Transposition and implementation of the legislation on environmental impact assessment and transposition of the directives on water management, waste management, air pollution, nature protection and industries have continued. Efforts now need to focus on enforcement and on drawing up plans for financing investment.

Assessment (October 2002)

Transposition of the acquis is largely complete, though its implementation is not. Further efforts are required in relation to the landfill of waste, the discharge of dangerous substances in the aquatic environment and nitrate pollution from agricultural sources.

Assessment (November 2003)

Please refer to the fact sheets on the adoption of the Community acquis.

Medium-term priorities:

• development of monitoring and implementation control structures and capacities;
• on-going planning and implementation of approximation programmes related to individual legal acts;
• particular emphasis on the water and waste sectors, including radioactive waste, and atmospheric pollution;
• environmental protection requirements and the need for sustainable development need to be integrated into the definition and implementation of national sectoral plans.

Assessment (October 1999)

Estonia has adopted framework legislation in the areas of water, waste and atmospheric pollution.

Assessment (November 2000)

There has been no progress regarding this priority.

Assessment (November 2001)

Estonia has made some progress with implementing the legislation. There is a need to strengthen the administration, particularly at local level. The environment has been taken into account when defining other policies.

Assessment (October 2002)

Administrative capacity has been strengthened to some extent, particularly at regional and local level. Integration of the environment into other sectoral policies has continued.

Assessment (November 2003)

Please refer to the fact sheets on the adoption of the Community acquis.

Following the signing of the Accession Treaty on 16 April 2003, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia acceded to the European Union on 1 May 2004.

REFERENCES

Decision 98/264/EC of 30.03.1998Official Journal L 121 of 23.04.1998

Decision 1999/855/EC of 6.12.1999Official Journal L 335 of 28.12.1999

Commission opinion COM(97) 2006 finalNot published in the Official Journal

Commission Report COM(98) 705 finalNot published in the Official Journal

Commission Report COM(1999) 504 finalNot published in the Official Journal

Commission Report COM(2000) 704 finalNot published in the Official Journal

Commission Report COM(2001) 700 final - SEC(2001) 1747Not published in the Official Journal

Commission Report COM(2002) 700 final - SEC(2002) 1403Not published in the Official Journal

Commission Report COM(2003) 675 final - SEC(2003) 1201Not published in the Official Journal

Treaty of Accession to the European Union [Official Journal L 236, 23.09.2003]

Last updated: 19.11.2004