Estonia - Employment and social affairs

Short-term priorities:

• drafting a national employment strategy;
• supporting the social partners' capacity-building efforts to develop and implement the acquis;
• adopting a new labour code and the employment services act;
• implementing the occupational health and safety act and developing enforcement structures.

Assessment (November 2000)

Progress has been made with the adoption of the employment services act, the implementation of the occupational health and safety act and the adoption of a national employment strategy. However, progress in adopting the new labour code remains limited.

Assessment (November 2001)

These priorities have been partly achieved.

Assessment (October 2002)

The staff of the local employment services will undergo training.

Assessment (November 2003)

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

Medium-term priorities:

• setting up of appropriate labour market structures and joint review of employment policies with a view to participating in European coordination;
• aligning labour law and legislation on health and safety at work and setting up monitoring structures; in particular, the speedy adoption of the framework Directive on the health and safety of workers;
• applying the principle of equal opportunities for men and women;
• continuing to develop active, autonomous social dialogue;
• continuing to develop the social protection system;
• efforts to align the public health system with European standards.

Assessment (October 1999)

Estonia has adopted the framework legislation on health and safety at work, enabling the implementation of the acquis in this area. The Economic and Social Council has been set up. It reinforces the social dialogue, which, at present, is not very highly developed.

Assessment (November 2000)

There has been no progress in this priority area.

Assessment (November 2001)

The priorities have been partly achieved. Work must continue in certain areas, such as health and safety at work.

Assessment (October 2002)

No progress has been made in terms of equal treatment for men and women. Anti-discrimination legislation has yet to be adopted.

A ten-year public health action programme was adopted in June 2002.

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) 1746Not 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