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Constitution
International conventions
Environmental legislation
Environmental Strategy
Environmental Action Plan
Eurointegration
Chapter I, General Provisisons, 5. The
natural wealth and resources of Estonia are
national assets, which shall be used
economically.
Chapter II, Fundamental Rights, Liberties and
Duties, 53. Every person shall be obligated
to reserve the human and natural environment
and to compensate for damages caused by him
or her to the environment. Procedures for
compensation shall be established by law.
Since the publication of the Brundtland Report in
1987, the concept of sustainable development has
become widely accepted. Following to this in
several countries the concept of security was
enlarged and non-military factors such as social
and environmental issues were included. In 1986
A. Westing published overview volume “Global
Resources and International Conflicts:
Environmental Factors in Strategic Policy and
Action” which describes many important securityrelevant environmental and resources issues.
The term of ecological resource was introduced
in connection with development of environmental
monitoring ideologies. Specific character of the
components of the natural environment, their
integration (holocoenose) and intergated impact
of human induced deviations in natural
processes, multiple response of natural systems to
human impact and economic importance of
monitoring activities required to use different
from traditional approaches.
Estonia participates in regional and
global environmental activities mainly
through the participation in and
implementation of requirements of
relevant environmental convention.
26 environmental conventions are in
force for Estonia
Estonia has developed bilateral co-operation
with its neighbours as well as with other
couuntries.
Estonia has signed 31 bi- and trilateral
agreements in the field of environmental
protection in general and specific fields of
environmental protection, fisheries as well in
other areas under the “umbrella” of the
Ministry of the Environment
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HORIZONTAL LEGAL ACTS:
-Pollution Charge Act
-Environmental Monitoring Act
-Environmental Supervision Act
-Act on Sustainable Development
WASTE:
-Waste Act
-Packaging Act
-Statute of the National Packaging Register
-Approval of the List Specifying the Field of Activity Requiring
a Waste Permit for Generation of Waste and the Related Limit
Values for Production Volumes and Waste -Volumes
-Approval of the List of Products which Cause Damage to the
Environment as Waste and whose Production, Import, Export,
Sale and Use is Prohibited
-Act on the Amendment of the Waste Act
-Approval of the Lists of Waste Categories, Waste Types and
Hazardous Waste
-Application of Section 36 of the Waste Act in Issuing a Waste
Permit
-Chemicals Act
FOREST:
-Forest Act
-Law on Hunting Management
-Establishment of Special Conditions for the Import, Export
and Transit Traffic of Selected Goods
NATURE PROTECTION:
-Law on the Protection and Use of Wilde Fauna
-Establishment of the Rates of and Procedure for
Compensating for Damage Caused to Natural Flora and
Fauna
-Law on Protected Natural Objects
- On Approval of the Procedure of Drawing up Management
Plans
RADIATION:
-Radiation Act
-Procedure for Issuing Licenses for Activities Involving
Radiation
-Statute of Maintenance of the National Dose Register of
Radiation Workers; Procedure for Certifying Radiation
Workers and for Issuing Certificates
AIR:
-Ambient Air Protection Act
WATER:
-Water Act
• In 1997 and in 2005, the Estonian
Government adopted the National
Environmental Strategy, which identifies
environmental problems facing Estonia,
establishes short-term and long-term
objectives and goals. The NES is based on
principles of sustainable development.
The following environmental problems were
identified:
Pollution of ambient air, which has an adverse
impact on human health, ecosystems and
buildings;
Past pollution caused by military and
industrial sites, which contaminated soil,
surface water and damaged landscapes;
Decrease in water resources due to irrational
use of ground water supplies;
Irrational use, pollution and eutrophication of
water bodies, decrease in biodiversity, including
regeneration of fish stock, deterioration of aquqtic
fauna and water quality;
Increase in environmental pollution caused by
waste as well as increase in areas contaminated by
waste, unregulated waste management, including
hazardous waste management;
Hazard to biological and landscape diversity,
including econetwork, reserves, species and sites, as
a result of changes in economic activities and land
ownership;
Insufficient complience of built environment sound
to principles of sustainable development and public
health requirements.
• 1. INTRODUCTION AND PRINCIPLES
• On 12 March 1997 (2005) the Parliament
of the Estonian Republic approved the
first National Environmental Strategy for
Estonia (NES). The NES has set out ten
priority goals for environmental policy
and identified short, medium and longterm objectives/targets to be achieved by
2000, 2005 and 2010 respectively.
The ten priority goals are:
1.Stimulation of Environmental Awareness and
environmentally friendly consumption patterns; 2.Promotion
of Clean Technologies; 3.Reduction of environmental impacts
of Energy Sector; 4.Improvement of Air Quality including
reduction of transport emissions; 5.Improvement of Waste
Management, reduction of waste generation, stimulation of
recycling; 6.Clean-up of Past Pollution; 7.Sustainable Use of
Groundwater Resources; 8.Surface Water Protection and
rational use of water bodies; 9.Preservation of Landscape
and Biodiversity; 10.Modification of Built Environment in
line with human needs and environmental health
requirements.
• Estonia became a member of the European
Union in 2004. For that purpose it was
necessary to align our national laws in order to
give effect to the entire body of EU law
contained in the so-called acquis
communautaire.
In 1998 the Guide to the Approximation of
European Union Environemental Legislation
has been published in which an overview of
all environmental law of the European Union
has been given and so-called "road map" to
the approximation of environmental
legislation offered.
Environmental acquis consists of the following parts:
- horizontal legislation
- air quality
- waste management
- water quality
- nature protection
- industrial pollution control and risk management
- chemicals and genetically modified organisms
- noise from vehicles and machinery
- nuclear safety and radiation protection.
In 1998 four chapters were added to the acquis: climate
change, civil protection, policy and international cooperation.
• The limits of environmental space in Estonia
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Estonia Europe Env.space
Goal
• CO2 emission 14.9t/pc 7.3 1.7
-89%
• Fossil fuels
147 GJ 100 25
-83
• Bioenergy
8 GJ
7 +338
+15
• Timber
1.00 m3 0.66 -44
-44
• Water
1332 m3 768 -40
-25
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Energy
Forests
Radiation victims
Past military pollution
Greenhouse gas emission
GMO’s
• Energy sector is controlled by state owned
enterprises. Energy production gives
approximately 4.3% of the national product.
• At the same time energy sector is the largest
user of natural resources, the largest
employee and the largest polluter including
emissions and wastes.
• ESTONIAN FORESTS ARE AMONG THE
LEAST DAMAGED FORESTS OF EUROPE
• Although Estonia occupies the second last
place among the 19 states concerning which
WWF conducted its overview concerning the
state of forests, results of the 1998 forests
monitoring program indicate that Estonian
forests are among the least damaged in the
whole of Europe.
In the WWF scorecard, Estonia is mainly
criticized for the high level of forest
pollution. While the average score given to
European states concerning environmental
pollution was 45 points, Estonia only
reached five points which indicates as if the
Estonian forests were nine times more
polluted than forests of the industrial
countries of Europe.
• More than 4000 people in Estonia are
registered as radiation victims, 22% of them
have no health incurance.
8%
7%
9%
<500
6%
500-1000
1000-1500
1500-2000
24%
33%
2000-3000
3000-4000
13%
>4000
Only 6% of Tchernobyl
clean-up workers have
incom higher than
average
100%
Number of married veterans
is equal before and after the
clean-up works.
80%
60%
lahutatud
40%
vabaabielu
vallalisi
20%
abielus
0%
Enne
Peale
Number of divorces is 4 times
higher after the radiation
damage
• The number of Soviet (Russian) military sites
in Estonia was 1565 (87,000 hectares, i.e.
1.9% of the territory). Foreign troops were
withdrawn from Estonia on August 31, 1994,
however, the damage and pollution caused
by the Soviet Army remains for long. The
estimated clean up costs of the damage
caused by Soviet Army to the environment in
Estonia are 60 billion Estonian kroons, i.e.
approximately 5 billion USD.