Legislation

Here are the Acts translated by Estonian Legal Language Centre.

For some Acts eupractice's overview of Estonian legal framework offers a more detailed overview.

Legal Acts can also be searched for Electronic State Gazette (Riigi Teataja in Estonian). Currently only introduction is in English and the browsing has to be done in Estonian.

• Digital Signatures Act - Approved on 8 March 2000, the Digital Signatures Act (DSA) entered into force on 15 December 2000. It gives the digital and handwritten signatures equal legal value and sets an obligation for all public institutions to accept digitally signed documents. See a more detailed overview at Public Key Infrastructure.
• Personal Data Protection Act - The Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) was passed by Parliament in June 1996 and entered into force on 19 July 1996. A new version entered into force in January 1, 2008 that has not been translated yet. The Act protects the fundamental rights and freedoms of persons with respect to the processing of their personal data and in accordance with the right of individuals to obtain freely any information that is disseminated for public use. Since 2008 personal data is divided into two categories, namely "personal data" and “sensitive personal data” as the sub-class under special protection. For clarity purposes, the definition of “personal data” has been specified in the draft Act, stating that the protection of personal data shall extend to all forms of data, including audio and graphic data as well as biometric data. Data protection is supervised by the Data Protection Inspectorate.
• Archives Act -  The Arcives Act entered into force on May 1, 1998. The Act sets the principles for collecting, evaluating, archiving, preserving, accessing of archival documents and for the activities of archives.
• Official Statistics Act - The Official Statistics Act took effect on July 17, 1997. This Act establishes legal grounds for the methodical and systematic regulation of state statistical observations.
• Public Procurement Act - The new Public Procurement Act of Estonia came into force in May 2007, thus transposing the EU Directives on public procurement (2004/17/EC and 2004/18/EC). It includes legal provisions enabling the further development of eProcurement (eAuctions, dynamic purchasing system, eCatalogues etc.) so as to give better opportunities for taking forward a fully electronic Procurement tendering process.
• Electronic Communications Act - The Electronic Communications Act was passed on 8 December 2004 and entered into force on 1 January 2005. It implements the EU Regulatory Framework for Electronic Communications. The purpose of this Act is to create the necessary conditions to promote the development of electronic communications networks and communications services while ensuring the protection of the interests of users of such services.
• Public Information Act - The Public Information Act (PIA) was approved in November 2000 and took effect in January 2001. A new version entered into force in January 1, 2008 that has not been translated yet. The goal of the law is to guarantee the free access public information. Act covers state and local agencies, legal persons in public law and private entities that are conducting public duties including educational, health care, social or other public services. Any person may make a request for information and the holder of information must respond within five working days. Requests for information are registered. Since January 1, 2008 the Act also regulates the field of former Databases Act (in force from 1997 to 2007). The Act sets out the general principles for the creation and maintenance of databases and monitoring of databases management. The Act also covers the provisions of the EU Directive 2003/98/EC on the re-use of public sector information (PSI). Estonia has thus notified full transposition of the PSI-directive.
• Management System of State Information System -  This Regulation entered into force on March 8, 2008.
• System of security measures for information systems -  This Regulation entered into force on January 1, 2008.
• Address Data System -  This Regulation entered into force on January 1, 2008.
• Consumer Protection Act - This Act entered into force on 15 April 2004. This Acts regulates the offering and sale, or marketing in any other manner, of goods or services to consumers by traders, determines the rights of consumers as the purchasers or users of goods or services, and provides for the organisation and supervision of consumer protection and liability for violations of this Act.
• Information Society Services Act - The Information Society Services Act entered into force on 1 May 2004. This Act implements EU Directive 2000/31/EC on certain legal aspects of information society services, in particular electronic commerce, in the Internal Market. It establishes the requirements pertaining to information society service providers, organisation of supervision and liability in case of violation of the requirements.
• National Broadcasting Act - The National Broadcasting Act entered into force on 1 June 2007. This Act provides the legal status, objective, functions, financing, and organisation of management and activities of Estonian National Broadcasting.
• Copyright Act - This Act entered into force on 12 December 1992. The purpose of the Copyright Act is to ensure the consistent development of culture and protection of cultural achievements, the development of copyright-based industries and international trade, and to create favourable conditions for authors, performers, producers of phonograms, broadcasting organisations, producers of first fixations of films, makers of databases and other persons specified in this Act for the creation and use of works and other cultural achievements.
• Cable Distribution Act - The Cable Distribution Act entered into force on 20 July 2001. The purpose of this Act is to create conditions for the provision of cable distribution services and for the protection of consumer rights.
• State Liability Act - This Act entered into force on 1 January 2002. This Act provides the bases of and procedure for the protection and restoration of rights violated upon the exercise of powers of public authority and performance of other public duties and compensation for damage caused (state liability).