“The need for reorganisation was mostly due to the complexity of the structure of the ministry’s area of governance and the fact that it wasn’t cost-effective,” explained Minister of the Environment Jaanus Tamkivi. “We’re currently represented by a number of different agencies in each county, and people don’t know which one they’re meant to approach if they have questions or problems. So we sat down with experts and analysed the way we’re structured, and that’s why we felt it necessary to propose that our environmental services and the SNCC be merged.”
The Radiation Centre, another agency under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Environment, will also be included in the merger, which will now bring all functions related to the issuance of environmental permits under one roof. This will make consulting with the authorities on environmental matters much easier for citizens to understand and much more efficient.
The minister says that the changes are principally about restructuring the ministry’s area of governance which, through its environmental services, covers such areas as earth, air, water and waste management and the organisation of fish resources and nature conservation.
The administrative changes to the agencies under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Environment will not affect the strategic objectives of the state’s environmental policy, which are designated in cooperation with a range of experts and approved by the Riigikogu (the Estonian parliament). The basis for the operations of the ministry and its agencies will remain the objectives, measures and indicators set out in the long-term environmental strategy document Estonian Environmental Strategy 2030 after the changes have been implemented.
Based on the draft, the ministry’s agencies are planned to be merged on 1 January 2009. The Riigikogu will have the final word on amendments to the law related to the merger.
For further information please contact: Brita Merisalu (10.10.2008)
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