Foreword

The principal aim of the OECD Environmental Performance Review programme is to help member and selected partner countries improve their individual and collective performance in environmental management by:

  • helping individual governments assess progress in achieving their environmental goals

  • promoting continuous policy dialogue and peer learning

  • stimulating greater accountability from governments towards each other and public opinion.

This report reviews Estonia’s environmental performance since 2000 for data and since 2005 for policies. Progress in achieving domestic objectives and international commitments provides the basis for assessing the country’s environmental performance. Such objectives and commitments may be broad aims, qualitative goals or quantitative targets. A distinction is made between intentions, actions and results. Assessment of environmental performance is also placed within the context of Estonia’s historical environmental record, present state of the environment, physical endowment in natural resources, economic conditions and demographic trends.

The OECD is grateful to the government of Estonia for its co-operation in providing information, for the organisation of the review mission to Tallinn (18-22 January 2016) and for facilitating contacts both inside and outside government institutions.

Thanks are also due to the representatives of the two examining countries, Herman Huisman (the Netherlands) and Riikka Aaltonen (Finland).

The authors of this report are Kathleen Dominique, Alexandria Hastings, Eugene Mazur and Alexa Piccolo from the OECD Environment Directorate, Katrin Pihor and Mari Rell of Praxis Centre for Policy Studies, and Tony Zamparutti of Milieu Ltd. Nathalie Girouard and Eugene Mazur provided oversight and guidance. Mauro Migotto provided statistical support; Jennifer Humbert provided editorial and administrative support; and Mark Foss copy-edited the report. Preparation of this report also benefited from comments from Nils Axel Braathen from the OECD Environment Directorate, Caroline Klein, Andres Fuentes and Paul O’Brien from the OECD Economics Department, Johanna Arlinghaus from the OECD Centre for Tax Policy, and others members of the OECD Secretariat, including the Trade and Agriculture Directorate and the Development Co-operation Directorate.

The OECD Working Party on Environmental Performance discussed the draft Environmental Performance Review of Estonia at its meeting on 7 November 2016 in Paris, and approved the Assessment and Recommendations.