Estonia

1. LEGAL GAZETTE

1.1. Overview

Riigi Teataja — RT
State Gazette
Published by:
Riigikantselei
(State Chancellery)
Stenbock House,
Rahukohtu 3 — 15161 Tallinn
Estonia
Tel. +372 6935862
Fax +372 6935864
E-mail: rt@riigikantselei.ee
Website: http://www.riigiteataja.ee

Official journal/ legal gazette	There are distinct official publications for primary/secondary legislation (Riigi Teataja) and for official notices and announcements (Ametlikud Teadaanded); see point 1.2 for details.
First edition	27 November 1918 Publication was discontinued in August 1940. On 20 September 1944 an issue of Riigi Teataja was published by the government led by Otto Tief. The publication of Riigi Teataja was continued on 2 July 1990.
First online edition	The electronic Riigi Teataja — eRT was published for the first time online in January 1997 (official since 1 June 2002).

Paper edition	Online edition	CD/DVD edition
Riigi Teataja (RT) The paper edition print run is very small: only about 50 copies are printed. *Price* Part I: EEK 3 300 (EUR 211) All four parts: EEK 11 700 (EUR 748) *Legally binding*	http://www.riigiteataja.ee Available texts HTML from 1990 Access and price Free *Legally binding*	No CD/DVD edition

Annex 1 - Comparative table 1a: Types, media and financing

1.2. Details on the legal gazette in general

Content	Part I: Legislation of the Parliament (Riigikogu), the President of the Republic and the Government of the Republic Part II: International agreements and other legislation and notices concerning foreign relations Part III: Decisions of the Supreme Court The Appendix to the State Gazette: regulations of ministers, the President of the Bank of Estonia and the National Electoral Committee; resolutions and directives of the President of the Republic, orders of the government of the Republic and the prime minister, resolutions of the Board of the Bank of Estonia and directives of ministers; overviews of the Chancellor of Justice, the Auditor General; annual reports of the Bank of Estonia; the budget, activity report and audited annual report of the Estonian Health Insurance Fund, etc.
Legal basis	The Riigi Teataja Act (20 January 1999)
Legally binding	The paper and electronic editions are both legally binding (the electronic edition since June 2002).
Financing	The online Riigi Teataja is financed solely from the state budget, whereas paper edition costs are covered by subscription revenues.
Other gazettes	Ametlikud Teadaanded (Official notices) is an official publication issued by the Ministry of Justice and published exclusively in electronic form on the Internet. It contains official notices and announcements. Texts of notices which need to be published in Riigi Teataja on the basis of provisions in formal laws provided for in Acts regulating only the corresponding area are published in Ametlikud Teadaanded. Local government regulations submitted for publication are published in the electronic Riigi Teataja (‘Local government legislation’ section).

Annex 1 - Comparative table 1a: Types, media and financing

1.3. Details on the online edition

http://www.riigiteataja.ee
See also points 1.1 and 3.2

Functionalities	Download Hyperlinks to other related acts Currently no notification system is available for users; an internal notification system is used in the extranet section of the system.
Format description	HTML (PDF, JPG and GIF for images, maps and tables in annexes)
Authenticity	Since June 2002 the paper and the electronic editions have been equally authentic. The Thawte web server certificate based on the HTTPS protocol is used to guarantee the workflow and authentication procedures of the electronically published text.
Archiving	There is no legal provision for archiving the electronic edition, but the State Chancellery is responsible for archiving.

Annex 1 - Comparative table 3: Online access to legislation

1.4. Details on the publishing institution

Riigikantselei
(State Chancellery)
For contact details, please refer to point 1.1

Form and nature	Government department
Basic tasks	Pre-press: yes Printing: no (printing is done by a private subcontractor) Dissemination/distribution: no Legal gazette online: yes Legislation database: yes Consolidation: yes

Annex 1 - Comparative table 1b: Publishing institutions

1.5. Drafting and publishing procedures

Text processing system	There is no special text processing system. The Java editor in the extranet module of the secured system of eRT legal texts (including the consolidated versions) allows for submitting texts for publication. The same system is used for primary and secondary legislation.
Workflow	Transmission is done only electronically. There is no single integrated electronic system for drafting, adopting and publishing. Legal acts and documents are submitted for publishing via the electronic module (extranet) in the eRT system (no documents on paper are accepted for publication).
Publishing	Proofreading and editing are carried out during the drafting process by the respective bodies. The State Chancellery is responsible for editing the electronic edition in the RT while the RT department inserts all the necessary links, enforcement details and similar data. Full texts are published on the same day they are submitted; other documents within 3 to 10 working days. The paper and electronic editions are derived from the same final text file, but the electronic edition is published earlier.

2. COLLECTIONS OF CONSOLIDATED LEGISLATION

eRT (Elektrooniline Riigi Teataja)
http://www.riigiteataja.ee
See point 3.2.1

Body carrying out consolidation	Riigikantselei
Content	Consolidated legislation
Status of the consolidated texts	Official collection
Deadline for consolidation	Amendments to the online edition are made before the amending act is published. Therefore, the consolidated text is published electronically simultaneously with the amendment or together with the amending act when it comes into force.

Annex 1 - Comparative table 2: Systematic consolidation

3. LEGISLATIVE PORTALS AND ONLINE DATABASES

3.1. Official portals

For the time being, no official portal is available.

3.2. Official databases

1. Justiitsministeerium

(Ministry of Justice)
http://www.legaltext.ee/en/andmebaas/ava.asp?m=022
http://www.just.ee/23295

Organisation responsible	Justiitsministeerium (Ministry of Justice)
Content	Estonian laws, regulations and treaties that have so far been translated into English/Russian. The translations are unofficial and not updated.
Access	Free of charge

2. eRT (Elektrooniline Riigi Teataja)

http://www.riigiteataja.ee
See also point 1.3

Organisation responsible	Riigikantselei
Content	The eRT contains the original version and the consolidated texts of the following legislation: acts; decrees of the President of the Republic; regulations and orders of the Government of the Republic; regulations of ministers; regulations of the President of the Bank of Estonia; regulations of the National Electoral Committee. Publication of consolidated legislation started in 2002 for the electronic state gazette.
Access	Free of charge
Access via N-Lex (see Annex 2)	N-Lex provides access to the eRT system: to the original and to the consolidated versions of the system.

Annex 1 - Comparative table 3: Online access to legislation

3.3. Additional information: other commonly used legal databases

Estlex
http://www.estlex.com
(AS Andmevara, private company owned by the Ministry of the Interior)

ESTONIA

1. LEGAL GAZETTE

1.1. Overview

1.2. Details on the legal gazette in general

1.3. Details on the online edition

1.4. Details on the publishing institution

1.5. Drafting and publishing procedures

2. COLLECTIONS OF CONSOLIDATED LEGISLATION

3. LEGISLATIVE PORTALS AND ONLINE DATABASES

3.1. Official portals

3.2. Official databases

1. Justiitsministeerium

2. eRT (Elektrooniline Riigi Teataja)

3.3. Additional information: other commonly used legal databases

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