COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2025 Rule of Law Report Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Estonia Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2025 Rule of Law Report The rule of law situation in the European Union
Date: 2025-07-08
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: Estonia, administrative transparency, corruption, democracy, freedom of the press, human rights, independence of the judiciary, pluralism in the media, rule of law, whistleblowing

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Strasbourg, 8.7.2025  SWD(2025) 906 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2025 Rule of Law Report               Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Estonia Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2025 Rule of Law Report                 The rule of law situation in the European Union {COM(2025) 900 final} - {SWD(2025) 901 final} - {SWD(2025) 902 final} - {SWD(2025) 903 final} - {SWD(2025) 904 final} - {SWD(2025) 905 final} - {SWD(2025) 907 final} - {SWD(2025) 908 final} - {SWD(2025) 909 final} - {SWD(2025) 910 final} - {SWD(2025) 911 final} - {SWD(2025) 912 final} - {SWD(2025) 913 final} - {SWD(2025) 914 final} - {SWD(2025) 915 final} - {SWD(2025) 916 final} - {SWD(2025) 917 final} - {SWD(2025) 918 final} - {SWD(2025) 919 final} - {SWD(2025) 920 final} - {SWD(2025) 921 final} - {SWD(2025) 922 final} - {SWD(2025) 923 final} - {SWD(2025) 924 final} - {SWD(2025) 925 final} - {SWD(2025) 926 final} - {SWD(2025) 927 final} - {SWD(2025) 928 final} - {SWD(2025) 929 final} - {SWD(2025) 930 final} - {SWD(2025) 931 final}  
 
 
ABSTRACT 

The level of digitalisation of the justice system in Estonia remains among the highest in the 
EU, with further steps triggered to digitalise criminal proceedings. A reform of  the Council 
for the Administration of Courts has been launched. A reform to merge all courts of the same 
instance  is  being  prepared.  The  high  workload  of  the  judiciary  remains  a  challenge  and 
confirmed budget cuts could amplify it. A draft law envisages a new increase in court fees for 
certain  procedures,  including  for  business-related  matters.  The  courts  generally  perform 
efficiently,  though  there  have  been  slight  increases  in  disposition  time  in  civil  and 
commercial litigious cases. Several draft laws aiming to improve the efficiency of justice in 
the areas of criminal, civil and commercial law are being discussed. 

The implementation of the 2021-2025 Anti-Corruption Action Plan is on track and the next 
strategic framework is being prepared. Measures were introduced to foster the investigation 
and  prosecution  of  financial  crime,  with  an  impact  on  corruption.  The  Government  is 
expected  to  approve  the  reform  of  the  political  party  financing  framework.  All  political 
parties  in  Parliament  agreed  on  a  framework  on  lobbying  in  Parliament  and  the  rules  for 
lobbying  for  the  Government  are  being  assessed.  Rules  on  revolving  doors  at  high-level 
positions  are  also  subject  to  a  debate.  New  legislation  on  whistleblower  protection  and 
existing rules of conflicts of interests are being implemented. A number of high-risk areas for 
corruption are being addressed by the authorities. 

The  national  media  regulator  maintains  its  independence  and  its  staff  has  increased.  The 
Government is working towards enhancing the long-term financial stability and independence 
of public service media through legislative reforms, but implementation of the overall budget 
cuts represents a growing challenge. Legislative reforms to strengthen media regulation and 
address national security concerns, while also seeking to further advance transparency, are in 
preparation. Efforts to ensure a consistent and effective implementation and enforcement of 
the  right  of  access  to  information  are  being  made.  The  framework  for  the  protection  of 
journalists remains favourable. 

There has been no more recourse to procedures allowing substantial delays to the legislative 
process,  following  a decision on the constitutionality  of this approach. A reflection process 
by the Government has identified areas for further improvement in the consultation process 
for legislation. The financial autonomy of the Chancellor of Justice  and  the National  Audit 
Office  has  been  strengthened.  An  amendment  to  the  Auditing  Activities  Act  is  easing 
reporting obligations for civil society organisations. 

1 

 
 
 
 
RECOMMENDATIONS 

Overall,  concerning  the  recommendations  in  the  2024  Rule  of  Law  Report,  Estonia  has 
(made): 

•  Some progress on continuing the efforts to reform the Council for the Administration of 

Courts, taking into account European Standards on councils for the judiciary. 

•  Some  further  progress  on  advancing  with  the  efforts  to  ensure  consistent  and  effective 
implementation  of  the  right  of  access  to  information  taking  into  account  European 
standards on access to official documents. 

•  Fully  implemented  the  recommendation  to  ensure  effective  public  consultation  in  the 

context of the legislative process. 

On this basis, and considering other developments that took place in the period of reference, 
it is recommended to Estonia to: 

•  Continue  the  ongoing  efforts  to  reform  the  Council  for  the  Administration  of  Courts, 

taking into account European standards on Councils for the Judiciary.  

•  Further  advance  with  efforts  to  ensure  consistent  and  effective  implementation  of  the 
right of access to information taking into account European standards on access to official 
documents. 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
I. 

JUSTICE SYSTEM1  

Independence  

The level of perceived judicial independence in Estonia is now average among both the 
general  public  and  companies.  Overall,  59%  of  the  general  population  and  47%  of 
companies perceive the level of independence of courts and judges to be ‘fairly or very good’ 
in  20252.  The  perceived  judicial  independence  among  the  general  public  has  significantly 
decreased in comparison with 2024 (67%) and has decreased in comparison with 2021 (66%). 
The  perceived  judicial  independence  among  companies  has  also  significantly  decreased  in 
comparison with 2024 (58%), as well as in comparison with 2021 (57%).  

Some  progress  has  been  made  with  the  launch  of  the  reform  of  the  Council  for  the 
Administration of Courts3. On 10 October 2024, the Government approved the legislative 
intent4  to  reform  the  Courts  Act  and  to  transfer  powers  from  the  Ministry  of  Justice  and 
Digital  Affairs  to  the  Council  for  the  Administration  of  Courts,  to  make  the  Council  a 
permanent body, and to  amend its composition5. The draft law proposed the future Council 
would be made up of 11 members, including five peer-elected judges and at least two active 
politicians6.  The  draft  law  is  being  discussed  in  the  Parliament  including  as  regards  the 
composition  of  the  Council.  Therefore,  the  final  composition  of  the  Council  is  yet  to  be 
decided. Further steps in the process will be determined in autumn 2025. The reform process 
provides  an  opportunity  for  further  improvements  taking  into  account  European  standards, 
which recommend that at least half the members of the Council should be judges chosen by 
their  peers,  and  that  there  are  no  active  politicians  with  the  right  to  vote  in  such  councils7. 
Given  the  efforts  made  to  advance  the  reform,  some  progress  has  been  made  on  this 
recommendation.  

1   An overview of the institutional framework for all four pillars can be found here.  
2   Figures 51 and 53, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard and Figures 49 and 51, 2023 EU Justice Scoreboard. The 
level  of  perceived  judicial  independence  is  categorised  as  follows:  very  low  (below  30%  of  respondents 
perceive judicial independence as fairly good and very good); low (between 30-39%), average (between 40-
59%), high (between 60-75%), very high (above 75%). 

3   The 2024 Rule of Law Report recommended Estonia to ‘[c]ontinue the efforts to reform the Council for the 
Administration of Courts, taking into account European Standards on councils for the judiciary’, 2024 Rule 
of Law Report, Estonia, p. 2. 

4   Legislative intent is the initial step for drafting legislation and it serves as a pre-consultation process on the 
problem  identification, purpose  of  the  policy,  compatibility  with  existing  laws  and  the general  idea  of  the 
draft amendments that are about to be drafted. 
5   Estonian Government (2025), written input, p. 3. 
6   Five  peer-elected  judges  from  first  and  second  instance  courts;  two  members  of  Parliament;  one  member 
either  the  Minister  of  Justice  and  Digital  Affairs  or  an  elected  representative;  one  member  elected  by  the 
Estonian Bar Association; one member either the Chancellor of Justice or an elected representative; and the 
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who would be an ex officio member. Country visit Estonia, Ministry of 
Justice and Digital Affairs, Supreme Court, Estonian Judges Association. The Venice Commission clarified 
since  2020  that  ex  officio  Council  members  do  not  count  as  part  of  the  peer-elected  judges,  see  Venice 
Commission (2020), para. 44, also referenced in Venice Commission (2023), para. 47. 

7   Committee  of  Ministers  (2010),  paras.  26-29,  which  recommends  that  “Not  less  than  half  the  members  of 
such  councils  should  be  judges  chosen  by  their  peers  from  all  levels  of  the  judiciary and  with  respect  for 
pluralism inside the judiciary”. See also CCJE (2021), p. 4, B. b): “prospective members, whether judges or 
not, […] should not be active politicians or members of the executive or the legislature;” 

3 

 
 
 
Quality  

A  reform  to  merge  all  courts  of  the  same  instance  is  being  prepared.  The  Ministry  of 
Justice and Digital Affairs is preparing a legislative proposal to merge all courts of the same 
instance8. The idea originated from a working group under the Chief Justice of the Supreme 
Court.  The  goal  is  to  distribute  the  workload  among  the  different  courts  more  evenly  and 
increase  specialisation  with  fewer  management  posts9.  At  the  same  time,  rationalisation  of 
resources  also  means  that  certain  courthouses  are  being  closed.  On  6  December  2024,  the 
Council for Administration of Courts gave its consent to the Minister of Justice and Digital 
Affairs to change the geographical location of courthouses. In 2025, the Tartu District Court's 
Võru  courthouse  merged  Võru  and  Põlva  buildings  and  Pärnu  District  Court’s  Rüütli 
courthouse was closed10.  

The level of digitalisation of the justice system remains among the highest in the EU and 
further  developments  in  the  digitalisation  of  criminal  proceedings  have  been  initiated. 
In 2024, the process of full digitalisation of the criminal proceedings started. The goal is to 
allow the entire process, from the police to the court, to be conducted entirely in digital form. 
The first roll-out is ongoing and concerns only minor criminal cases (fast-track procedure)11. 
The  justice  system  remains  among  the  most  advanced  in  using  digital  technology  in  courts 
and  prosecution  services  and  offering  a  variety  of  digital  solutions  to  conduct  and  follow 
court proceedings. These include the use of distributed ledger technologies (blockchain) both 
in the courts and prosecution services for storing data and registers12. 

The  new  draft  law,  which  aimed  to  unfreeze  the  indexation  of  judges’  salaries  was 
withdrawn. On 16 September 2024, a draft law was tabled to amend the law on Salaries of 
the  Higher  State  Servants  Act13.  As  reported  in  2024,  in  2023  Parliament  adopted 
amendments  that  cut  in  half  the  indexation  of  salaries  for  most  civil  servants  and  froze  the 
indexation for the next four years14. These amendments entered into force on 15 March 2024 
and  will  remain  in  force  until  31  March  2028,  when  the  previous  method  of  calculating 
salaries  will  be  restored.  A  group  of  judges  has  challenged  the  constitutionality  of  this 
amendment15.  While  the  decision  on  the  constitutionality  is  pending,  the  Government 

8   Estonian Government (2025a), written input, p. 11. 
9   Country visit Estonia, Supreme Court. 
10   The Pärnu District Court's Pärnu courthouse buildings at different addresses in the same city will be merged. 
Additionally, the Pärnu courthouse of the Tallinn Administrative Court will be closed from 30 June 2025. 
Estonian Government (2025), written input, p. 5. See also Civil Liberties Union for Europe (2025), written 
input, pp. 6-7. Country visit Estonia, Supreme Court, Estonian Judges Association, and Ministry of Justice 
and Digital Affairs. It is noted that according to the Court of Justice of the EU, the transfers without consent 
of  a  judge  to  another  court,  or  between  two  divisions  of  the  same  court  are  potentially  capable  of 
undermining  the  principles  of  the  irremovability  of  judges  and  judicial  independence.  Judgment  of  the 
CJEU,  Case  C-487/19, W.Z., para. 114.  According to the Council of Europe standards  a judge should not 
receive  a  new  appointment  or  be  moved  to  another  judicial  office  without  consent,  except  in  cases  of 
disciplinary sanctions or reform of the organisation of the judicial system. The decision for a transfer should 
also  be  open  to  judicial  review.  See  Committee  of  Ministers  (2010),  para.  52.  See  also  Judgment  of  the 
ECtHR, (Application no. 1571/07), Bilgen v. Turkey, paras 63 and 96. 

11   Estonian Government (2025), p. 5. 
12   Figures 44 to 48, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard.  
13   Estonian Government (2025), written input, p. 4. Supreme Court (2025), written input, p. 9.  Civil Liberties 

Union for Europe (2025), written input, pp. 7-8. 

14   2024 Rule of Law Report, Estonia, p. 6. 
15   Supreme Court (2025), written input, p. 9. 

4 

 
 
 
proposed a draft law which would unfreeze the indexation for judges only,  but for now this 
draft law has been withdrawn.16.  

Initiatives  to  increase  the  attractiveness  of  the  judicial  profession  are  ongoing,  while 
high  workload  remains  a  challenge,  and  confirmed  budget  cuts  could  amplify  it.  As 
mentioned in the 2024 Rule of Law Report, the high workload of judges has been identified 
as  a  source  of  concern.  Both  the  judicial  representatives  and  the  Ministry  of  Justice  and 
Digital  Affairs  found  that  certain  procedural  provisions17,  in  combination  with  increasing 
caseload  and  retirement  forecasts,  are  among  the  main  causes  of  this  high  workload18.  The 
authorities are undertaking several initiatives to recruit personnel for the justice system19. In 
the next five years, 53 out of 261 judges will be eligible for retirement20. This situation could 
be exacerbated by further budget cuts over the next 3 years intended to address the economic 
situation  in  the  country  and  to  reallocate  budget  for  defence21.  The  budget  of  the  justice 
system, as in the entire public sector, will be cut by 10% in total22. Some stakeholders argue 
that  to  achieve  this  result  without  disrupting  the  output  of  the  justice  system,  further 
courthouses would need to be closed or merged, or support staff in courts would have to be 
reduced23.  

A  draft  law,  which  envisaged  a  new  increase  of  fees  for  certain  court  procedures, 
including for business-related matters has been put on hold for further analysis. On 16 
September 2024, a draft law amending the State Fees Act was submitted to the Government. 
The  draft  law  would  increase  court  fees  based  on  the  value  of  the  claim  in  the  business 
register, the commercial pledge  register, the ship mortgage  register, the land register  24, the 
register  of  non-profit  associations  and  foundations25,  and  civil  proceedings26.  Stakeholders 
have explained that the increase of fees is necessary as the previous increase from 2022 has 
not fully taken account of the economic situation in the country27. In June 2025, the draft law 

16   Country  visit  Estonia,  Estonian  Judges  Association,  Supreme  Court  and  Ministry  of  Justice  and  Digital 
Affairs.  According  to  European  standards,  judges’  remuneration  should  be  commensurate  with  their 
profession and responsibilities and be sufficient to shield them from inducement aimed at influencing their 
decisions.  Committee  of  Ministers  (2010),  para.  54,  and  CJEU,  C-64/16,  para.  45,  and  Joined  Cases 
C-146/23,  paras.  62,  71-75.  When  a  Member  State  adopts  budgetary  restriction  measures  affecting  its 
officials  and  public  servants,  it  may  decide  to  apply  those  measures  also  to  national  judges,  while  the 
preservation  of  judicial  independence  requires  that  the  level  of  remuneration  of  judges  is  always 
commensurate with the importance of the functions they carry out. 

17   These include clarifying the provisions regarding the replacement of a defence attorney and expanding the 

possibilities for judicial discussion in situations where the accused is absent from court. 

18   2024 Rule of Law Report, Estonia, pp. 6-7. 
19   Estonian Government (2025a), written input,  p. 11. Circuit Courts offer training programmes for clerks to 
become judges; envisaged legislation would ease the restrictions on judges’ professional activities, making 
the profession more attractive; introducing feedback from higher courts judges to lower court judges.  

20   Civil Liberties Union for Europe (2025), written input, pp. 7-8. 
21   Country visit Estonia, Supreme Court, and Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs. 
22   More precisely, 5% in 2025, 3% in 2026, and 2% in 2027. Estonian Government (2025), written input, p. 3. 
23   Country  visit  Estonia,  Supreme  Court.  See  also  Committee  of  Ministers  (2010),  para.  54,  and  CJEU,  C-

64/16, para. 45, and CJEU, case Joined Cases C-146/23, paras. 62, 71-75. 

24   State  fees  for  entries  in  the  land  register,  commercial  pledge  register,  and  ship  mortgage  register  will 

increase by an average of 56%. 

25   State fees for registration activities will increase by 25-50%. 
26   State  fees  based  on  the  value  of  the  claim  would  increase  by  an  average  of  18%.  Estonian  Government 

(2025), written input, p. 4. 

27   Country visit, Supreme Court, Estonian Bar Association, Estonian Judges Association.  

5 

 
 
 
has been paused for additional analysis. It is recalled that any party to a case may challenge 
court fee rates before the Constitutional Review Chamber of the Supreme Court28.  

Efficiency 

The  courts  generally  perform  efficiently  while  there  are  slight  increases  in  disposition 
time in civil and commercial litigious cases. According to the 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard, 
the length of proceedings in disposition time in 2023 continues to be among the shortest in 
the EU, despite some slight increases in the area of civil and litigious cases29. For 2024, the 
average  length  of  proceedings  in  days  for  civil  cases  is  similar  as  in  previous  years30.  In 
criminal  cases the length of proceedings also  remained stable31. In the first  instance courts, 
the length of administrative procedures decreased, close to the level of 202232. The number of 
pending cases is low, and compared to 2023, the clearance rate remained stable at 100%; this 
means that courts continue to be able to cope with incoming cases33.  

Discussions  are  ongoing  for  several  draft  laws  aiming  to  improve  efficiency,  with  a 
possible  positive  effect  on  business-related  proceedings.  On  14  January  2025,  the 
Parliament  tabled  amendments  to  the  Criminal  Procedure  Code  to  optimise  court 
proceedings34.  Similar  legislation  to  make  the  use  of  procedural  resources  in  civil  and 
administrative  proceedings  more  efficient  is  also  being  prepared35.  The  Ministry  of  Justice 
and Digital Affairs has been preparing the drafts for approval by the Government. 

II. 

ANTI-CORRUPTION FRAMEWORK  

The  perception  among  experts,  citizens  and  business  executives  is  that  the  level  of 
corruption in the public sector remains relatively low. In the 2024 Corruption Perceptions 
Index  by  Transparency  International,  Estonia  scores  76/100  and  ranks  7th  in  the  European 
Union  and  13th  globally36.  This  perception  has  been  relatively  stable  over  the  past  five 
years37.  The  2025  Special  Eurobarometer  on  Corruption  shows  that  49%  of  respondents 
consider corruption widespread in their country (EU average 69%) and 25% of respondents 
feel  personally  affected  by  corruption  in  their  daily  lives  (EU  average  30%).  As  regards 
businesses, 32% of companies consider that corruption is widespread (EU average 63%) and 
9%  consider  that  corruption  is  a  problem  when  doing  business  (EU  average  35%). 

28   See Art. 15, para 1, second sentence and Art. 152 of the Constitution. 
29   2025 EU Justice Scoreboard, Figures 6-10 and 16-23. 
30   For 2024, 123 days on average; for 2023, 108 days on average; for 2022, 102 days on average. 
31   For  2024,  298  days  in  general  criminal  proceedings,  47  days  in  simplified  proceedings  and  43  days  in 
misdemeanour cases; for 2023 310 days in general criminal proceedings, 34 days in simplified proceedings 
and  44  days  in  misdemeanour  cases;  for  2022,  245  days  in  general  criminal  proceedings,  33  days  in 
simplified proceedings, and 44 days in misdemeanour cases.  
32   For 2024, 153 days; for 2023, 162 days; for 2022, 149 days.  
33   Figures 11-16, 2024 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
34   See footnote 20 for more detailed information on the concrete measures that are tabled. 
35   Estonian  Government  (2025a),  written  input,  p.  11.  See  also,  Civil  Liberties  Union  for  Europe  (2025), 

written input, pp. 8-9. 

36   Transparency International, Corruption Perceptions Index 2024 (2025). The level of perceived corruption is 
categorized  as  follows:  low  (the  perception  among  experts  and  business  executives  of  public  sector 
corruption scores above 79); relatively low (scores between 79-60), relatively high (scores between 59-50), 
high (scores below 50). 

37   In 2020 the score was 75, while, in 2024, the score is 76. The score significantly increases/decreases when it 
changes  more  than  five  points;  improves/deteriorates  (changes  between  4-5  points);  is  relatively  stable 
(changes from 1-3 points) in the last five years. 

6 

 
 
 
Furthermore, 38% of respondents find that there are enough successful prosecutions to deter 
people  from  corrupt  practices  (EU  average  36%),  while  49%  of  companies  believe  that 
people  and  businesses  caught  for  bribing  a  senior  official  are  appropriately  punished  (EU 
average 33%)38. 

The implementation of the 2021–2025 Anti-Corruption Action Plan is on track and the 
next  strategic  framework  is  being  prepared.  While  the  report  on  the  monitoring  of  the 
implementation  of  the  Anti-Corruption  Action  Plan  2021–2025  is  expected  for  the  first 
quarter  of  2025,  the  initial  conclusions  are  positive39.  In  parallel,  the  next  Action  Plan 
expected  before  summer  2026  is  being  prepared  and  consultations  with  governmental  and 
non-governmental  stakeholders  are  under  way.  The  timeframe  of  the  new  strategic 
framework is expected to be shortened from five to three years. Some of the expected target 
areas are corruption investigations in the private sector, regulation of lobbying in Parliament, 
revision of the Anti-Corruption Act, as well as fighting corruption in the municipalities40. 

A  number  of  measures  were  introduced  to  foster  investigation  and  prosecution  of 
financial  crime,  including  corruption.  In  2024,  a  number  of  corruption  cases  were 
investigated  and  prosecuted41,  while  (as  in  2023)  there  were  no  cases  regarding  foreign 
bribery  or  in  relation  to  cooperation  with  the  EPPO42.  In  2024,  the  District  Prosecutor’s 
Office for Economic Crime and Corruption was established at the Prosecutor’s Office43. As 
of 30 January 2025, the Office employs 45 staff members, including 22 district prosecutors 
and 11 deputy prosecutors and consists of three departments44. According to the authorities, 
the creation of the district service dedicated to fighting economic crime, including corruption, 
led  to  better  streamlining  of  activities,  ensuring  consistency  and  easier  access  to  tools, 
including training45. In 2024, the Ministry of Interior published a report on how to improve 
the  effectiveness  of  investigation  and  prosecution  of  financial  crimes,  including  corruption. 
The report includes recommendations regarding mainly initiatives of a horizontal procedural 
nature,  such  as  enhancing  the  functioning  of  the  freezing  and  confiscation  system,  that  are 
expected to have an impact also on corruption cases. On 7 February 2025 the Supreme Court 
upheld the decision of the Tallinn Circuit Court of March 2024, which convicted a political 
party, its former secretary general and a businessman of trading in influence. In another case, 
a member of the same political party was convicted for embezzlement and fraud for offences 
committed  while  serving  as  Minister  of  Education  and  Research.  Another  high-level 
corruption case pending before the court is related to the local municipality in Tartu.  

38   Data from Special Eurobarometer 561 (2025) and Flash Eurobarometer 557 (2025).  
39   According to the OECD criteria, Estonia scores 5 out of 7 on the coverage of strategic framework and 56 out 

of 100 on implementation of activities (both beyond the EU average). 

40   Estonian Parliament (2025), written input, and Country visit Estonia, Ministry of Justice. 
41   In 2024, nine cases of passive bribery were registered while in six cases statements of charges was sent to 
the court. 14 cases of active bribery were registered while in six cases statements of charges was sent to the 
court.  One  case  of  influence peddling  was  registered  while  no  statement of  charges  was  sent  to  the  court. 
Two cases of arranging of receipt of gratitudes were registered while in two cases statements of charges was 
sent to the court. Estonian Government (2025), written input. 

42   EPPO (2025), Annual report, -p. 27. 
43   The  Prosecutor’s Office  role includes leading pre-trial criminal proceedings, ensuring their lawfulness and 
effectiveness, representing the public prosecution in court, and participating in the planning of surveillance 
activities required for the prevention and detection of criminal offences. 

44   Estonian Government (2025), written input. 
45   Country visit Estonia, Prosecutor’s Office. 

7 

 
 
 
Some  legislative  initiatives  are  ongoing  with  the  aim  of  improving  the  prosecution  of 
criminal  cases,  including  corruption  cases.  Efforts  are  being  made  to  address  the 
procedural  challenges linked to  the length of court proceedings in  criminal  cases, including 
those related to corruption. The aim is to make the processing of criminal cases in court faster 
and  more  cost-effective.  The  draft  also  addresses  delaying  manoeuvres  by  defendants  in 
criminal  cases.  The  draft  law  was  approved  by  the  Government  in  January  2025  and  has 
undergone the first reading in the Parliament. The draft amendments to the Anti-Corruption 
Act46 submitted in May 2024 remain under consideration in Parliament47. The reform of the 
Police and Border Guard Act48 for a more efficient approach to the prevention of corruption 
is ongoing while there is no clear timeline for its adoption49.  

The authorities report a good implementation of the rules on conflicts of interest. This 
implementation continues to be carried out through the anti-corruption contact points in every 
Ministry in view of supporting the ministers and their advisors in getting acquainted with the 
relevant  standards50.  It  includes  the  compulsory  e-training  and  the  raising  of  awareness 
among ministers and political advisers51. According to the authorities52, those rules helped to 
establish  a  common  practice  in  view  of  corruption  prevention,  which  varied  in  different 
institutions before they were introduced.  

All  political  parties  in  Parliament  agreed  to  establish  a  framework  on  lobbying  in 
Parliament  and  the  rules  on  lobbying  for  the  Government  are  being  assessed.  In  early 
2025, representatives of all political parties agreed to elaborate a framework for lobbying in 
Parliament. As a result, the Anti-Corruption Select Committee has been discussing possible 
options in view of presenting a draft law, but by June 2025 the timeline for this initiative has 
not yet been set53. The Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs has also submitted a proposal to 
amend the Anti-Corruption Act concerning meetings with tobacco industry lobbyists54. While 
the rules on lobbying for the ministries55 are implemented, the Ministry of Justice and Digital 
Affairs is currently conducting an analysis of the implementation in all the ministries, aiming 
to determine the extent to which it ensures transparency in lobbying activities and to identify 
any necessary future amendments56. 

Rules on revolving doors at high-level positions are subject to a debate.  While rules on 
post-employment  activities  with  a  cooling-off  period57  are  in  place  for  members  of  the 
Government58,  other  holders  of  high-level  public  positions  can  move  to  the  private  sector 
without restrictions. A discussion has therefore started on broadening the scope of application 

46   2024 Rule of Law Report, Estonia, p. 9. 
47   This bill is currently under review by the Constitutional Committee of the Riigikogu. It has been discussed 
in two committee sessions, in October and December 2024. Estonian Government (2025), written input. 

48   2024 Rule of Law Report, Estonia, pp. 9-10. 
49   Estonian Government (2025), written input. 
50   Estonian Government (2021a). 
51   2024 Rule of Law Report, Estonia, p. 11. 
52   Estonian Government (2025), written input. 
53   Country visit Estonia, Anti-Corruption Select Committee. 
54   This amendment would implement Article 5.3 of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on 
Tobacco  Control,  which  requires  parties  to  take  measures  concerning  policymaking  in  health.  Estonian 
Government (2025), written input. 

55   Estonian Government (2021). 
56   Country visit Estonia, Ministry of Justice. 
57   Amendment to the Government of the Republic Act (GRA) adopted on 1 August 2022. 
58   2023 Rule of Law Report, Estonia, pp. 11-12. 

8 

 
 
 
of the existing rules59 but until June 2025 no steps have been taken in this regard60. Specific 
guidelines on revolving doors with instructions on how to mitigate risks are currently being 
developed by the Civil Service Ethics Council and are expected in 202561.  

The new legislation on protecting whisteblowers is being implemented. The new law on 
whistleblower  protection  entered  into  force  on  1  January  202562  and  is  now  being 
implemented.  Under  the  new  law,  every  state  authority  and  local  government  is  competent 
for  receiving  and  handling  reports  and  there  are  no  plans  to  establish  a  central  reporting 
channel63.  The  Transparency  International  Estonia's  Advocacy  and  Legal  Advice  Centre 
(ALAC),  established  in  view  of  providing  advice  to  potential  whistleblowers  under  the 
whistleblowers  law64,  also  provides  advice  to  whistleblowers  reporting  other  cases  of 
misconduct  occurred  in  the  workplace,  falling  outside  the  application  of  the  rules  of 
whistleblowing65.  Since  the  law  as  adopted  did  not  extend  protection  beyond  reports  on 
breaches  relating  to  the  areas  of  EU  law66,  civil  society  raised  the  need  to  extend  the 
protection  also  to  persons  reporting  breaches  of  national  law  and  to  increase  awareness 
raising.  

The  Government  has  approved  the  draft  reform  of  the  political  party  financing 
framework.  The  Government  approved  the  amendments  of  the  Political  Parties  Act67  in 
February 2025 and in March 2025, the first reading of the draft was held in the Parliament. 
The  draft  law  addresses  the  main  shortcomings  of  the  rules  in  place  with  regard  to  the 
political  party  financing  framework.  It  foresees  extending  the  investigative  powers  of  the 
Political  Parties  Financing  Surveillance  Committee,  regulating  the  return  of  prohibited 
donations as well as clarifying financial reporting obligations of political parties68. 

A  number  of  high-risk  areas  for  corruption  are  being  addressed  by  the  authorities. 
Businesses’ attitudes  towards corruption in  the EU show that 17% of companies in  Estonia 
(EU average 25%) think that corruption has prevented them from winning a public tender or 
a public procurement contract in practice in the last three years69. 31% of businesses perceive 
the  level  of  independence  of  the  public  procurement  review  body  (Public  Procurement 

59   A debate on revolving doors and a cooling-off period was triggered following the move of senior Ministry of 

Defence officials to join a private defence company on leaving the Ministry. 

60   Transparency International (2025), written input. 
61   Country visit Estonia, Ministry of Justice.  
62   National  law  transposing  Directive  (EU)  2019/1937  on  the  protection  of  persons  reporting  on  breaches  of 
Union law. In a judgment of 6 March 2025 (Case C-154/23, Commission v Estonia, ECLI:EU:C:2025:148), 
the  Court  of  Justice  found  that  Estonia  had  failed  to  transpose  Directive  by  the  deadline  of  17  December 
2021 and ordered Estonia to pay financial penalties. 

63   Estonian Government (2025), written input. 
64   No  cases  for  whistleblowing  in  the  meaning  of  the  national  legislation  transposing  the  directive.  Estonian 

Government (2025), written input. 

65   The Centre provides general information on the rights and obligations of whistleblowers depending on the 
sector, organisation, nature of the violation, legal framework as well as guidelines on corruption prevention, 
procedures and instructions for reporting of cases. Transparency International (2025), written input. 

66   The  draft  law  reported  on  last  year  envisaged  an  extended  scope,  with  protection  granted  also  to 
whistleblowers who reported violations of the national legislation. 2024 Rule of Law Report, Estonia, p. 13. 
67   Bill:  Political  Party  Act,  Local  Government  Council  Election  Act  and  Credit  Institutions  Act  Amendment 

Act.  

68   Estonian Government (2025a), p. 5. 
69   Flash Eurobarometer 557 on Businesses’ attitudes towards corruption in the EU (2025). This is 8 percentage 

points below the EU average. 

9 

 
 
 
Review Committee) as very or fairly good when it is reviewing public procurement cases70. 
The  Single  Market  and  Competitiveness  Scoreboard  on  access  to  public  procurement  in 
Estonia reports 26% of single bids for 2023 (EU average 29%). In addition to the previously 
identified  areas  of  high-risk  of  corruption71,  in  2024  the  authorities  added  EU  funding, 
energy,  construction,  and  corruption  in  the  private  sector72.  According  to  the  Estonian 
Institute  of  Economic  Research73  corruption  is  not  identified  as  a  serious  obstacle  to 
companies74. Nevertheless, the authorities plan to focus on fighting corruption in the private 
sector  in  the  coming  years75.  Ensuring  transparency  of  management  of  state  assets,  in 
particular  in  relation  to  the  state-owned  companies  and  partially  state-owned  companies, 
remains a current focus of the activities of the Anti-Corruption Select Committee76. In 2024, 
a  number  of  recommendations  stemming  from  an  audit  of  the  National  Audit  Office  was 
formulated  in  relation  to  internal  control  system  of  a  municipality77  and  to  public 
procurement as regards ensuring clarity and transparency were formulated with regard to the 
sales of timber in view of promoting competition78. In June 2025, one audit was ongoing79.  

III.  MEDIA PLURALISM AND MEDIA FREEDOM 

The  regulator  maintains  its  independence  and  its  staff  has  increased.  The  Media 
Pluralism  Monitor  (MPM)  2025  continues  to  report  low  risk  as  for  the  independence  and 
effectiveness  of  the  media  authority  –  the  Consumer  Protection  and  Technical  Regulatory 
Authority,  operating  independently  from  political  and  economic  influences  –  with  no 
evidence of government overreach80. Its human resources have been increased from 12 to 14 
members of staff, primarily for tasks linked to the enforcement of EU sanctions. The national 
media regulator is  able to carry out  its main functions81. However,  as  highlighted by MPM 
2025,  there  are  certain  concerns  regarding  the  financial  resources  of  the  media  regulator, 
subject  to  the  government  financing  decisions  in  light  of  the  enhanced  media  regulator 
responsibilities82. 

The  Government  is  engaged  in  efforts  to  enhance  the  independence  and  financial 
stability of public service media in the long term through legislative reforms, although 
the public service media budget has been affected by public spending constraints.  The 
Government  is  preparing  a  reform  to  strengthen  the  independence  of  the  public  service 

70   Figure 59, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
71   Healthcare, the local government and political party financing, public procurement, obtaining residence and 

work permits. 2024 Rule of Law Report, Estonia, pp. 13-14. 

72   Country visit Estonia, Police and Border Guard. 
73   Estonian Institute of Economic Research (2024). 
74   Statistically, the most common types of corruption in Estonia are bribery, taking bribes, bribe facilitation and 
influence  peddling.  In  addition,  surveys  show  that  the  most  common  situation  in  Estonia,  according  to 
residents  and  businesses,  is  the  use  of  a  company  car  for  personal  purposes.  Estonian  Parliament 
Government (2025), written input. 

75   Country visit Estonia, Ministry of Justice. 
76   Estonian Government (2025), written input. 
77   According to the National Audit Office, the Kohtla-Järve municipality has problems primarily with the key 
elements of the control system  – risk assessment,  transparency of activities and their monitoring. National 
Audit Office (2024)  

78   National Audit Office (2024).  
79   Management and supervision of private entities under the control of the city of Narva. Country visit Estonia, 

National Audit Office. 

80   Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), p. 13. 
81   Country visit Estonia, the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority. 
82   Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), pp. 13-14.  

10 

 
 
 
media. This would guarantee better financial stability of the public service media and address 
the composition of the Public Broadcasting Council, which is responsible for appointing and 
dismissing members of the Management Board of the public service media83. The rules aim 
to protect the public service media against politicisation84. MPM 2025 already notes the high 
credibility  and  political  independence  of  the  management  of  public  service  media85.  The 
corresponding  reform  of  the  Public  Broadcasting  Act  is  still  ongoing,  with  the  aim  for  the 
new rules to  come into force by  autumn 202586. The public service media  budget  has been 
reduced by some 5% as part of general public spending constraints87. While MPM 2025 notes 
low  risk  for  independence  of  public  service  media,  it  highlights  that  cutting  of  the  funding 
poses a threat to the viability of public service media and hinders its ability to fulfil all legal 
obligations88.  There  are  concerns  that  this  will  make  it  more  challenging  for  the  public 
service media to fulfil its statutory tasks at the current level89. The public service media has 
had  to  lay  off  members  of  its  staff  and  end  some  of  its  programmes.  It  considers  a  lack  of 
sufficient funding its biggest challenge at the moment90.  

Legislative  changes  are  being  prepared  to  strengthen  media  regulation  and  address 
national security concerns, while also seeking to improve transparency. The Ministry of 
Culture, also  in  view to implement  the European Media Freedom  Act,  continues to  prepare 
legislative changes aimed at strengthening the independence of the public service media and 
guaranteeing their more robust financial stability91. Large online platforms remain dominant 
in the digital market of Estonia92 and, while the media market is highly concentrated, in the 
assessment of MPM 2025, the market plurality remains the main problematic area for Estonia 
scoring  the  medium-high  risk  band93.  Estonian  law  does  not  provide  for  specific  rules  to 
control  it  on  top  of  general  competition  law94.  The  Government  is  working  on  a  draft  law 
implementing  the  European  Media  Freedom  Act  that  would  address  the  media  market 
concentrations  and  their  impact  on  media  pluralism95.  Information  about  the  ownership  of 
broadcasting  companies,  including  beneficial  owners  of  all  types  of  media  companies,  is 
widely  available96.  A  complaint  mechanism  is  in  place  for  incomplete  or  inaccurate 
information.  However,  there  are  certain  shortcomings  usually  deemed  to  pertain  to 
transparency of foreign media ownership97. 

83   2024 Rule of Law Report, Estonia, pp. 15-16. 
84   Country visit Estonia, Association of Journalists. 
85   Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), p. 23. 
86   Eesti Rahvusringhääling (2024). 
87   Country visit Estonia, Ministry of Culture; Eesti Rahvusringhääling (2024a). 
88   Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), p. 19. 
89   Country visit Estonia, Ministry of Culture, Association of Journalists and Public Service Media. 
90   Country visit Estonia, Public Service Media. 
91   Country visit Estonia, Ministry of Culture; 2024 Rule of Law Report, Estonia, p. 15. 
92   Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), p. 18. 
93   Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), p. 9. 
94   Lauk, E., Oller Alonso, M. & Harro-Loit, H. (2024), p. 111; 2024 Rule of Law Report, Estonia, p. 15. 
95   Country visit Estonia, Ministry of Culture. 
96   Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), p. 36. 
97   Country visit Estonia, Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority and Estonian Association of 

Media Enterprises.  

11 

 
 
 
Some further progress has been made on the recommendation to ensure consistent and 
effective  implementation  of  the  right  of  access  to  information98.  Estonia  has  ratified  the 
Council  of  Europe  Convention  on  Access  to  Official  Documents99.  The  Ministry  of  Justice 
and  Digital  Affairs  has  prepared  an  analysis  regarding  the  implementation  of  the  Public 
Information  Act,  based  on  proposals  from  a  dedicated  working  group100.  The  analysis 
suggests examining the implementation of access restrictions, in addition to adopting clearer 
rules  on  information  management.  Based  on  this  analysis,  the  Ministry  aims  to  prepare  a 
legislative  proposal,  to  be  followed  by  a  public  consultation101.  Implementation  and 
enforcement  of  the  right  of  access  to  information  remains  stable.  In  parallel,  the  baseline 
evaluation report on the Convention implementation of the Council of Europe has found that 
the Public  Information Act  is  mostly  in  line with the Convention102. However, it notes that 
the proactive classification of documents as internal may restrict access to official documents 
and  should  be  revised103.  The  authorities  aim  to  deal  with  the  recommendations  of  the 
Council of Europe in the legislative proposal104. Media stakeholders would welcome changes 
to  make  information  more  available  to  journalists105.  In  the  meantime,  a  greater  amount  of 
public  information  with  unrestricted  access  has  been  made  available  by  public  authorities 
through  an  open  data  portal.  In  addition,  its  reuse  has  been  popularised  with  events, 
hackathons,  public  communications  and  collaborations  with  academia  and  the  private 
sector106.  MPM  2025  notes  the  low  risk  as  for  the  protection  of  right  of  information,  a 
decrease from the last-year’s risk assessed as medium107, however, it highlights that particular 
attention  should  be  paid  to  cases  where  public  authorities  have  unreasonably  refused  to 
provide information to journalists or delayed processing requests for information108. Overall, 
there  has  been  some  further  progress  on  the  recommendation  to  ensure  consistent  and 
effective implementation of the right of access to information. 

The  framework  for  the  protection  of  journalists  remains  favourable.  The  Ministry  of 
Justice  and  Digital  Affairs  has  started  the  process  to  transpose  the  EU’s  Anti-SLAPP 
Directive  into  national  law109.  In  the  meantime,  the  Ministry  of  Culture  and  the  Estonian 
Association  of  Journalists  have  entered  into  an  agreement  designating  the  Association  of 
Journalists as the national contact point for SLAPP issues, responsible for providing advice to 
journalists facing SLAPP cases and raising awareness110. Since the 2024 Rule of Law report, 
no  new  alerts  for  Estonia  have  been  published  on  the  Council  of  Europe’s  Platform  to 

98   The 2024 Rule of Law Report recommended to Estonia to: “[a]dvance with the efforts to ensure consistent 
and effective implementation of the right of access to information taking into account European standards on 
access to official documents”. 

99   The Council  of  Europe  Convention  on  Access  to  Official  Documents (CETS  No.  205), also  known  as 

the Tromsø Convention, entered into force on 1 December 2020. 

100  Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs (2025). 
101  Estonian Government (2025), written input, p. 9. 
102  Council of Europe (2024). 
103  Ibid,  p.  20.  Similarly,  the  Media  Pluralism  Monitor  (2025),  p.  12,  and  Civil  Liberties  Union  for  Europe 

(2025), p. 14-15. 

104  Estonian Government (2025), written input, p. 9. 
105  Country visit Estonia, Association of Journalists and Estonian Association of Media Enterprises. 
106  Estonian Open Data Portal is a comprehensive portal designed to provide unrestricted access to public sector 

data. 

107  2024 Rule of Law Report, Estonia, p. 16. 
108  Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), p. 12. 
109  Estonian Government (2025), written input, p. 9. 
110  Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), p. 11. 

12 

 
 
 
promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists111. One alert was registered on 
the Mapping Media Freedom Platform112, concerning an Estonian news portal targeted by a 
cyber  disinformation  campaign.  The  MPM  2025  highlights  the  increase  in  the  number  of 
attacks against journalists that qualify as SLAPP incidents as for the year 2024113. According 
to  the  MPM  2025,  the  protection  of  freedom  of  expression  is  the  only  area  assessed  as 
medium-low risk in the category of fundamental protection (with other areas scoring low or 
very low risk) due to  a rise in  SLAPP cases and the current  lack of regulatory measures to 
protect journalists from such lawsuits114. 

IV.  OTHER INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES RELATED TO CHECKS AND BALANCES 

There  has  been  no  more  recourse  to  procedures  allowing  substantial  delays  to  the 
legislative process and the recommendation on this issue has been fully implemented115. 
The  frequent  use  of  procedures  leading  to  substantial  delays  in  the  legislative  process  in 
Parliament,  which  prompted  the  Government  to  use  the  accelerated  legislative  workflows 
more  often,  has  subsided116  after  the  Supreme  Court  ruled  that  tying  the  adoption  of 
legislation  to  a  confidence  vote  was  unconstitutional.  The  core  of  the  judgment  was  not 
focused on the substantive issues related to legislation at hand but rather the extensive use of 
procedures  delaying  the  process  that resulted in  barriers for the proper work of Parliament. 
Consequently,  Parliament  adapted  its  practice  both  on  tabling  amendments  and  handling 
them117. The 2024 recommendation has thus been fully implemented. 

A  reflection  process  by  the  Government  has  led  to  identifying  areas  for  further 
improvement in the consultation process  for legislation.  In 2024, the Ministry of Justice 
and  Digital  Affairs  conducted  an  analysis  of  consultation  periods  during  the  preparatory 
phase  of  legislation  and  identified  ensuring  sufficient  time  for  stakeholders  as  an  area  for 
further improvement. The analysis identified the laws linked to the state budget as the most 
difficult  ones  to  ensure  sufficient  time  for  stakeholders’  participation118.  Stakeholders  have 
also identified issues in this respect. For example, the Gender Equality and Equal Treatment 
Commissioner has expressed his concerns about the decline of transparency and engagement 
in the public consultation process of legislative proposals, citing as an example the proposal 
to  merge  Gender  Equality  and  Equal  Treatment  Acts.  The  initial  drafting  of  the  proposal 
included  an  important  consultation  process,  but  in  September  2024  the  process  was 
interrupted, and the drafting was outsourced to a private law firm119. The Ministry of Justice 
and Digital Affairs justified this step by citing critical legal feedback on the initial draft, the 
need 
to  ensure  alignment  with  constitutional  principles  while  avoiding  excessive 
administrative  burdens,  and  the  Ministry’s  overall  workload.  The  Ministry  also  informed 

111  Council of Europe, Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists. 
112  European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (2025). 
113  Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), p. 9. 
114  Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), p. 10. 
115  The 2024 Rule of Law Report recommended Estonia to “[e]nsure effective public consultation in the context 

of the legislative process”, 2024 Rule of Law Report, Estonia, p. 2. 

116  Estonian Government (2025), written input, p. 11. Country visit Estonia, Office of the Chancellor for Justice. 
117  Judgment of the Supreme Court, case 5-24-1/23, Office of the Chancellor for Justice (2025), written input, p. 

17, and Office of the Chancellor for Justice (2024), Annual Report.  

118  Estonian Government (2025), written input, pp. 9-10. 
119  Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner (2025), written input,  pp. 1-2. Country visit Estonia, 

Office of the Chancellor for Justice and Ministry of Justice.  

13 

 
 
 
about plans to resubmit the draft for consultation with all stakeholders120. The Chancellor of 
Justice and other stakeholders criticised short deadlines and some of the procedural rules used 
for  minor  amendments  (i.e.  legislative  intent121  used  for  minor  amendments)122.  The 
Chancellor of Justice has recommended to save time by replacing the ‘legislative intent’ by a 
clearly  worded  small-scale  draft  law  and  explanatory  memorandum  in  cases  where  it  is 
necessary to correct an error in a law or to solve a small issue that has arisen123. 

Less than half of the companies surveyed in Estonia express high levels of confidence in 
the effectiveness of investment protection.  43% of companies are very or fairly confident 
that investments  are protected by law and courts124. The main reason among  companies  for 
their  lack  of  confidence  is  the  difficulty  to  obtain  a  fair  compensation  to  protect  property 
when  something  goes  wrong  (25%)125.  As  regards  authorities  relevant  for  economic 
operators, 37% of companies perceive the level of independence of the national competition 
authority  (the  Competition  Authority)  as  very  or  fairly  good126.  A  number  of  judicial 
mechanisms are in place at the level of the Supreme Court to ensure the implementation of 
administrative  court  judgments,  including  disciplinary  actions  against  the  responsible 
officials, the possibility to quash administrative decisions for continued non-compliance with 
court’s instructions, and the possibility to award direct and consequential damages as well as 
compensation127. 

The financial autonomy of the Chancellor of Justice and the National Audit Office has 
been  strengthened.  As  mentioned  in  the  2024  Rule  of  Law  Report,  the  Government  was 
planning  to  improve  the  financial  autonomy  of  these  two  institutions128.  In  June  2024,  an 
amendment  to  the  state  budget  law,  which  provides  for  such  a  financial  autonomy  of  the 
Chancellor  of  Justice  and  the  National  Audit  Office  entered  into  force.  The  amendment 
allows the two institutions to discuss their budgets directly with Parliament without the need 
for a prior review by the Government. The budgets of the two institutions for 2025 have been 
prepared according to the new procedure129.  

On 1 January 2025, Estonia had 5 leading judgments of the European Court of Human 
Rights  pending  implementation,  an  increase  of  2  compared  to  the previous  year130.  At 

120  Civil Liberties Union for Europe (2025), written input, p. 16. Country visit Estonia, Ministry of Justice and 

Digital Affairs.  

121  Legislative intent is the initial step for drafting legislation and it serves as a pre-consultation process on the 
problem  identification, purpose  of  the  policy,  compatibility  with  existing  laws  and  the general  idea  of  the 
draft amendments that are about to be drafted.  

122  European Civic Forum (2025), written input, pp. 7-8.  
123  Chancellor of Justice (2025), written input, p. 16. 
124  Figure 54, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
125  Figure 55, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 25% of the surveyed investors perceive the difficulty to obtain a fair 
compensation to protect property when something goes wrong as the main reason for the lack of confidence 
in investment protection. 23% and 24% of the surveyed investors perceive the frequent changes in legislation 
or  concerns  about  quality  of  law-making  process,  and  the  quality,  efficiency  or  independence  of  justice, 
respectively, as a reason for the lack of confidence in investment protection.  

126  Figure 60, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
127  Figure 49, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. The data presented reflects exclusively the mechanisms in place at 
the level of the highest administrative jurisdictions; the same or other mechanisms may be in place at lower 
instance administrative courts. 

128  2024 Rule of Law Report, Estonia, p. 18. 
129  Estonian Government (2025), written input, p. 12. Chancellor of Justice (2025), written input, p. 19. Country 

visit Estonia, Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs, Chancellor of Justice and National Audit Office.  

130  For an explanation of the supervision process, see the website of the Council of Europe.  

14 

 
 
 
that  time,  Estonia’s  rate  of  leading  judgments  from  the  past  10  years  that  had  been 
implemented  was  at  74%  (compared  to  85%  in  2024;  26%  remained  pending),  and  the 
average  time  that  the  judgments  had  been  pending  implementation  was  1  years  and  10 
months (compared to 1 years and 5 months in 2024)131. The oldest leading judgment, pending 
implementation for 3 years, concerns the failure to conduct an effective criminal investigation 
into  the  applicant’s  allegations  of  sexual  abuse  by  her  father,  who  had  been  acquitted  in 
domestic criminal proceedings following a breach of the procedural rules in the collection of 
evidence132. As regards the respect of payment deadlines, on 31 December 2024 there was no 
case  awaiting  confirmation  of  payments  (the  same  as  in  2023)133.  On  16  June  2025,  the 
number of leading judgments pending implementation had decreased to 4134.  

An  amendment  to  the  Auditing  Activities  Act  has  eased  the  reporting  obligations  for 
civil society organisations. The civic space in Estonia is considered to be open135. In 2024, 
Parliament began discussions on a draft law easing the reporting obligations for civil society 
organisations by raising the threshold for  mandatory auditing  requirements  for  foundations. 
Previously, any foundation with an annual turnover or asset volume exceeding EUR 15 000 
was required to undergo a mandatory financial review. Under the new law, this threshold will 
increase to EUR 1 million. The law is set to apply retroactively to the financial reports for the 
2024 fiscal  year136. In parallel,  some stakeholders have reported issues  with funding due to 
the public spending cuts137. 

131  All  figures  calculated  by  the  European  Implementation  Network  (EIN)  and  based  on  the  number  of  cases 
that are considered pending at the annual cut-off date of 1 January 2025. EIN (2025), written input, p. 3. 

132  Judgment of the ECtHR, 22597/16, R.B. v. Estonia, pending implementation since 2021.  
133  Council of Europe (2025), p. 156.  
134  Data according to the online database of the Council of Europe (HUDOC). 
135  See  rating  given  by  Civicus,  Estonia.  Ratings  are  on  a  five-category  scale  defined  as:  open,  narrowed, 

obstructed, repressed and closed. 

136  European Civic Forum (2025), written input, p. 5. Civil Liberties Union for Europe (2025), written input, p. 

19. 

137  European  Civic  Forum  (2025),  written  input,  pp.  6-7.  Civil  Society  Europe  (2025),  written  input,  p.  14. 

Country visit Estonia, Human Rights Centre Estonia, Estonian Institute of Human Rights. 

15 

 
 
 
Annex I: List of sources in alphabetical order* 

* The list of contributions received in the context of the consultation for the 2025 Rule of Law report 
can 
https://commission.europa.eu/publications/2025-rule-law-report-targeted-
stakeholder-consultation_en 

found 

be 

at 

Centre  for  Media  Pluralism  and  Media  Freedom  (2025),  Media  Pluralism  Monitor  2025,  Country 
report for Estonia, https://cmpf.eui.eu/projects/media-pluralism-monitor/.  

Civicus, Monitor tracking civic space – Estonia, https://monitor.civicus.org/country/estonia/. 

Civil Liberties Union for Europe (2025), Written contribution for the prepartion of the 2025 Rule of 
Law Report.  

Council of Europe (2020), Convention on Access to Official Documents (CETS No. 205). 

Council  of  Europe  (2024),  Baseline  Evaluation  Report  on  the  implementation  of  the  Council  of 
Europe  Convention  on  access  to  official  documents  (CETS  No.  205  –  Tromsø  Convention), 
https://rm.coe.int/baseline-evaluation-report-estonia/1680b0f634.  

Council  of  Europe:  Committee  of  Ministers  (2010),  Recommendation  CM/Rec(2010)12  of  the 
Committee of Ministers to member states on judges: independence, efficiency and responsibilities. 

Council of Europe, Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE) (2021), CCJE Opinion No. 24: 
Evolution  of  the  Councils  for  the  Judiciary  and  their  role  in  independent  and  impartial  judicial 
systems. 

Council of Europe Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists (2025), 
https://fom.coe.int/en/accueil. 

Council of Europe: Venice Commission (2020), Bulgaria - Urgent interim opinion on the draft new 
constitution (CDL-AD(2020)035). 

Council of Europe: Venice Commission (2023), Bulgaria - Opinion on the judicial system act (CDL-
AD(2023)039). 

Court  of  Justice  of  the  European  Union,  judgment  of  6  October  2021,  W.Z.,  C-487/19, 
ECLI:EU:C:2021:798.  

Court  of  Justice  of  the  European  Union,  Judgment  of  the  Court  (Grand  Chamber)  of  25  February 
2025, XL and Others v Sąd Rejonowy w Białymstoku and Lietuvos Respublika, Joined Cases C-146/23 
and C-374/23, ECLI:EU:C:2025:109. 

Court  of  Justice  of  the  European  Union,  judgment  of  27  February  2018,  Associação  Sindical  dos 
Juízes Portugueses, C-64/16, ECLI:EU:C:2018:117. 

Estonian Government (2025), Draft Political Party Act, Local Government Council Election Act and 
Credit Institutions Act Amendment Act, https://eelnoud.valitsus.ee/main#xvA2p4y5. 

Eesti  Rahvusringhääling  (2024),  Ministry  of  Culture  awaiting  feedback  on  changes  to  ERR  law, 
https://news.err.ee/1609331349/ministry-of-culture-awaiting-feedback-on-changes-to-err-law.  

Eesti Rahvusringhääling (2024a), ERR chair on budget cuts, independence, and the future of public 
broadcasting,  https://news.err.ee/1609551328/err-chair-on-budget-cuts-independence-and-the-future-

16 

 
 
of-public-broadcasting.  Estonian  Gender  Equality  and  Equal  Treatment  Commissioner  (2025), 
Written contribution for the preparation of the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

Estonian Government (2021), Good Practice in Communicating with Lobbyists for Officials.  

Estonian  Government  (2021a),  Guidelines  for  Ministers  and  their  advisers  to  avoid  conflicts  of 
interest. 

Estonian Government (2025), Input for the preparation of the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

Estonian Institute of Economic Research (2024). 

Estonian Office of the Chancellor for Justice (2024), Annual Report. 

Estonian Office of the Chancellor for Justice (2025), Written contribution for the preparation of the 
2025 Rule of Law Report.  

Estonian Supreme Court (2023), judgment 5-24-1/23. 

Estonian  Supreme  Court  (2025),  Written  contribution  for  the  preparation  of  the  2025  Rule  of  Law 
Report. 

European  Civic  Forum  (2025),  Written  contribution  for  the  preparation  of  the  2025  Rule  of  Law 
Report. 

European  Commission  (2023),  Commission  recommendation  on  promoting  the  engagement  and 
effective  participation  of  citizens  and  civil  society  organisations  in  public  policy-making  processes 
(C/2023/8627 final) 

European Commission (2024), 2024 EU Justice Scoreboard. 

European Commission (2024), 2024 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation 
in Estonia. 

European Commission (2024), Special Eurobarometer 561 on Corruption.  

European Commission (2025), Flash Eurobarometer 557 on Businesses’ attitudes towards corruption 
in the EU.  

European Court of Human Rights, judgment of 9 June 2021, Bilgen v. Turkey, no. 1571/07,. 

European Court of Human Rights, judgment of 22 June 2021, R.B. v. Estonia, no. 22597/16 

European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) (2024), Annual report. 

European  Centre  for  Press  and Media  Freedom (2025), Media  Freedom  Rapid Response  –  Estonia, 
https://www.mfrr.eu/monitor/. 

Lauk,  E.,  Oller  Alonso,  M.  &  Harro-Loit,  H.  (2024),  Monitoring  Mediascapes  –  A  Premise  of 
Press, 
Wisdom-Based 
https://jyx.jyu.fi/jyx/Record/jyx_123456789_94913. 

Governance, 

University 

Media 

Tartu 

EU 

of 

Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs (2025), Analysis of the Implementation Practice of the Public 
Information  Act  (Avaliku  teabe  seaduse  rakenduspraktika  analüüs),  https://www.justdigi.ee/era-ja-
avalik-oigus/haldusoigus/avalik-teave.  

17 

 
 
Transparency International Estonia, Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre, Advocacy and Legal Advice 
Centre | Korruptsioonivaba Eesti (transparency.ee). 

Transparency International (2025),  Contribution from Transparency International for the 2025 Rule 
of Law Report. 

Transparency International (2025), Corruption Perceptions Index 2024. 

18 

 
 
 
 
Annex II: Country visit to Estonia 

The Commission services held virtual meetings in February 2025 with: 

•  Anti-corruption Select Committee 
•  Consumer protection and Technical Regulatory Authority 
•  Constitutional Review Chamber of the Supreme Court 
•  Council for the Administration of Courts 
•  Estonian Association of Journalists 
•  Estonian Association of Judges 
•  Estonian Association of Media Enterprises 
•  Estonian Bar Association 
•  Estonian Internal Security Service 
•  Estonian Institute of Human Rights 
•  Estonian Public Broadcasting 
•  Estonian Press Council 
•  Human Rights Center Estonia 
•  Ministry of Culture 
•  Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
•  Ministry of Interior 
•  Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs 
•  National Audit Office 
•  Office of the Chancellor of Justice 
•  Open Estonia Foundation 
•  Political Party Financing Surveillance Committee 
•  Police and Border Guard Board 
•  The Chamber of Commerce 
•  The Prosecutor’s Office 
•  The Supreme Court 
•  Transparency International – Estonia 

* The Commission also met the following organisations in a number of horizontal meetings:  

•  Amnesty International  
•  Araminta  
•  Civil Liberties Union for Europe  
•  Civil Society Europe  
•  European Civic Forum  
•  European Partnership for Democracy  
•  European Youth Forum,  
• 
• 
•  JEF Europe  
•  Philea – Philanthropy Europe Association.  
•  Transparency International 

International Commission of Jurists  
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)  

19