Environmental Review 2005

Estonian environment I

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW 2005

ESTONIAN ENVIRONMENT INFORMATION CENTRE

TALLINN 2005 Printing of this publication was supported by the Environmental Investment Centre. Foreword

Dear reader

The present Estonian environmental review that you Of course, in comparison with other European hold in your hands is a proof of the fact that Es- countries, Estonia often shows lower indicators. tonia is firmly moving towards the set objectives. This, among other things, is due to a small popula- On September 14, 2005 the Riigikogu approved a tion. So, for example, emission amounts for air pol- strategy Sustainable Estonia 21. This means a new lutants per person are high in Estonia, in compari- quality and serves as a strategy for other strategies. If son with other countries. In spite of that, Estonia is we will not make right decisions now, Estonia might one of the first countries to achieve a lot discussed become a remote area in the European Union. We air pollution level objectives of the Kyoto Protocol. It shall focus more on social, personal, cultural and shows good developments in the final consump- language issues, we should see developments in a tion of energy, use of water resources and increase society as a holistic process. in the recycling of municipal waste. Politicians and officials alone will not be able to guarantee a clean Membership of the European Union means re- natural environment. Here, we all have our every- sponsibility not only for fulfilling national aims, but day role to play – starting from a change in attitudes also aims deriving from EU legislation. Estonia s towards environmental issues and understanding large number of forests and variety of species is well- that every action has a consequence. It is an impor- known in Europe. tant skill to act with a view into the future, because our children and grandchildren also want to drink At the same time energy industry based on oil-shale clean water, swim in a clear water, breathe without in Ida-Virumaa is a worrying fact. The industry a respirator. The Ministry of Environment in coop- needs additional investments to achieve environ- eration with the Ministry of Education and Science mentally-friendly production and reduce the level is developing a „Concept of education (incl. nature of air pollution in the region even more. The new education and environmental education) promot- Packaging Act, Packaging Excise Duty Act and Waste Act ing sustainable development“. Its initial tasks fore- have promoted waste management through collec- see the creation of network of support centres for tion of waste by types and re-cycling of packaging. environmental education. Environmental educa- Welfare of Estonian people increases and economy tion shall be paid much more attention. In that develops, this is also proved by the constant raise in area Estonia is lacking behind from several coun- the number of cars. But car transport is, besides oil- tries, but after all, this is a precondition to keep our shale industry, one of the biggest air polluters. environment habitable for a longer time.

Villu Reiljan The Minister of Environment Introduction

This publication is a special one among previ- that the review is aiming at analysis of the en- ous Estonian environmental reviews, because vironmental status and factors causing it, it is for the first time we have tried to analyse the natural that one can’t find a comprehenisve status of the environment in the light of nation- presentation of climate changes. But we have al objectives. It is a good thing, if we can see taken a first step by studying emission amounts right movements in figures, but a diagramme of greenhouse gases and we hope to continue will gain additional value, if we can see the re- with this issue in the future. maining distance to the set objectives. Environ- mental strategy, Sustainable Estonia Strategy, Environmental information is available to the sectoral strategies and action plans, EU legisla- public. tion and international conventions are the doc- The Constitution of the Republic of Estonia (RT uments, that provide objectives for improving 1992, 26, 349) stipulates that everyone has the or maintaining the achieved environmental sta- right to freely obtain information disseminated tus. The present environmental review reflects for public use. The Public Information Act (RT environmental trends since 2000 (in some cases I 2000, 92, 597) admits that environmental in- also from an earlier period) until now. Pursuant formation is public, except in cases provided to EU and Estonian legislation an environmen- by law. Making environmental information tal review reflecting environmental trends will available to the public will help to fulfil every be published every fourth year. All main envi- person’s duty to save natural environment and ronmental areas will be covered in the review. natural resources, i.e. to preserve our national A drawback is that the topic „Environment and wealth. Developing information technology of- human health“ that is very important at a Euro- fers constantly new opportunities to develop pean Union level is covered very briefly. Data environmental legislation in Estonia as well as exchange between environmental and health in the European Union and on an international authorities is not sufficient at the moment – hu- level. For example, with the help of new IT solu- man health is not seen in relation to pollution tions it will be easier to show the compliance of loads and environmental status, i.e. there is no Estonian legal acts with the EU directives, regu- data on which environmental indicators have an lations and approved international agreements. impact on human health and how. Even there On the other hand, modern information tech- exists data exchange concerning drinking and nology makes environmental information easily bathing water and hazardous substances, still a accessible for everyone and allows too choose lot should be done. Improvements in the situa- freely the extent and form of a query. tion are also hindered by scientific problems in reliable integration of data on environmental The Ministry of Environment with its sub-of- status and health impacts. In order to solve that fices has developed many Internet-based data- problem methodological cooperation between bases, regitries and information systems. In the authorities should be intensified. Improving next stage these databases should be integrated Internet-based environmental information sys- into a unified main national register – the en- tems facilitate the possibilities of authorities vironmental register. In Europe the European to insert data, make queries and keep control. Environmental Agency plays the central role in Climate changes are in the focus of the EU en- the collection and disclosure of environmental vironmental policy. For the first time, in the data. The Agency coordinates the collection long list of Estonian environmental reviews in and transfer of environmental data from mem- this publication climate changes are covered as ber states to the European level through its a separate topic. Taking into account the fact EIONET network. The trend – to take more and

4 ENVIRONMENT AL REVIEW 2005

more environmental information to the public nated environmental information. During the through public data communication network – last decades in addition to the government and is in compliance with the Directive 2003/4/EC businesses the target group for environmental of the Council and the Parliament on the pub- information has extended to the third sector. lic access to environmental information (OJC It means non-governmental organisations of- L041, 14.02.2003; replacing since February 14, fering and consuming environmental infor- 2005 the previous Directive 90/313/EEC) as mation. The increased number of interested well as the Århus Convention on access to Infor- people have helped to increase environmental mation, Public Participation in Decision-making awareness and have focused attention to several and access to Justice in Environmental Matters. environmental problems. The need for a new directive derived from an increased amount of environmental information and continuously developing information technology, also from the wish of the European Union to ratify the Århus Convention. The new Directive 2003/4/EC extends the concepts of environmental information and state authority. Main principles for the public access to The new legal act also emphasises on active ways environmental information: of information dissemination, the previous version did not make any difference between the • environmental information shall be scope of active and passive information dissemi- available to everyone, except in cases nation. Pursuant to the directive environmental listed in the directives reviews shall be published every fourth year, the review shall reﬂect environmental status as well • environmental information and holder as pressure to the environment. The directive of the information shall be deﬁned establishes also public disclosure of data from environmental monitoring. With regards to • public interest served by disclosure the public interest, environmental data is im- should be weighed against the interest portant in a country’s development, as based served by the refusal on the data socio-economic development and population policy (plannings, development • as a rule environmental information will plans, programmes) are planned, economic be supplied free of charge, or, if neces- activities are regulated, restrictions to property sary, charged, but the charge should cov- rights and free movement are established. For er the costs for information production several years already the main development and dissemination trends of the EU environmental policy have been intergation into other spheres of policy. • in case the information is maintained in Agriculture, energy, transport etc. have an im- several formats, the applicant shall pact on environmental status and envrionmen- receive the information in the form or tal policy alone is not enough to improve or format requested (it will reduce con- maintain an achieved level. There are reasons siderably the cost of the information, be- behind environmental problems that lie in gen- cause extensive reports can be read also eral economic activity, primarily in low environ- in the Internet or on data carriers) mental awareness of people; awareness could be raised with an increased amount of dissemi-

5 ENVIRONMENT AL REVIEW 2005

Access to environmental data will be simplified 4. to harmonise, relate and process data collected with various methods with one solution of informa- Thanks to rapid developments in information tech- tion technology and on one cartographic base; nology, Estonia has already made a big amount of 5. to use the system of official classification, Esto- environmental data available in a public data nian map system and the system of address data and communication network and efforts are continu- names of register objects as systems supporting the ously put into a more user-friendly public dis- main register. closure. Until now, environmental information has been divided between more than 40 different databases. The Environmental Register Act (RT I 2002, Reliability, accuracy and comparability 58, 361) entered into force on January 1, 2003, but it will take years to implement it fully. During the In parallel to the creation of the environmental reg- indicated deadlines in the Environmental Register Act ister, the Environmental Register Act guarantees also all existing environmental registers and databases an increased reliability, accuracy and better compa- will be merged. Creation of national information rability with data from other countries. Insufficient systems – for efficient collection of environmental attention to reliability control of the information information - is also a precondition for a well- can be regarded as the biggest drawback in making operating environmental register. For example, In- the information available to the public. In interna- ternet-based information systems for environmental tional data transmission the quality of data might permits, waste data, nature protection and fisheries influence a country’s image or even application of have started to operate successfully. certain sanctions. Often it is not very clear in making the information available to the public who is a target group. Special attention should be paid to Drafting principles of the draft of Environmental the information foreseen to use in immediate situ- Register Act were following: ations, e.g. natural disasters. Here, it will be especially important to have a reliable information, be- 1. to consolidate all environmental data into one cause several authorities have to cooperate in this national main register, relating through it environ- situation – environmental specialists, rescue teams, mental data in time and space; veterinarians, health protection inspectorate etc. 2. to quit use of data not entered into national Quick access to the information is vital in case of main register in international information exchange, large floodings that might result in epidemics or upon granting of national resources exploitation it will be necessary to evaluate the critical limit of permits and permits for emission of pollutants, waste a water level. Therefore, it will not be enough to and biological ecofactors into the environment, just make the information available to the public, compilation of development plans and programmes but more and more emphasis should be put to data and assessment of the state of the environment; quality and the needs of target groups and the ef- 3. to quit disclosure of data not entered into the ficiency of making the data available to the public main register or currently in the stage of processing, shall be evaluated as a feedback. in order to avoid misinterpretations, except data necessary for operative management; Authors

Introduction: Katre Liiv, Uudo Timm Biological diversity: Kaire Sirel, Kadri Möller, Tiit Socioeconomic development: Innar Kaldlaur, Sillaots, Marika Arro, Roland Müür, Katre Liiv Kaarel Roht, Peep Männil

Climate: Tiina Tammets, Niina Vavilova, Jüri Forestry: Taimo Aasma, Eve Rebane, Mati Teder, Eve Tamme Valgepea

Radiation: Raivo Rajamäe Fishery: Merje Frey, Mare Ojarand, Kaire Märtin

Air: Natalja Kohv, Erik Teinemaa, Toivo Truuts, Environmental supervision: Katri Känkinen, Veljo Margus Kört, Katrin Pajuste, Siiri Liiv, Alla Kütt Romanova, Marek Maasikmets Measures for environmental management: Hedi Water: Karin Pachel, Maaja Narusk, Nele Soots, Leomar, Katre Liiv Erki Endjärv, Peeter Ennet, Tiiu Valdmaa, Indrek Tamm, Rein Perens, Olga Sadikova, Aune Annus Translation from Estonian: Aina Haljaste

Waste: Helle Haljak, Merike Liiver, Anneli Averin, Matti Viisimaa

Acknowledgements

They helped to complete the publication: Environmental Inspectorate The Ministry of Environment AS EMOR Radiation Protection Centre AS Maves Luua Forestry School Geological Survey of Estonia County Environmental Services Estonian Association of Quality Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Estonian Meteorological and Hydrological Development Institute Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture Estonian University of Life Sciences Counter Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Study place in the Pärnumaa Vocational Education Sciences Centre Estonian University of Life Sciences State Forest Management Centre Statistical Office of Estonia Tallinn Botanic Garden European Environmental Agency Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu European Commission Health Protection Inspectorate EUROSTAT

© Estonian Environment Information Estonian Environment Information Centre Centre 2005 Mustamäe tee 33 The use of data is authorised provided the source 10616, Tallinn Estonia is acknowledge. Phone: 673 7577 Fax: 656 4071 E-mail: [email protected] ISSN 1736-3373 Web-page: www.keskkonnainfo.ee Contents

Foreword 3 6.7. Disposal of waste, including 85 landfilling Introduction 4 6.8. Number and classification of 87 landfills in use Socioeconomic development 1.1. Population 10 Biological diversity 1.2. Consumer price index and GDP 11 7.1. Protection of species communities 90 1.3. Land use 12 7.1.1. Alien species 92 1.4. Agriculture 13 7.2. Protected areas and Natura 2000 94 1.5. Energy 14 7.2.1. Compensatory mechanisms 97 1.6. Industry 15 7.3. Hunting 99 1.7. Transport 16 16 1.8. Tourism Forestry 8.1. Area and growing stock of forests 106 Climate 8.2. Tree species composition 107 18 2.1. Weather 8.3. Felling and increment 107 2.1.1. Air temperature 19 20 2.1.2. Precipitation 8.4. Reforestation works 20 108 2.2. Climate change 8.5. Illegal fellings 108 8.6. Distribution of damaged forest 109 Radiation areas 26 3.1. Radioactivity of the atmosphere 8.7. Share of protected forest areas 27 109 3.2. Interpretation and comparison 8.8. State aid awards to private forestry 110 with European countries 8.9. Forest management planning 111 8.10. Employment 111 Air 8.11. Forest sector 30 112 4.1. Acidification 8.12. Visitability, maintenance and 36 112 4.2. Surface boundary ozone investment costs of forest 40 4.3. Hazardous substances recreation areas 40 113 4.3.1. Heavy metals 8.13. Environmental awareness 44 114 4.3.2. Persistent organic pollutants 8.14. Forestry education 47 4.4. Status of urban ambient air Fishery 116 Water 52 9.1. Fishery 117 5.1. Resources of water 56 9.2. Fishing 117 5.2. Pollution load of water 59 9.3. Reduction of fishing capacity 118 5.3. Status of water 71 9.4. Reproduction of fish resources 119 5.4. Measures 9.5. Fishing by the member states of the European Union Waste 77 122 6.1. Waste generation 77 Environmental supervision 6.2. Generation of hazardous waste, incl. the waste generated by oil Measures for environmental management shale industry 126 79 11.1. Measures for environmental 6.3. Generation and handling of management municipal waste (including waste 126 11.2. European Union eco-label collected by type) 127 11.3. EMAS 81 6.4. Generation and recovery of packaging waste 83 6.5. Transboundary movement of waste 84 6.6. Recovery of waste ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW 2005

SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

POPULATION • CONSUMER PRICE INDEX AND GDP • LAND USE AGRICULTURE • ENERGY • INDUSTRY • TRANSPORT • TOURISM 1 SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1.1 Population The population of Estonia increased by approx- tion. During the 1990s, the Estonian population imately 17% during 1970-1990, whereas the has been at constant nadir, caused by minimal growth of urban population was 30%; this rapid immigration and negative population growth. increase was primarily conditioned by immigra-

1 460 000

1 440 000

1 420 000

1 400 000

1 380 000

1 360 000

1 340 000

1 320 000

1 300 000

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Figure 1. The population of Estonia.

25000

20000

15000

10000

5000

-5000

-10000 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Live births Deaths Natural increase

Figure 2. Birth rate, mortality and natural increase in Estonia.

10 1.2. Consumer price index and GDP

Changes in the prices of consumer goods and er price index have been minimal, thus refer- fee-charging services are best reﬂected by the ring to a more stable and competitive economic consumer price index. In comparison with the environment. mid-nineties, the recent changes in the consum-

1995 29

1996 23,1

1997 11,2

1998 8,2

1999 3,3

2000 4

2001 5,8

2002 3,6

2003 1,3

2004 3

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Figure 3. Changes in the prices of consumer goods and fee-charging services in Estonia compared with the previous year (%).

The gross domestic product (GDP) expresses residents within the economic territory of a the added value (in monetary terms – produc- country, in market prices. Intrinsically to a de- tion from which intermediate consumption veloping country, our GDP has been increasing has been deducted) of the goods and services in the course of years. annually produced by the residents and non-

120000

103147,7 100000 92964 86018,9 76488,3 80000

60000

40000

20000

5098 5721 6333 6748 0 2001 2002 2003 2004

Average gross salary, EEK Gross domestic product per capita

Figure 4. Gross domestic product per capita, compared with average gross salary.

11 1.3. Land use

Differently from a number of European coun- use in counties, it can be said that in spite of tries, the percentage of uninhabited areas in prejudices a very big part of agricultural land Estonia is relatively large and the population is in use. In 2003 the largest amount of unused concentration small. In Estonia, the average arable land was in Tartu county, the smallest in number of people per square metre is slightly Hiiu county. A big share of agricultural land can over thirty, whereas in Europe, this parameter is be found in Lääne-Viru county that has more more than a hundred. than 90000 ha of agricultural land and only a Based on observations about household land little bit more than 4000 ha of it is not used.

120000

110000 iru

100000

Lääne-V 90000

80000 Järva

Pärnu

Viljandi

Tartu

70000 Jõgeva

Harju 60000 Rapla

50000 Põlva

Saare

Võru

40000 Valga

Lääne

30000

Ida-Viru 20000

Hiiu 10000

Agricultural land Unused agricultural land, ha

Figure 5. Land use by households in 2003.

200 Large variations, regarding the ﬁgures of environmental impact assessment statements, approved in separate counties, are mainly caused by the logistical location of industrial objects 150 and differences in the economic development level of regions. The abrupt fall in the number of EIAs in 2004 may be reasoned by the fact that pursuant to the new Planning Act which entered 100 into force 1 January 2003, it was not necessary to carry out an EIA according to the Environ- mental Impact Assessment and Environmental 50 Auditing Act, instead, the consideration of environmental impacts became a part of the explan- atory report of the plan. As the compilation and proceeding of plans is a long-term process, the 0 EIAs of the plans initiated in 2003 were actually 2001 2002 2003 2004 approved in 2004 and thus, the amendment of legislation in 2003 was reﬂected in the number of EIAs approved in 2004. Figure 6. Approved environmental impact assessment statements 2001-2004.

12 1.4. Agriculture

If during the 1990s, organic fertilisers were During years there is a continuous decrease used predominantly, then currently, the use of tendency in the number of almost all livestock mineral fertilisers has become more popular. In animals and poultry. Difﬁcult rural life, urbani- comparison with 1995, the percentage of min- zation and cheap imported production have eral fertilisers, applied to the soil in agriculture, caused the decrease in the buying up price of has increased more than 40%, compared with products of animal origin. That, in return, has organic ones. The use of fertilisers in general forced farmers to search for new and more prof- has reduced. itable areas of activity.

80000

70000

60000

50000

40000

30000

20000

10000

0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Fertilisers in total Mineral fertilisers Organic fertilisers

Figure 7. Fertilisers applied to the soil.

500

450

400

350

300

250

200

Animals (thousand) 150

100

0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Bovine animals Cows Pigs Sheep and goats Horses

Figure 8. Number of farmed domestic animals.

13 3000

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Figure 9. Number of poultry (thousand individuals).

1.5. Energy

Extraction of mineral resources inevitably In connection with the development of technol- brings along certain environmental damage, we ogy and the increasing costliness of oil shale en- have to cope with this if we want to consume ergy, the quantity of electricity, produced from electricity produced in Estonia. Oil shale is renewable energy sources, has increased over the main source for the production of electric- the years. The production process of electricity in Estonia. At the end of the 1990s, oil shale ity, produced from renewable energy sources, is production was declining, but as of 1999, it has more nature-friendly than other options. been continuously increasing. The level of oil shale mining was the lowest in 1999, however, in 2003, oil shale was again produced in volumes comparable with the 70 mid-1990s. Nevertheless, these ﬁgures could not be compared 60 with the eighties, when e.g. in 1985, oil shale was mined in a 50 quantity which more than twice exceeded the amount mined in 2003. 40

Extracted peat is divided into 30 slightly decomposed peat and well-decomposed peat. The 20 majority of produced peat comprises slightly decomposed 10 peat or the so-called growing substrate used mainly in hor- 0 ticultural gardens and green- 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 houses. Well-decomposed peat, on the other hand, is being mainly utilised as fuel. Figure 10. Production of hydro and wind energy (terajoule).

14 14000

12000

10000

8000

6000

4000

2000

0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Production of oil shale Production of well-decomposed peat

Production of slightly decomposed peat

Figure 11. Production of oil shale and peat (thousand tonnes).

1.6. Industry

Similarly to the GDP, it is possible to observe a ume index of industrial output is a very positive constant increase in the current prices and the phenomenon from the viewpoint of the well-be- volume index of industrial production. The ing of the population. Yet, this frequently brings growth, regarding the current prices and vol- along more intensive use of natural resources.

300

250

200

% 150

100

0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

GDP in current prices per capita Volume index of industrial output Industrial output in current prices (1995=100)

Figure 12. GDP; changes in the percentage of the current prices and volume index of industrial output, in comparison with 1995.

15 tion of diesel fuel has been larger than that of 1.7. Transport petrol – this is a natural phenomenon as the majority of larger and more fuel-consuming vehi- As in the majority of large cities, air pollution cles indeed operate on diesel. At the same time, has also become a problem in the cities of Es- the growing proportion of diesel on the motor tonia. In addition to boiler plants and factories, fuel market also refers to an increased price motor vehicles can be regarded as one of the sensitivity by the consumer – in connection with major sources of pollution. There is a general the ever increasing petrol prices, numerous die- growth in the number of vehicles, however, in sel vehicles have occurred on our roads, as the 2001 and 2002, the quantity of vehicles seemed price of diesel is cheaper than that of petrol. to decrease. This, however, is deceptive as these It is not possible to anticipate a reduction in the were the years for the issuance of new certiﬁ- number of motor vehicles in the future. Thus, cates of registration for motor vehicles and the the pressure on the environment, caused there- vehicles for which such a document was not ap- of, is increasing. We can only look forward to plied for, were deleted from the register. more innovative, economic and nature-friendly Regarding motor vehicle fuels, the consump- technologies.

600

500

400

300

200 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Vehicles in total (thousand) Petrol (thousand t.) Diesel fuel (thousand t.)

Figure 13. Number of registered motor vehicles (cars, busses, lorries) and the use of motor fuels.

1.8. Tourism 180000 160000 During the first years of this century, the number of tourists coming to Estonia 140000 decreased, caused mainly by a certain decline in the amount of “one-day” tour- 120000 ists from Finland and Sweden, however, 100000 the year 2004 was a breakpoint, bringing along a change. As of January 2004, ac- 80000 cording to the data of the Border Guard Administration and the Enterprise Esto- 60000 nia Tourism Agency, the number of in- 40000 coming people that year had exceeded the relevant figures of the previous ac- 20000 counting period by more than 32,000 persons. Although this cannot be re- 0 garded the main reason, yet many tour- 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 ists specifically come to Estonia in order to see our natural values which have be- Figure 14. Number of tourists (persons). come rare in several places in Western- Europe.

16 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW 2005

CLIMATE

WEATHER • CLIMATE CHANGE 2 CLIMATE

2.1. Weather

The operation and data processing in the me- pressure, air temperature, air humidity, wind teorological stations of the Estonian Meteoro- direction, speed, etc. are now managed auto- logical and Hydrological Institute (EMHI) have matically, by way of Vaisala OY technology. The underwent thorough changes within the period collected data are consolidated into a uniform 2000-2004. The measurement and communi- climate database CLIDATA, based on Oracle. cation of main meteorological elements – air

Meteorological observations are being carried out in total of 58 observation stations:

Oandu KUNDA NARVA-JÕESUU Vanaküla TALLINN Lüganuse PAKRI Sämi Keila Dirhami JÕHVI Tudu VÄIKE-MAARJA Vihterpalu Alajõe Vasknarva Tudulinna KUUSIKU RISTNA HAAPSALU Tooma Luguse LÄÄNE-NIGULA TÜRI TIIRIKOJA JÕGEVA Heltermaa Kasari Pajusi Kääpa

VIRTSU Tõrve Koodu Tahkuse Praaga VILSANDI Oreküla Rannu-Jõesuu Uue-Lõve VILJANDI PÄRNU Riisa TARTU-TÕRAVERE Ahja Mehikoorma

KIHNU Massumõisa Piigaste Räpina Otepää Tõrva SÕRVE Tõlliste VÕRU RUHNU VALGA Mauri

meteorological stations (12) hydrometric stations (25) meteorological and hydrological stations (9) precipitation measuring stations (6) lake station (1) mire station (1) aerological station (1) coastal hydrological stations (3)

Figure 15. Meteorological observation stations in Estonia.

18 2.1.1 Air temperature data of the meteorological stations located in the Southwest and Southeast of the country. The climate of the last 10-15 years in Estonia, The annual number of cold days, on the other similar to the rest of the world, is characterised hand, has reduced in practically all stations (ex- by a remarkable increase in average air temper- cept in Võru). atures. The years 2000-2003 are not exceptional The following ﬁgures present the average tem- in this regard – the mean temperatures of the peratures of the warm period (May-September) warm and cold periods of the year have been and the cold period (October-April) in the me- higher during the recent four years than with- teorological stations of Estonia and the number in the years 1961-1999. Especially noticeable is of days on which the air temperature exceeds the increase in the number of extremely warm 30˚C and is below –30˚C, during the years 2000- (over 30˚C) days, particularly according to the 2003 and 1961-1999.

Days / °C 6

Türi

Võru

Pakri

Jõhvi

Valga

Virtsu

Kihnu

Sõrve

Pärnu

Narva

Tallinn

Ristna

Nigula

Kunda

Viljandi

Jõgeva

Vilsandi

Kuusiku

Tiirikoja

V-Maarja

Tõravere

number of days over 30o C 2000-2003 (°C) 1961-1999 (°C)

Figure 16. Mean temperatures of the warm period.

days / °C

-1

-2

-3

Türi

Võru

Pakri

Jõhvi

Valga

Virtsu

Kihnu

Sõrve

Pärnu

Narva

Tallinn

Ristna

Nigula

Kunda

Viljandi

Jõgeva

Tiirikoja

Vilsandi

Kuusiku

V-Maarja

Tõravere

number of days below -30o C 2000-2003 (°C) 1961-1999 (°C)

Figure 17. Mean temperatures of the cold period.

19 2.1.2 Precipitation

The average amount of precipitation during tonia, whereas the precipitation was less inten- 2000-2003 was, in many meteorological stations, sive in Central Estonia – in Türi and Kuusiku. larger than the average of the years 1961-1999. In 2003, the largest amount of diurnal precipi- The distribution of the ratio regarding aver- tation, regarding the recent 4 years, was regis- age amount of precipitation and the amount of tered in Jõhvi – 90 mm, whereas the intensity of long-term average amount of precipitation in the rain was up to 2 mm/min. A very large diur- the territory of Estonia is presented on Figure nal amount of precipitation was also registered 18. The amount of precipitation most of all ex- in Vilsandi in September 2000. ceeded the long-term average in Northeast Es-

57 58 51 35 90 56

45 39 47 41 61 55

43 55 59

78 35 44

43 34

from long-term average (ratio, where 1 = long-term average) 0.92 0.94 0.96 0.98 1.00 1.02 1.04 1.0 6 1.0 8 1.1 0 1.1 2 1.1 4 1.1 6 1.1 8 smaller larger

Figure 18. Maximum amount of precipitation (mm) in Estonian meteorological stations and the distribution of the annual average amount of precipitation, in comparison with the long-term average in 2000-2003.

2.2. Climate change

Strategic objectives for climate changes result mosphere to a level that would enable the mini- from Estonia’s renewed Environmental Strategy mising of the dangerous alerts situations in the until 2010 and from Estonian national fuel and climate system; to guarantee the pre-warning of energy development plan until 2015. the population with regard to the possible occurrence of hazardous environmental phenom- Objective: to avoid climate change as an ex- ena. To gradually eliminate from circulation tremely important global challenge; to stabilise the non-natural substances depleting the ozone the concentration of greenhouse gases in the at- layer.

20 As a rule, ozone-depleting substances are hydro- Objective: to stop the import, export and use of carbons which contain halogens (F, Cl, Br) and greenhouse gases and substances depleting the boil at low temperatures. In addition, a number ozone layer. of ozone-depleting substances also have a capa- bility of generating the greenhouse effect. Esto- The system of indicators for describing the sta- nia has joined the Vienna Convention for the tus of the environment in Estonia involves no protection of the ozone layer and the Montreal indicators for the use of ozone-depleting sub- Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone stances, within the section of climate changes. layer. The European Parliament and of the Nevertheless, the part of the system, “Deple- Council, with their Regulation 2037/2000 of tion of the ozone layer”, comprises a pressure June 29, 2000, set forth additional measures for indicator Op1- total emission of chloro-fluoro the restriction of the use of substances deplet- hydrocarbons, characterising the situation in ing the ozone layer. As of 01.05. 2004, Estonia the use of freons. The data with regard to the as a member state of the European Union, shall use of freons in Estonian enterprises and rel- not use and market 93 substances depleting the evant emission to the environment originates ozone layer, or the so-called controlled substanc- from the Estonian Statistical Office’s collections es. The ban shall not be imposed with regard to Keskkond (The Environment) 1999-2003. The products and equipment, provided the control- Figures present the use of freons depleting the led substances aim at essential uses or in case ozone layer and the emission, within the period the use thereof falls within the domains listed in 1999-2003, ODP (ozone depletion potential) in Annex VII of the above-mentioned Regulation. kilograms. During this period under observa- Likewise, the ban shall not extend to controlled tion, the use of such freons has significantly de- substances occurring in products manufactured creased. Relevant emissions have also reduced, prior to 01.10. 2000 – with a derogation that in parallel with lessened use. However, the year the manufacturing time of the product can be 2003 was an exception, when fishing enterprises proved. The main part (> 90%) of the ozone- used larger quantities of freon 22 than during depleting substances, still used in Estonia, are previous years. such freons which are either fully or partially halogenised fluoro-chloroalkanes. Currently the process of replacing them with partially or fully fluorinated alkanes is under way.

60000 57400

50000

40000

30000

ODP (kg)

20000 16600 17800

10000 8800

3200 0 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Figure 19. Use of freons during 1999-2003.

21 1400 1360

1200

1004 1000

800 771 678

ODP (kg) 600

400 305 200

0 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Figure 20. Emissions of freons to the environment during 1999-2003.

The greenhouse effect is a phenomenon induc- emitted in the ambient air in Estonia. The Na- ing climate changes, conditioned by the ever tional Development Plan for Fuel and Energy increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in Sector 2015 sets several objectives with regard ambient air. The energetic and transport sector to slow down the increase in greenhouse gases, provide approximately 90% of carbon dioxide including carbon dioxide.

Objective: to keep, until 2010, the volume of primary energy consumption at the level of the year 2003.

350

300

250

200 % 150

100

0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Consumption of primary energy GDP

Figure 21. Volume of primary energy consumption and the GDP (100% = 211, 681 TJ in primary energy consumption and 43, 078 million EEK in the GDP).

22 When increasing the percentage of renewable to the alleviation of climate change. In Estonia, energy sources in the consumption of primary the level of primary energy use has stabilised af- energy (e.g., by increasing the share of the so- ter a downtrend at the beginning of the 1990s, called renewable electricity to 5.1% of gross reaching 200000 TJ/y. The consumption level, consumption by the year 2010), the use of fossil pursuant to the objectives of the national devel- fuels decreases and thus, also the emissions of opment plan, has become the same with that of greenhouse gases which, in the end, contribute the year 2003 – 201892 TJ.

Objective: to perform the obligations proceeding from the Kyoto Protocol.

The states who have joined the Kyoto Protocol Restructuring of the economy in Estonia at the have set an objective to reduce the emissions of beginning of the 1990s has resulted in a signiﬁ- greenhouse gases during 2008–2012 by 5% on cant decline in the emissions of greenhouse average, in comparison with 1990. Estonia gases. Currently, the emissions are more than assumed an obligation to decrease the emission a third smaller than in 1990. This has made it by 8%, which means that in order to reach the likely that Kyoto target number will not be ex- Kyoto target value (34.2 million tonnes CO2), ceeded in 2008. At the same time, it is necessary Es-tonia, as of 2008, has to reduce the emission to make sure that Estonia would continuously of greenhouse gases by 2.973 million tonnes, keep the greenhouse gas emissions at a low lev- compared with 1990. el.

50000

40000

30000 v k e 2

O 20000 C s n o t

d 10000 n a s u o h t 0

-10000 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

carbon dioxide methane carbon sequestration by ecosystems

nitrous oxide Kyoto target value

Figure 22. Emissions of greenhouse gases.

23 Objective: to promote the projects on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions between Estonia and other countries.

In order to reduce the emissions of greenhouse Currently, there are four joint implementation gases, Estonia can use one of the two Kyoto projects in the development phase in Estonia, project-based mechanisms – joint implementa- envisaging the anticipated amount of reduced tion. At the present moment, it is possible to greenhouse gases to be 777 thousand tonnes of carry out co-operation with Finland, Denmark, carbon dioxide during the period 2005-2012. As Netherlands and Sweden, in the future also with regards these four projects, Finland has been Austria. The principle of project-based activity the investing country. During the forthcoming actually means that the investor country reduces years, it is possible to look forward to new greenhouse gases in some other country where projects. it is cheaper to do so. As a result, both parties gain from this – the host country obtains new technology and knowledge, in addition to the proceeds from the sale of emission reduction units.

Pakri wind farm v k e 2

O Kadrina district heating power plant C s n o t d n a

s Tamsalu district heating power plant u o h t

Paide bio-energy project

0 100 200 300 400 500

2005-2007 2008-2012

Figure 23. Greenhouse gas emission reductions from joint implementation projects.

24 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW 2005

RADIATION

RADIOACTIVITY OF THE ATMOSPHERE INTERPRETATION AND COMPARISON WITH OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES 3 RADIATION

3.1. Radioactivity of the atmosphere

Strategic objectives for radiation protection area From the point of view of radiation, contamina- that are related to ionising radiation result from tion of the ground may be regarded as the most Estonian environmental strategy until 2010. critical one – this may occur if the radioactive substances, emitted into the atmosphere, move Objective : to guarantee efficient protection of together with an air mass flow above the terri- the entire population from the adverse impact tory of Estonia and, due to certain weather con- of ionising radiation and timely inform the ditions, precipitate on the ground. Thus, it is of population with regard to the hazard of radi- prime importance to monitor the atmosphere’s ation. level of radioactivity. An efficient status indicator of the latter is the artificial radioisotope Cs- The increase in the radioactivity of the envir- 137, the nuclide content of which, expressed in onment may be caused by the movement of activity concentration units, is being measured, radioactive pollution to our territory across the in the air layer near the surface, in three points state border. This may occur when a reactor in Estonia – in Harku, Narva-Jõesuu and Tõra- accident takes place in the nuclear power station vere. The analysis results of air samples, taken close to our country, i.e. in Sosnovyi Bor, from the first two points during 1998-2004, are Loviisa or Ignalina. Radioactive contamination of shown on the following figure. the environment, caused by facilities dealing with radiation activities, located in Estonia, is extremely unlikely.

3 16 m / q B

o 14 r k i m

, 12 n o i t

a 10 r t n e

c 8 n o c y

t 6 i v i t c

a 4

8 9 9 0 0 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 .9 .9 .9 .0 .0 0 0 .0 .0 .0 .0 0 .0 9 2 8 1 7 1. 7. 2 6 1 5 0. 4 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 0 0 .1 .0 .1 .0 1 .0 6 1 9 4 9 5. 1. 6 2 7 4 9. 5 -0 -2 -0 -2 -0 1 0 -1 -0 -1 .0 1 -2 8 4 2 7 2 8- 6- 9 5 0 4 2- 8 .0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 . 6. 7- 3 24 2 2 time, weeks

Figure 24. Cs-137 in the air layer near the surface, in the territory of the Harku weather station, 1998-2004.

26 20

16 3

m 14 / q B o

r 12 k i m

, 10 n o i t a

r 8 t n e c

n 6 o c y t

i 4 v i t c

a 2

6 7 8 8 9 0 1 2 03 03 04 .9 .9 .9 .9 .9 .0 .0 .0 2. 0. 7. 12 08 04 12 08 09 09 05 .0 .1 .0 1. 5. 7. 8. 0. 9. 1. 3. 0 3 2 -1 -1 -2 -2 -3 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 4 8 0 1 4 8. 4 6 4 06 05 0 0 2 2 2 .0 0 0 0 29 time, weeks

Figure 25. Cs-137 in the air layer near the surface, in the territory of the Narva-Jõesuu hydro-meteorological station, 1997-2004.

3.2. Interpretation and comparison with European countries

Recently, there has been no emission of artifi- Radioactive pollution of seawater, driven by cial radionuclides to the atmosphere, in areas currents and winds, may also move to our neighbouring with Estonia. Cs-137, existent in coastal areas and cause an increase in the con- our air samples, originates from two sources: tent of radionuclides in aquatic plants, fish and global contamination of the atmosphere at the bottom sediments. Likewise, Cs-137 is also used time of intensive nuclear tests and the radioac- as the status indicator for radioactive pollution tive substances, of Chernobyl origin, deposited of the marine environment, monitored in the on the surface, which are again carried in the seawater and fish. Radioactivity of the seawater is atmosphere, due to wind and also forest and fen observed in 6 monitoring stations and the fires. The second-mentioned source of Cs-137 radioactivity of fish – in two catching areas. Cs- is of relevance in Northeast Estonia. This also 137, circulating in the marine environment, is explains the twofold difference in the Cs-137 prevailingly of Chernobyl origin. Transportation content of the air in Narva-Jõesuu and Harku. of Cs-137 from the mainland is currently in- As the pollution from Chernobyl scattered over significant, this is also well demonstrated by the Europe in a very uneven manner, the activity relevant decrease of Cs-137 in the West-East concentration of Cs-137 in the air also varies direction of the Gulf of Finland. The largest in different countries. For instance, the data share of Cs-137 is deposited in the bottom from Narva-Jõesuu is comparable with the ones sediments, its concentration in seawater and fish of Finland and Sweden as large areas in these is small and is constantly reducing. Large differ- countries are contaminated. Data from Harku, ences in the radioactive contamination of sea- on the other hand, is comparable with these of water, regarding the different parts of the Baltic the Prague region in the Czech Republic. Sea, existent at the end of the 1980s, have practically disappeared by the current time.

27 80

3 60 m / q B ,

n 50 o i t a r t

n 40 e c n o c 30 y t i v i t c

a 20

0 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

N8 PW PE Ee17 Ee22 By28 (code names of international monitoring stations)

Figure 26. Cs-137 in the surface water of the Gulf of Finland.

The content of the indicator isotope in fish The allowed content of radionuclides in food- (Baltic herring) has been constantly decreasing stuffs, used after a nuclear accident, laid down since the beginning of the 1990s. In compari- by the Directive of the European Commission, son with the different part of the Baltic Sea, the may be treated as the limit value for Cs-137 as fish in the Gulf of Finland are cleaner than the the indicator isotope. Limit value for Cs-137 is ones in the Bothnian Bay, although with slightly 600 Bq/kg. During recent years, the actual con- higher concentration of Cs-137 than the fish in centration of the isotope in fish has been smaller the southern part of the Baltic Sea. by two decimal points.

10 l a a k g

r 9 ä m , g

k 8 / q B 7

5 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Lahepera Bay Narva Bay

Figure 27. Cs-137 in fish (Baltic herring).

28 E N V I R O N M E N T A L R E V I E W 2 0 0 5

AIR

ACIDIFICATION • GROUND LEVEL OZONE • HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES • STATUS OF URBAN AMBIENT AIR 4 AIR

4.1. Acidification

Strategic objectives for aciﬁcation result from and the Narva Power Plants by the year 2015; Estonia’s Environmental Strategy until 2010. - in other large combustion facilities, as of January 2008. As a result of human activities, there is a con- • To guarantee that by 2010, the share of energy spicuous increase in the content of acidic com- produced from renewable energy sources would pounds in ambient air. When combined with form a minimum of 12% of total energy con- air humidity, sulphur and nitrogen compounds sumption and the proportion of electric power, form acids which precipitate on the Earth in the produced from renewable energy sources, form of acid rain. Acid precipitation damages would be at least 5.1% of domestic gross forests, water bodies, biota and objects of cul- consumption. tural value. • To achieve a situation, by 2020, where the share of electric energy, produced in combined heat NOx 19% and power stations, would be 20% of gross consumption (long-term national development plan for the fuel and energy sector 2015). • To guarantee that, in 2010, the total sulphur dioxide emissions to the air from stationary and mobile sources would not exceed 100, 000 tonnes per year. • To reach a situation, by 2012, where the total quantities of sulphur dioxide emissions from oil shale power plants would be below 25, 000 tonnes a year. • To establish the maximum level of sulphur content in ship fuel as 1.5% (in the development plan for transport 2004–2013). NH3 10% SO2 71%

Main polluters of ambient air with SO2 are the enterprises producing electricity and thermal Figure 28. Emissions of 2003 pollutants power (85.5% of emission volumes all over Es- recalculated as the equivalent of acidification. tonia, whereas the percentage of oil-shale-based power plants is 82%) and the industrial under- takings which utilise fuel with sulphur content OBJECTIVE: to reduce the emissions of pol- (11.3%). The proportion of other pollution lutants, limit long range air pollution to other sources is less signiﬁcant. During the period countries, enhance saving of energy and widen 1990-2003, the emissions of sulphur dioxide the use of renewable energy sources. reduced by approximately 63%, conditioned by the decline in energy production. The latter, in Objective-oriented tasks are as follows: its turn, has been caused by the restructuring of • To bring the emission volumes of atmospheric the economy. Likewise, the export possibilities, pollutants from existing combustion facilities regarding electricity, have also conspicuously into accordance with limit values: decreased. The use of local fuel (incl. wood, oil - in Ahtme TPP of Kohtla-Järve Soojus Ltd by shale oil) and natural gas has been constantly the year 2010; increasing since 1993, the relevance of heavy fuel - in Kohtla-Järve TPP of Kohtla-Järve Soojus Ltd oil, in the production of thermal energy, has

30 reduced (ﬁgure 29). Industrial output de- cilities and the quality of fuel, the total emission creased within the period 1991-1994 and thereof sulphur dioxide, discharged to the ambient air after began to grow again. Gross domestic from mobile sources of pollution, may not product has been constantly increasing since exceed 100 000 tonnes (by 2010) and the emis-

1995 (ﬁgure 30). sions of SO2 emitted from oil-shale-based power plants, may not exceed 25 000 tonnes (by 2012).

Pursuant to the liabilities, assumed within the Further decreasing of SO2 emissions is directly framework of the NEC Directive 2001/81/EC dependent on the measures implemented in and proceeding from the EU legislation require- power plants operating on oil shale. ments on emissions from large combustion fa-

300,00 250,00

250,00 200,00 J s P n , o t

200,00 s l d e n 150,00 u f a f s o u o n

h 150,00 o t i t , p n o m i 100,00 u s s s i

100,00 n m o E C

50,00 50,00

0,00 0,00 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2010 2012

Combustion in energy sector Non-industrial combustion Road transport Combustion in the manufacturing industry Other vehicles Other sources of pollution Emissions from oil shale power plants (25 thousand tonnes) Oil-shale consumption Heavy fuel oil consumption Natural gas consumption

Figure 29. SO2 emissions according to sectors of the economy during 1990-2003.

The minimum of three new energy blocks, based sulphur content and sulphur compounds in fu- on circulating boiling layer of oil shale, should els, in the whole of Europe. Within recent years, start operation in the Narva Power Plants, and an increase in the level of contamination of the in Ahtme Thermal Power Plant bio-fuel should ambient air has been noticed in the Vilsandi be used instead of oil shale. By January 1, 2008, monitoring station. One of the reasons for this these above-mentioned enterprises shall com- probably being the growth of ground transport pile action and investment plans for gradually and the impact of marine transport – until to- taking the boilers, which do not guarantee the day, fuels with higher sulphur content have limit values of pollutant emissions, into compli- been allowed to be used in the latter, in com- ance with the requirements of the Directive, parison with land transport. Within the period during the period 2010–2015. 1995–2003, the content of sulphur in precipi- The content of sulphur dioxide in ambient air, tation has decreased up to 9 times, according measured in the monitoring background sta- to the data provided by six monitoring stations. tions (Lahemaa, and Saarejärve), has been con- The decrease in the sulphur content of pre- stantly low in the course of years, compared with cipitation has decelerated during the last three the limit values established for the protection years. Despite a general decline in sulphur con- of eco-systems in the European Union (20 µg/ centration, the highest monthly average of sul- m3) a decreasing trend can be observed during phate sulphur concentration in 2003 reached recent years. Low pollution level of the ambient up to 9.4 mg S/l in Jõhvi and up to 3.4 mg S/l air has been conditioned by the restriction of in Harku. At the same time, the acidifying pol-

31 100

20 % 0

-20

-40

-60

-80 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Gross domestic product in year 2000 constant prices per capita Size of population Gross domestic product in year 2000 constant prices Energy consumption by end-user Volume index of industrial output, 2000 = 100 Emissions converted into acidification equivalent

Figure 30. GDP, changes in price and volume index of industrial production in % compared to 1995.

lutants (primarily sulphate and chloride ions) (except for measuring stations in Northeast Es- are being balanced by high deposition of basic tonia, where the mean annual concentration ex- cations as a result of cement and oil shale-based ceeds 1 mg S/l).

power production. The introduction of new In 1990, the amount of SO2 emitted in the air in treatment facilities reduces the emission of solid Estonia per capita was 174 kg, in 2003, the particles which, in its turn, is revealed by the fact relevant indicator was 74 kg. The amount of that precipitation becomes more acid. Average sulphur dioxide per one inhabitant has been annual sulphur concentration, in precipitation constantly high in Ida-Virumaa County, where in Estonia (0,5 mg S/l), is conspicuously low there are large-scale oil shale power plants (ﬁgure 33).

3 SPVa = 20 µg/m 2,5 3 m /

2 g

,µ

, 0 n

o 1,5 i t a r t n e c 1,0 n o c

0,5

0,0 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Lahemaa Vilsandi Saarejärve

Figure 31. Average annual content of sulphur dioxide in ambient air.

32 11 10 9 8 7 6

mg S/l 5 4 3 2 1 0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Harku Kunda Jõhvi Tiirikoja Saka Saarejärve

Figure 32. Average annual sulphur concentration in precipitation, according to the data from Harku, Tiirikoja, Kunda, Saka, Jõhvi and Saarejärve monitoring stations, 1995-2003.

Harjumaa 7,08 Ida-Virumaa Lääne-Virumaa 438,27 37,81

Raplamaa Järvamaa Hiiumaa Läänemaa 8,85 10,27 7,98 11,01 Jõgevamaa 5,46

Pärnumaa 13,61 Saaremaa Tartumaa Viljandimaa 8,79 4,81 6,69

Põlvamaa 2,81 Valgamaa 5,07 Võrumaa 6,57

1-5 5-10 10-15 15-450

Figure 33. Sulphur dioxide emissions (kg) per capita in different counties.

Average deposition of sulphur is also the 6 highest in Northeast 3

8 Estonia (ﬁgure 34). 4 7,5 6,5 7 6 5,5 3,5 5 4,5

3,5

3 3 3,25 3,25 3,2 5

3,5 3

Figure 34. Average deposition of sulphate sulphur (kg S/ha) during the period 2000-2003.

33 OBJECTIVE: to guarantee that as of 2010, the total emission of nitrogen oxides from stationary and mobile pollution sources in Estonia would not exceed 60, 000 tonnes a year.

s 50 n o t d

n 40 a s u o h t 30

0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 19951996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2010

Combustion in energy sector Road transport Other mobile sources Non-industrial combustion Other sources of pollution Combustion in manufacturing industry Emission targets by 2010

Figure 35. NOx emissions according to the sectors of the economy during the years 1990-2003.

If, in the case of SO2, energy industry is the main sion of NOx reduced by 48.2%, within the same polluter of ambient air, then the largest propor- period, emissions from the energy sector have tion of NOx is emitted from mobile pollution decreased 40% and more than twice from the sources (in 2003, the relevant percentage in all transport sector. Analysis of the emissions from of Estonia was 48.5%) and combustion facilities transport is presented in the chapter on the (51%). During the period 1990–2003, the emis- ground level ozone.

4,0

3,5

3,0 3 m / g 2,5 m µ , n o

i 2,0 t a r t n e

c 1,5 n o c 1,0

0,5

0,0 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Lahemaa Vilsandi Saarejärve

Figure 36. Nitrogen dioxide content in the ambient air.

34 The content of nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen The average concentration of nitrate and am- oxides in the ambient air has not particularly monia nitrogen of the recent three years is altered within the course of years, according to approximately 0.4 mg N/l. The Figure 37 the data of the background stations, and has shows that the deposition of inorganic nitrogen remained signiﬁcantly lower than the annual has been the highest in South Estonia and in the average limit value laid down for the pollution mainland part of West Estonia, reaching more level of nitrogen oxides – 30 g/m3. Measure- than 5 kg N/ha. The lowest deposition loads of ment outcomes of the recent years refer to cer- nitrogen were measured in Lahemaa, in the vi- tain decline in the pollution level of the cinity of the Palmse and Toolse monitoring ambient air (ﬁgure 36). Ammonia and nitrate stations. Differently from sulphur, the average ions, added to the composition of the ambient nitrogen concentration of precipitation is not air by way of precipitation, constitute an referring to a decreasing trend in Estonia. additional source of nitrogen, necessary for the growth of plants.

4 5

4 6

5 5

Figure 37. Average deposition (kg N/ha) of nitrogen (NH4 + NO3) during the period 2000-2003.

OBJECTIVE: to guarantee that as of 2010, the The use of manure and mineral fertilisers in ag- total emission of ammonia from stationary and riculture serves as the main pollution source re- mobile pollution sources in Estonia would not garding ammonia. Within the years 1990-2003, exceed 29, 000 tonnes a year. the emissions of ammonia decreased in connection with the reduction in the number of animals and use of fertilisers (ﬁgure 38).

35 30 1000

900 25 800

700 20 600

15 500

400 10 300

Emission, thousand tons 200 5 100

0 0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2010

Number of animals (thousand), use of fertilisers (thousand tons)

Agriculture Industrial processes Combustion processes Other pollution sources Emission targets by 2010 Use of fertilisers Pigs Cattle

Figure 38. NH3 emissions according to sectors of the economy, during 1990-2003.

4.2. Ground-level ozone

Strategic objectives for ground-level ozone re-

sult from Estonia’s renewed Environmental CH4 NMVOC Strategy until 2010. 1% 37%

Ozone is a toxic, badly smelling gas that rarely appears in an atmosphere. Increase of ozone concentration in a ground-level layer is hazardous to human health (it causes eye and respira- tory irritation) and it damages ﬂora and organic materials. Tropospharic ozone is not directly released from technological or burning processis, but is formed in fotochemical reactions.

Objective: to reduce emission amounts of pollutants causing ozone formation in energy and NOx CO transport sector, to increase the share and mo- 44% 18% bility of public transportation, to give priority to electricity- based and railway transport. Figure 39. Emission of tropospheric ozone- forming pollutants in 2003, recalculated as the tropospheric ozone-forming potential.

36 Objective-oriented tasks are as follows: Owners of sources of pollution whose areas of activities are regulated with the regulation no 114 • By 2005 to increase the share of biofuels in of the Minister of Environment from Septem- petrol and diesel fuel consumption to 2% and ber 7, 2004 ”Limit values for emission of volatile by 2010 to 5.75%. organic compounds released into ambient air • To guarantee that from 2010 the total during the use of solvents, monitoring require- emission of volatile organic compounds ments for emission of pollutants released from (hereinafter NMVOC) from local and mobile sources of pollution and assessment criteria for sources of pollution would not exceed 49 000 compliance with the limit values for emission”, tonnes and the emission of nitrogen oxides shall write reduction schemes for NMVOC emis- 60 000 tons. sion, in order to reduce emission by 31. October • By 2007 bring petrol terminals and stations 2007 to an extent that would give the same re- into compliance with European Union sult as application of emission targets. requirements – with an aim to limit the emission amounts of volatile organic compounds. • To limit transportation load in city centres. • To build road and railway detours around towns and settlements. • To promote a quality management system for fuels and guarantee the import and sales of good quality fuels.

80 50000

70 J T , e 40000 t s

60 a w d s o n o

o 50 t 30000 w s d d n n a a

40 d s o u o o h w t

20000 f

30 o n o i t s

20 u 10000 b m o

10 C

0 0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2010

Combustion in energy sector Fuel mining and distribution Non-industrial combustion Use of solvents and other products Industrial processes Combustion in manufacturing industry Other means of transport Road transport Other sources of pollution Emission targets by 2010 Combustion of wood and wood waste

Figure 40. Emission of volatile organic compounds by branches of industry and types of transport and the wood and wood waste combustion in 1990-2003.

37 NMVOC-s emit from different sources of pollu- sion of NMVOC decreased by 42.8%. At that tion – combustion of fuel, especially from small emission from transport decreased by 69%, boiler houses and household stoves, where this in relation to decrease of petrol and die- more wood, wood waste and peat is used (emis- sel consumption (respectively 45% and 36%). sions factor of pollutants is higher there than Emission from non-industrial fuel combustion in bigger boiler houses); from means of trans- (households, agriculture and business and pub- port (road transport, agricultural machinery, lic sector) has grown to 38.8%, it is caused by inland water transport etc); from using solvents an increase tendency of wood and wood waste and distribution of fuel. In 1990–2003 the emis- combustion (ﬁgure 40).

350 30000

300 25000

250

20000 TJ

200 15000 150

10000

fuel consumption,

emission, thousand tons 100

50 5000

0 0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

combustion in energy road transport diesel fuel non-industrial combustion other means of transport petrol combustion in processing industry

Figure 41. CO emission by branches of industry and types of transport and consumption of petrol and diesel in 1990-2003.

45 18000

40 16000

35 14000

30 12000

25 10000

20 8000

number of cars 15 6000

emission, thousand tons 10 4000

5 2000

0 0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 road transport other mobile sources new cars new lorries

Figure 42. NOx emission from mobile sources of pollution and the number of new cars in 1990-2003.

38 Between 1990–2003 the emission of CO de- In 2003 the biggest polluters were small com- creased approximately by 67%, that was, among bustion facilities using solid fuel and household other things, caused by the reduction in the stoves (61%), also means of transport (33%). use of vehicle fuels and in recent years also by (ﬁgure 41) a decrease in the number of cars using petrol.

8-10 years 8-10 years 5092 37069

3-8 years 3-8 years 12920 52937

until 3 years over 10 years until 3 years over 10 years 7432 57986 42989 300987

Figure 43. Age distribution of lorries (2003). Figure 44. Age distribution of cars (2003).

The largest source of pollution for nitrogen ox- The number of old cars is very big in Estonia ides is transport (57.8%). The cause for reduc- – there are 69% of cars and 70% of lorries from tion of NOx emission from mobile sources of the total amount of cars that are older than 10 pollution in 1990–2003 is mainly the same as in years (ﬁgure 43 and 44). At that the number of case of VOC and CO; increase in the number of new cars has increased more than 5 times com- cars with catalyzer has played a role also (ﬁgure pared to 1995. 42).

The annual mean content of ozone in ambient for ozone was exceeded 159 times in Vilsandi air can be compared with the respective in- monitoring station, but the allowed amount for dicators of urban air, but in spring and summer exceeding is 25. the level of ambient air pollution with ozone is constantly over 8 hours of target value (120 g/m3). In 2004, for example, the target value

39 80 3

m 60 / g µ , n o i t a r t 40 n e c n o c

0 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Vilsandi Saarejärve Lahemaa

Figure 45. Annual mean concentration of ozone.

The main problem is the level of ambient air air. These compounds are, for example, ni- pollution that in spring and summer exceeds trogen oxide and different organic compounds. the respective target value. In addition to so- In background areas we often have to deal with lar radiation the formation of ozone depends natural VOC. For example, VOC generated in also on the content of different compounds forests (mainly isoprene and monoprene) form or the so-called ”ozone precursors” in ambient half of Estonian VOC emission.

4.3. Hazardous substances

Already small amounts of heavy metals in the At the European Union level the allowed con- environment are very hazardous to human tents of lead in ambient air is regulated with the health, they accumulate in a body and cause Council Directive No 1999/30/EC relating to kidney and nerve damages, also cancer. Heavy limit values for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen metals appear in the environment as a result dioxide and oxides of nitrogen, particulate mat- of human activity and a big part of them ter and lead in ambient air. The Directive 2004/ accumulates into ground during a shorter or 107/EC established target values for the con- longer period. These pollutants stay for a very tents of arsenic, mercury, nickel and polycyclic long time in the environment and due to aromatic hydrocarbons in ambient air. Activities natural processes will be released into air inﬂuencing ambient air quality are regulated by again. The most hazardous heavy metals are the Ambient Air Protection Act (RT I 2004, 43, lead, cadmium and mercury. 298; 2005, 15, 87) and subordinate legal acts. Pursuant to §15 in the Ambient Air Protection Act lead, cadmium and mercury, also particles, are priority pollutants that shall be taken into account in assessment and control of ambient air quality.

40 In addition to that, in the near future Estonia Objective: to control emissions of heavy metals will join the heavy metals protocol of the Gene- caused by anthropogenic activities that are va Convention on Long-Range Transboundary subject to long-range transboundary atmospheric Air Pollution. transport and are likely to have signiﬁcant adverse effects on human health or the environment.

160 600

140 500 s s n n

o 120 o t t d d n

400 n a a s

100 s u u o o h h t t , ,

d 300 80 e a n i e l l o f s o

60 a n g o f

i 200 o s s i e

40 s m u e 100 20

0 0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

combustion in energy sector other mobile sources road transport combustion in manufacturing industry non-industrial combustion petrol containing lead lead-free petrol

Figure 46. Emission of lead by branches of economy and the use of gasoline in 1990-2003.

In 1990–1996 the main ambient air polluters Moss and lichen can be used as bioindicators in with lead were energy companies and car trans- the definition of heavy metal contents in am- port (in 1990 respectively 47.4% and 52.6%). bient air. In Estonia heavy metal pollution that Since 1995 based on the statistics form the deposits through ambient air and is hazardous to Statistics Board lead-free petrol was taken into the environment and human health has been use in Es-tonia and already in 1996 the share of monitored for 14 years. In North-East Estonia transport in the total lead emission amounts moss samples around oil-shale power plants and decreased to 36.2% and in 2003 to 10%. Since Kunda Cement Factory have been collected and 2000 leaded petrol is not used in Estonia and the the contents of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, V and Zn limit value for lead contents in marketed petrol has been identified in 1992, 1997 and 2002. is 0.013 g/l. In 1990–2003 lead emission During that period the contents of heavy metals decreased by 72% that, in addition to changes in in the moss has constantly decreased. Besides the the transport sector, was also caused by a North-East Estonian industrial area, Tallinn and decrease in the load of the Narva Power Plants its close surroundings have become an area with (figure 46). high ambient air pollution level in Estonia.

41 26 26 24 24 22 22 20 20 18 18 16 16 14 14 12 12 10 10 8 8 6 6 4 4 2 2 0 0

Figure 47. Lead contents in the moss in Figure 48. Lead contents in the moss in North-East Estonia in 1992. North-East Estonia in 1997.

26 24 26 22 24 20 22 18 20 16 18 14 16 12 14 10 12 10 8 8 6 6 4 4 2 2 0 0

Figure 49. Lead contents in the moss in Figure 50. Lead contents in the moss around Tallinn North-East Estonia in 2002. in 2003.

Moss charts show there extensive pollution, place is Kallavere situated 16 km east from mainly due to car transport. Area inﬂuenced by Tallinn, where high Cd, Fe, Ni, Pb, V and Zn pollution extends about 20 km from Tallinn to contents were identiﬁed. northeast and west, 16 km to southwest and 10 km to southeast and south. The most polluted

The biggest polluters of ambient air with cadmi- 0.6%. In 1990–2003 the emission of Cd de- um are energy companies (the share of oil-shale creased by 47.7%, this is related to the reduction power plants in emisson is 85.6%), the share of in oil-shale combustion (ﬁgure 51). transport is small –

42 1200

1000

800 g k ,

n 600 o i s s i 400 m e

200

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

combustion in energy sector non-industrial combustion other mobile sources road transport combustion in manufacturing

Figure 51. Emission of cadmium by branches of economy in 1990-2003.

During 5 years the contents of cadmium in the surroundings of Estonian Power Plant) and moss in North-East Estonia has decreased. The around Tallinn – in Kallavere and Mõigu. Also maximum contents of Cd was the same (0,3 µg/ the mean contents of Cd was the same in g) in North-East Estonia (in the immediate North-East Estonia and Tallinn (0,2 µg/g).

0.30 0.30 0.28 0.28 0.26 0.26 0.24 0.24 0.22 0.22 0.20 0.20 0.18 0.18 0.16 0.16 0.14 0.14 0.12 0.12 0.10 0.10 0.08 0.08 0.06 0.06 0.04 0.04 0.02 0.02 0.00 0.00

Figure 52. The contents of cadmium in the moss in North-East Estonia in 1997 and 2002.

0.30 0.28 0.26 0.24 0.22 0.20 0.18 0.16 0.14 0.12 0.10 0.08 Figure 53. The contents 0.06 of cadmium in the moss 0.04 around Tallinn in 2003. 0.02 0.00

43 4.3.2. Persistent organic pollutants and such articles, upon becoming wastes, are Persistent organic pollutants (hereinafter POPs) destroyed or disposed of in an environmentally stay in nature unchanged for a long time, they sound manner. spread into long distances, accumulate in adipose tissue and are hazardous to humans and In the near future Estonia will join the Stock- intact nature. POPs can cause damages globally, holm Convention on POPs. Its main objectives locally and in transboundary way. It depends on are: their journey. The following regulations and • to protect human health and environment directives regulate POPs at the European Union from persistent organic pollutants. level: • The Regulation of the European Parliament The following measures will be adopted to re- and the Council no 850/2004/EC on persistent duce the negative effects of emission: organic pollutants. • Adoption of the best available techniques. • The Decision of the European Parliament • To write and implement action plans for the and the Council no 259/2004/EC on joining reduction of emission of POPs. the protocol on persistent organic pollutants of • To guarantee optimisation of fuel combus- The 1979 Geneva Convention on Long-range tion processes in small boiler houses and Transboundary Air Pollution. households. • The Decision of the European Parliament and the Council from 14 October 2004 on The following figures show data on the emis- joining the POPs Stockholm Convention. sion of four PAH, incl. benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(b)fluoranthene Estonia joined the POPs protocol of the and ja indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene, but also the to- Geneva Convention on Long-range tal amount of pollutants and use of wood. It is Transboundary Air Pollution in 17.04.2005 compulsory to transfer data on the above-men- (RTII, 2005, 11, 29). Its objectives are: tioned pollutants to the secretariat of the Ge- • to control, reduce or eliminate discharges, neva Convention. emissions and losses of persistent organic pollutants. By 1993 the emission of PAHs had decreased by • For substances listed in annex I, II, or III, each 41.6% compared to 1990. This can be Party should develop appropriate strategies for explained with the reduction of economic identifying articles still in use and wastes activities. containing such substances, and shall take appropriate measures to ensure that such wastes

4 s n o t

, 3 n o i s s i m

e 2

0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Benzo(a)pyrene Benzo(k)fluoranthene Benzo(b)fluoranthene Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene

Figure 54. Emissionofpolycyclicaromatichydrocarbons(PAH)in1990-2003.

44 By 1996 the emission had increased more than The following figure 56 will show the emission of twice due to burning wood and wood waste in dioxins in different processes(g I-TEQ) except households. In 1990–2003 increase in the emis- emission from uncontrolled combustion due to sion of persistent organic pollutants by 9% had lack of reliable data. In 2003 for the first time the same reasons. Main ambient air polluters the emission of dioxins from incineration of are wood incineration processes (figure industrial waste is taken into account, therefore 55). the total amount has increased.

18 30000

16 25000 14 J T

12 20000 , n o i t s 10 p n m o t 15000 u , s n n o

8 o i c s s d i o m

6 10000 o e w

4 5000 2

0 0 1990 1991 1992 1993 19941995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

combustion in energy sector Combustion of wood and wood waste non-industrial combustion

Figure 55. Emission of PAHs by branches of economy and incineration of wood and wood waste.

Dioxins are not produced, these pollutants During two projects (“Dioxin emissions in mainly form as side products in industrial proc- Candidate Countries” and DANCEE) measure- esses and in combustion of organic fuel and ments on dioxin contents in gases extracted waste. Especially large emission amounts are un- from Narva Elektrijaamad Ltd and Kunda Nor- controlably released from combustion of waste dic Tsement Ltd showed that the concentration in households and in landﬁll, bush and spring stays below the limit value established for waste grassland ﬁres. Dioxin emissions are high also incineration. in incineration of hospital waste.

45 5

4,5

3,5

3 Q E T

- 2,5 I g ,

n 2 o i s s i

m 1,5 e 1

0,5

0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

combustion in energy sector road transport Hospital waste combustion non-industrial combustion combustion in manufacturing industry

Figure 56. Emission of dioxins by branches of economy in 1990-2003.

PCB-s (polychlorinated biphenyls) are released studies should be carried out. The ﬁgure 57 into ambient air mainly from fuel combustion, shows data on emission of PCB-s from fuel com- also from leakages of transformators and con- bustion, the biggest source of pollution is com- densators. Based on expert opinion the annual bustion of oil-shale. Emission have decreased by emission from leakages are approximately 60 kg, 40.2% in between 1990-2003. but in order to receive reliable data additional

100

60 g

k 50 , n o i

s 40 s i m e 30

0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

combustion in manufacturing industry non-industrial combustion combustion in energy sector and in fuel transformation industry

Figure 57. Emission of PCBs by branches of economy in 1990-2003.

46 4.4. Status of urban ambient air

Strategic objectives for status of urban ambient OBJECTIVE: to limit trafﬁc pressures in urban air result from Estonia’s renewed Environmen- centres, build by-passes for road and railroad tal Strategy until 2010. transport from towns and settlements, support “clean vehicles” and develop high quality public transport; elaboration of urban environmental indicators.

OBJECTIVE: to monitor the pollution level of The majority of measurable pollutants are asso- ambient air and assess its compatibility with es- ciated with the main urban source of pollution, tablished norms and thus, hazardousness to hu- i.e. the transport. Currently, the following are man health. being continuously measured in the ambient air of towns: nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, the content of ﬁne particulate matter and, randomly, total dust and lead. In addition to the mentioned pollutants of primary importance, spot sample measurements of ammonia, phenol, formaldehyde and hydrogen sulphide are carried out in the ambient air of Kohtla-Järve and Narva.

8 3 m / g

µ 6 , n o i t a r t n

e 4 c n o c

0 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Viru Rahu Õismäe Kohtla-Järve

Figure 58. Average annual concentration of sulphur dioxide in urban ambient air.

At the present moment, constant monitoring of The level of urban air pollution with sulphur the quality of ambient air in Estonia is carried dioxide has decreased in comparison with ear- out in four fully automatic ambient air measur- lier years. Probably, this is conditioned by more ing stations, three of them located in Tallinn strict limit values for sulphur content in liquid and one in Kohtla-Järve. In addition, wet chem- fuels, particularly in diesel fuel. In comparison istry methods are being used in two stations in with Tallinn, the concentration of sulphur diox- the Ida-Viru County. The locations of measur- ide in Kohtla-Järve shows a growing tendency, ing stations for air pollutants have been select- one of the relevant reasons being an increase in ed depending on the status of pollution of the oil shale processing volumes (ﬁgure 58). ambient air, either in a street with dense trafﬁc, residential area or an industrial region.

47 50

3 3 LVannual =40 µg/m

40 3 m / g

µ 30 , n o i t a r t n

e 20 c n o c

0 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Viru Rahu Õismäe Kohtla-Järve

Figure 59. Average annual concentration of nitrogen dioxide in urban ambient air.

The level of ambient air pollution with nitrogen The level of ambient air pollution with carbon dioxide, measured in monitoring stations, shows monoxide has stabilised after the downtrend an increasing trend during the recent years. The in the middle of the 1990s, and remains below likely reason for this is an augmenting number the set limit value. Considering the increased of means of transport. The level of pollution, number of cars with catalysts, it is likely that the however, remains below the set maximum limits, pollution of the ambient air, with carbon mon- except for the measurements in the Viru monoxide, is not going to increase in the near future itoring station, where the annual average level of (ﬁgure 60). pollution is close to the annual limit value 3 (LVannual = 40 µg/m ) (ﬁgure 59).

1,4

1,2 3 m /

g 1,0 m , n o i

t 0,8 a r t n e

c 0,6 n o c 0,4

0,2

0,0 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Viru Rahu Õismäe Lahemaa Kohtla-Järve

Figure 60. Average annual concentration of carbon monoxide in urban ambient air.

48 170

160

140 g n i d

e 120 e c x

e 100 f o s e

c 80 n e r r

u 60 c c o 40

0 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

LVdaily LVhour

Figure 61. Number of occurrences where the limit values for carbon monoxide pollution were exceeded in the Viru monitoring station.

In connection with the decline in the pollution Similarly to other European countries, the con- level, the number times when the limit values tent of fine particulate matter (PM10) in ambi- for carbon monoxide were exceeded in the ent air is also one of the more serious problems Viru monitoring station has also decreased in Estonia. Fine particulate matter in inhaled air (figure 61). constitutes the main threat to people’s health. The average annual limit value, 40 µg/m3, set Average annual concentration of ozone in urban for the pollution with fine particulate matter ambient air has been quite constant (figure during earlier years, has been replaced, in 2005, 62). On Õismäe and Rahu monitoring stations by a more strict limit value – 20 µg/m3. The we can see despite that hourly average ozone pol- latter is being exceeded in the majority of large lution cutoff value exceedings. cities (figure 63).

3 50 m / g µ ,

n 40 o i t a r t n

e 30 c n o c 20

0 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Viru Rahu Õismäe Kohtla-Järve

Figure 62. Average annual concentration of ozone in urban ambient air.

49 Likewise, Tallinn is also experiencing problems with regard to exceeding the daily 24 h-mean 3 average limit value (LVdaily = 50 µg/m ) for ﬁne particulate matter.

3 SPV=20a µg/m

g/m 30

concentration, µ

0 20012002 2003 2004

Viru Rahu Õismäe Kohtla-Järve

Figure 63. Average annual concentration of fine particulate matter in ambient air.

The status of urban air, regarding the majority As regards certain compounds, such as carbon of pollutants, has been improving since the mid- monoxide and ozone, the limit values have 1990s, however, during recent years, it is possible been alleviated and thus, reduced the number to observe an increase in the level of pollution of occurrences when limit values for pollution of ambient air with nitrogen oxides. This has have been exceeded. At the same time, limit val- probably been caused by the growing number ues set for fine particulate matter have become of vehicles and traffic density. Limitations with conspicuously stricter, facilitating the number regard to sulphur content have simultaneously of times when the limit values for the level pol- had a positive impact on decreasing the ambi- lution of ambient air have been exceeded. The ent air pollution level with sulphur dioxide. main problem with regard to urban ambient air is indeed the level of pollution with fine particu- Pollution with lead has been low during recent late matter. years and has remained significantly lower than the set limit value 0.5 µg/m3. Similar down- In Kohtla-Järve, limit values for pollution are be- trend, associated with the introduction of leading exceeded by several compounds intrinsic of free fuels, can also be noted in Helsinki. In ad- the region, such as ammonia, phenol and pri- dition, change-over to unleaded fuels in Europe marily hydrogen sulphide. Further increase in has reduced the concentration of lead in ambi- the volumes of oil shale industry, without updat- ent air, conditioned by long-range transmission ing the production and purification processes, from areas which still utilise petrol with high would bring along an increase in the pollution lead content, such as Russia. level of these pollutants.

50 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW 2005

WATER

RESOURCES • POLLUTION LOAD STATUS OF WATER • MEASURES 5 WATER

5.1. Resources

Issues associated with the regulation of water The objective of the Directive is to promote sus- resources are based on several legislative docu- tainable use of water based on long-term protec- ments, briefly described as follows. tion of the available water resources. OBJECTIVE: long-term sustainable use of water Water Act, § 21 – Obligations of water users. resources. Water users are required to use water efficiently The Sixth Environment Action Programme of the Eu- and sustainably and to comply with the require- ropean Community, Article 7 – objectives and top- ments established for water use. priority activities in the spheres of the environment, health and quality of life. Objectives of the environmental strategy: The objective of the programme is to ensure the As regards water bodies – obtaining a good status long-term and sustainable exploitation of water of water bodies by 2015 and the preservation resources. thereof. As regards ground water – preserving the good Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament status of groundwater and ensuring the sustain- and of the Council establishing a framework for able exploitation and protection of ground- Community action in the field of water policy water. Task: to ensure sustainable exploitation of – framework Directive on water policy, Article 1. groundwater resources, proceeding from the approved groundwater resources or natural resources.

3000 2750 2500 2250 2000

3 1750 m n o

i 1500 l

1l i

m 1250 1000 750 500 250 0 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Surfacewater Groundwater

Figure 64. WaterabstractioninEstoniaduring1991-2004.

As in most European countries, the abstraction Estonia’s abstraction of water forms less than of water has decreased in Estonia in comparison 1% of the overall extraction of water of Eu- with the beginning of the 1990s. In 2004, the ex- rope, the average of which is 300 km3 per year traction of water was slightly more than 1.7 km3, (based on data provided by European Environ- being almost half of that of 1991. The amount of ment Agency, henceforth EEA). The decrease is 1.4 million m3 of surface water and approximately associated with economic changes and the reor- 0.3 million m3 of ground water was abstracted. ganisation of production in the direction of sus-

52 3000

2500

2000 3 m n

o 1500 i l l i m

1000

500

0 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Use of surface water by power stations Abstraction of surface water

Figure 65. Abstraction of surface water in Estonia during 1991-2004. tainable water use both in production and hu- ter and directs it through a channel back into man consumption. Since 1996, the abstraction the Narva Reservoir. Surface water extraction of water has remained at more or less the same has decreased nearly twice due to the decrease level. It increased in 2003 and 2004 due to in- in the production of electricity, water saving and creased consumption of water by power stations the effect of the charge for the special use of and mines. water. In 2003, an average of 39 m3/s of water was abstracted from the Narva River for the pur- The Narva Power Plants, which use 90% of all pose of being used as cooling water of the pow- surface water extracted, are the largest users of er plants and in order to take ashes to the ash surface water. First, the Estonian Power Plant hills. This formed approximately 15.7% of the abstraction water from the Narva River; after ex- volumetric ﬂow rates of the Narva River (on the ploitation, the water is directed back to the river. outlet of Lake Peipsi). Surface water is extracted Downstream, the Baltic Power Plant extracts wa- for drinking and municipal water in Tallinn and

600

500

400 3 m

n 300 o i l l i m

200

100

0 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Abstraction of groundwater Estimated natural resource until 2005 Mine water Approved resource as of 01.01.04

Figure 66. Abstraction of groundwater in Estonia during 1992-2004.

53 Narva. In 2003, the water abstraction there was and groundwater is in time. The WEI has de- 27.3 and 2.5 million m3, respectively, which is creased in Estonia, similar to most of the Euro- 1/3 less than at the beginning of the previous pean countries. In order to describe the pressure decade. that people exert on the supplies of water by the abstraction of water, the amount of annually ex- The decrease in water abstraction was condi- tracted water is compared with an average long- tioned by the overall reduction in production term annual runoff. Estonia’s long-term average activities and the changes in technology. The annual runoff has been calculated on the basis amount of water supplies and the rise in service of a speciﬁc runoff module and it amounts over prices has essentially fostered lesser and more 11 km3 per year, which is, on the average, more practical water use. than 8000 m3 of water per person per year. The

2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 under pressure 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

WEI without power plants cooling water WEI with power plants cooling water

Figure 67. Water Exploitation Index in Estonia during 1991-2004 (%).

Groundwater is used as drinking and municipal indicator refers to the intensity of water resourc- water, and also as production water. In association es when in the nature, the annual amount of with the economisation of water by inhabitants water per person is less than 1700 m3. The Euro- and the implementation of water saving techno- pean annual supply of water slightly surmounts logies, the amount of usable drinking, municipal 3500 km3. Approximately 10% of the European and production water has decreased to one water resources are being currently used (EEA). third (51 million m3 in 2004), compared to 1992. The WEI range of 10–20 is considered a low, A large quantity of ground water is pumped out and the range that exceeds 20, is considered a of on the ground for the drainage of mines and critical (warning) exploitation limit of supply of quarries; this affects groundwater supplies. More water (based on data provided by Organisation than 90% of water from mines is pumped from for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Ordovician water complex in Northeast Es- henceforth OECD). tonia. The estimated natural annual consumption The use of water began to decrease at the begin- supply of groundwater was 560 million m³ until ning of the 1990s, forming in 2004 less than 50% 2005 (based on data provided by Geological Sur- of the quantity of 1992. The need for water has vey of Estonia, henceforth EGS). The approved decreased in electricity production and industry, annual consumption supply, as of 1 January 2004, agriculture and inhabitants’ everyday life. The was 182 million m3 (EGS). Settlements water production of cellulose has stopped; the produc- intakes open deep water complexes that work on tion of food processing industry has decreased. the approved consumption supply, and where the Enterprises have changed their production tech- abstraction of water formed less than ¼ of the nology in the direction of water saving in order approved consumption supply in 2004. to reduce their expenses on the supply of water. The Water Exploitation Index (WEI) shows how Water saving also commenced in order to reduce economical the exploitation of natural surface the charge for special use of water. Abrupt increase in the price of water gave rise to reduced

54 275

250

225

200

175

150

/year

3 125

100

million m

0 1992 19931994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 20012002 2003 2004

Domestic Industry Agriculture

Figure 68. Exploitation of water for human consumption, in industry and agriculture during 1992-2004. consumption of water by the inhabitants. After life. The expenditure on the production of water, the collapse of the system of collective farms, which increased the price of water, investment agricultural production died away, resulting in and economic and political decisions, urged the a conspicuous decrease in agricultural volumes population to save water, fostering the correct and the number of farms, consequently also measuring of water use and the renewal of pipes in water exploitation. Additionally, the record- and sanitary ware. During that period of time, keeping, regarding the use of water by the popu- the average price of water increased by nearly 25 lation of rural settlements, was transferred from times. The consumption of municipal water per the sphere of agriculture to that of municipal person decreased from 69 m3 in 1992 to 30 m3 water. Agricultural use of water in 2004 was near- in 2004. The daily use of water per person was ly 7 times less than a decade before. 188 litres in 1992; it is approximately 100 litres During 1992–2004, the use of water has de- at the moment. The same tendency can also be creased by more than twice in people’s everyday observed all over Europe.

200 10

8 150

3 6

100

EEK litre and m 4

50 2

0 0 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 20012002 2003 2004

litres per capita per day m3 per person a year average price of water

Figure 69. Water use by households and the average price of water during 1992-2004.

55 5.2. Pollution load

Issues associated with the regulation of water Council Directive 91/271/EEC – concerning resources are based on several legislative docu- urban waste-water treatment. ments, briefly described as follows: Member Sates must ensure that all settlements with a pollution load exceeding 2,000 p.e. be OBJECTIVE: to improve sewage treatment, provided with wastewater collection systems. The reduce the contamination of water bodies due to wastewater of settlements with a pollution load insufficient treatment of waste water. over 2,000 p.e., which is directed into internal water bodies and the wastewater of settlements Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament with a pollution load over 10,000 p.e., which is and of the Council establishing a framework for Com- directed into coastal waters, must be at least bio- munity action in the field of water policy – framework logically treated. In the case of vulnerable receiv- Directive on water policy, Article 1. ing water body, biological and chemical treat- The Directive stipulates a strategy against the ment must be applied to wastewater. In wastewa- pollution of water: ter treatment, alternative methods, which ensure The European Parliament and the Council allowed restrictive characteristics before directed establish special measures against the into receiving water body, may be applied with pollution of water with individual pollutants regard to smaller settlements with a p.e. of less or groups of pollutants, which may cause than 2,000. significant danger to the aquatic environment Objectives of the environmental strategy: or through the aquatic environment, including As regards the status of water bodies – obtaining danger to the water, which is used as drinking a good status of water bodies by 2015 and the water. preservation thereof. Tasks: to limit the factors, Annex II – Member States must collect and which cause the eutrophication of water bodies, preserve information, concerning the type and in order to avoid the deterioration of the quality extent of anthropogenic pressures and identify of water and the living conditions of aquatic bio- and evaluate pollution originating from point ta and the decrease in the species thereof, to sources of pollution. improve sewage treatment, to reduce the pollution of water bodies due to inadequate treatment. To guarantee the collection of the wastewater of settlements by the end of 2009 and to ensure wastewater treatment in all urban regions with more than 2000 inhabitants by the end of 2010.

20 1

16 0,8

12 0,6

8 0,4

4 0,2

0 0 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Figure 70. Point sources pollution load in Estonia during 1992-2004, (thousand tonnes per year).

56 As regards groundwater – preserving the good the time-wise change has been similar to that in status of groundwater and ensuring the sustain- Estonia. Since 1990, the organic pollution load able exploitation and protection of groundwa- on water bodies has signiﬁcantly decreased in ter. Tasks: to avoid the extension of groundwater Central and Eastern Europe, expressed in the pollution due to diffuse sources of pollution and improvement of the status of water bodies for point sources of pollution. up to 30%, regarding the characteristic of the content of organic matter (EEA). During 1970– In comparison with 1992, the pollution load has 2000, the load of nitrogen and phosphorus de- abruptly decreased by today. As regards the creased, on the average, by 30% and 60%, re- characteristic of the organic matter BOD7, the spectively, in ten European countries (Finland, decrease has been 90%, with regard to nitrogen Sweden, Netherlands, Hungary, etc.).

450 0,75 3 m n o i l l i 300 0,5 m , r e t a w e t s a w f o

t 150 0,25 n u o m a

0 0 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

physical and chemical biochemical mechanical (water from mines) biological

Figure 71. Waste water treatment in Estonia during 1992-2004. and phosphorus, the decrease has been 58% and The prevailing majority (99% in 2004) of the 74%, respectively. The decrease in the pollution 356 million m3 of waste water, which needs to be load at the beginning of the 1990’s was largely treated, is released in the environment through conditioned by the reduction in overall produc- mechanical, biological, and biological-chemical tion activities. The further decrease in the waste water treatment plants. Water from mines pollution load is associated with the modernisa- undergoes mechanical treatment in sedimentary tion of production, construction and renovation basins; the rest of the water goes through biolog- of waste water treatment plants, structured ical or biological-chemical treatment. Cooling legislative drafting and the increase in the pollu- water does not need to be treated. During the tion charge. Since 1993, the removal of nutrients, last decade, significant changes have occurred which has had a positive impact on the status of in wastewater treatment; the efficiency of treat- a water body, has been increasingly applied to ment has significantly increased. Since 1994, the biologically treated water. In whole of Europe, waste water in need of treatment undergoes either biological or biochemical treatment, thus giving rise to a considerable decrease in the pollution load with regard to both organic and inorganic phosphorus.

57 100 100

80 80

60 60 n o i t a l u p o

40 40 p %

20 20

0 0 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Biochemical treatment

Figure 72. Decrease in the pollution load in connection with the increase in the treatment level during 1992-2004.

The level of the efﬁciency of the treatment of (advanced treatment). 50% of the population in waste water in Estonia, as well as all over Europe, Norway, slightly less than 80% of the population has risen since the beginning of the 1990’s when in Finland and 85% of the population of Swe- biological and chemical wastewater treatment den are subjected to advanced treatment (based was more increasingly introduced. At present, on data provided by Eurostat). A public sewer- the efﬂuent of nearly half of the population of age system covers more than 72% of the entire Estonia goes through biochemical treatment population of Estonia. with removal of phosphorus and/or nitrogen

5000

4000

3000 r

a 2000 e y a s n o

t 1000

300

200

100

0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

BOD7 Estonia total

Figure 73. Pollution load of settlements with p.e. exceeding 10,000 in Estonia during 1995-2004.

58 Pursuant to Council Directive 91/271/EEC phosphorus and/or nitrogen, as appropriate, is concerning urban wastewater treatment, there carried out in the newer wastewater plants of set- are 45 settlements with a pollution load ex- tlements with p.e. exceeding 10,000. Based on ceeding 2,000 p.e. in Estonia. In 27 settlements, large-volume investments, the level of treatment the pollution load remain between 2–10 000 p.e. has increased by today and a signiﬁcant decrease and in 19 settlements (Tallinn, Tartu, Kohtla- is observed in the pollution load. Since 1990, Järve, Narva, Pärnu Viljandi, Haapsalu, Maardu, new wastewater treatment plants have been Rakvere, Valga, Põltsamaa, Võru, Ahtme, Põlva, built in Rakvere, Tartu, Põltsamaa, Kuressaare, Kuressaare, Sillamäe, Kehra, Rapla, Paide) they Valga, Rapla, Viljandi (Tüma) and Haapsalu. exceed 10,000 p.e. In Estonia, there is only one There are renovated treatment plants in Tallinn, settlement, the pollution load of which exceeds Paide, Võru, Põlva, Sillamäe and Pärnu. The 150,000 p.e.; this is Tallinn. Pollution load is Kösti wastewater treatment plant in Viljandi is expressed in personal equivalents (p.e.), which is being currently initialised. Treatment plants in the average daily pollution volume generated by Narva, Kohtla-Järve, Maardu and others are on one person. More than 820,000 people live in the waiting list. In association with the construc- the aforementioned 19 settlements; 90% of tion and renovation of treatment plants and the them are connected to a public sewerage system, implementation of the removal of phosphorus, and wastewater is biologically or biochemically the amount of the organic matter and phospho- treated. Regarding BOD7, Ntot and Ptot, the pollu- rus released into water bodies has signiﬁcantly tion load together with production load formed decreased. As regards nitrogen, the trend is not 62%, 75% and 68%, respectively, of the total so abrupt. load in Estonia in 2004. Removal of either

5.3. Status of water

Issues associated with the regulation of water to ensure that, within 10 years following the no- resources are based on several legislative docu- tiﬁcation of this Directive, the quality of bathing ments, brieﬂy described as follows. water conforms to the set limit values.

OBJECTIVE: obtaining a good status of the Government of the Republic Regulation No. aquatic environment and the preservation there- 247 of 25 July 2000 – health protection re- of. quirements for beaches and bathing water. § 1. General requirements. Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament (1) A body of water or a part thereof, at which a and of the Council establishing a framework for bathing beach has been established or planned, Community action in the ﬁeld of water policy – a shall belong to at least a good quality class of sur- framework Directive on water policy, Article 4. face water bodies. The Directive establishes environmental goals § 9. Quality of bathing water. for obtaining a good status of surface water (1) Bathing water shall be clear and correspond (coastal waters) and ground water by 2015. to the speciﬁed quality indicators upon inspec- Directive on nitrates 91/676/EC. tion. Bathing water shall be regarded as being in The Directive requires Member States to take conformity with the requirements if 95% of the measures in order to lower the level of pollution quality indicators provided meet the standard. caused by nitrate fertilisers used in agriculture in the event if the content of nitrates in ground Directive on drinking water 98/83/EC on the qual- water exceeds or can, in the case of non-reac- ity of water intended for human consumption. tion, exceed 50 mg/l. The objective of this Directive shall be to pro- Directive on bathing water, Article 4. tect human health from the adverse effects of The Directive requires that the pollution of bath- any contamination of water intended for human ing water be reduced and the further deteriora- consumption by ensuring that it is wholesome tion of the quality thereof be prevented in or- and clean. der to protect environmental and public health. Quality and control requirements and analysis Member States shall take all necessary measures methods for drinking water.

59 Regulation No. 82 of the Minister of Social Affairs of garding the use of all ground water intakes and 31 July 2001 31. to ensure the puriﬁcation of water being in non- The Regulation establishes the quality and con- compliance with the requirements for drinking; trol requirements and analysis methods for the to ensure as quickly as possible the safety for samples of drinking water with a view to protect health of the water of all public water supplies people’s health against adverse effects condi- (on the basis of microbiological and chemical tioned by the contamination of drinking water. characteristics); to ensure the conformity of the Environmental Strategy (Chapter: Environment, indicator parameters of drinking water to the health and quality of life): requirements in settlements with 2000 or more As regards drinking water – to provide the whole inhabitants by the year 2008 (as regards the con- population with drinking water, which is safe for tent of iron, pH and manganese – by 2007) and health and to provide consumers of public water in settlements with less than 2000 inhabitants supply with water meeting the quality require- – by the year 2013; to implement measures for ments. Tasks: to ascertain the safety for health re- making the water, which is safe for health, availa-

BOD7, mg/l 10

0 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 Linear trend Data of all monitoring stations

Figure 74. The tendency of BOD7 in the rivers of Estonia during 1992-2004 according to the data of all monitoring stations.

ble for the inhabitants of low den- BOD , mg/l 7 sity areas with polluted ground water; to ensure adequate treat- 10 ment of the wastewater, which is discharged into the sea. Quantiles 8 As regards groundwater – to pre- 6 serve the good status of ground water and ensure the economical 4 use and protection of groundwater supplies. Tasks: to prevent the expansion of the pollution of 2 groundwater by the effect of dif- Frequency of fuse sources and point sources; to 0 data, 0 20 40 60 80 100 % ensure effective protection of the groundwater on the Pandivere

BOD7 <3 3-5 Upland within the area of ground 5-8 8-10 >10 water formation; to implement by the end of 2008 the action plan Figure 75. Distribution of the occurrence frequency of measuring for the reduction of the pollution results of BOD in the rivers of Estonia during 1992-2004 according 7 by nitrates of nitrate vulnerable to the data of all monitoring stations. zones.

60 As regards coastal waters – to ensure, by way of toring programme, have been submitted in economical use, a persistent good status of the order to assess the quality of the rivers of coastal waters and the natural reproduction of Estonia. BOD7, NH4-N, total nitrogen and total ﬁsh resources and aquatic biota; to improve the phosphorus have been selected as the char- status of coastal waters in the regions where it acteristics of the quality of water. The amount still fails to comply with the established require- of related data exceeded 7,100 measurement for ments. Tasks: to reduce the amount of pollut- each characteristic. The data has been presented ants, which may cause the deterioration of the as total measurement results during 1992 – 2004 ecological status of the coastal waters, released and as the frequencies of concentrations. A into the sea by economic activities. range of quantiles Xp, which show the values in the case of which the occurrence probability of Chemical quality of water of rivers the observed parameter is p (0.1 – 0.98), is also The data, covering the period from 1992 to 2004, shown on the ﬁgure of frequencies. For instance, of all the monitoring stations of the state moni- the quantile X0.5 is the centre (median) of the fre-

NH4-N, mg/l 3

0 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004

Linear trend Data of all monitoring stations

Figure 76. The tendency of NH4-N in the rivers of Estonia during 1992–2004 according to the data of all monitoring stations.

quency of a parameter, the probability of the occur- 1,5 rence of the higher or lower values of which is 0.5.

Quantiles The trend of BOD7, during 1,0 the period in question, is slightly declining. 90% of the measurement data of

BOD7 (X0.9) have the val- 0,5 ue of <= 3.2 mg/l, which, in the classiﬁcation of the classes of water of rivers Frequency corresponds to the class of 0,0 of data 0 20 40 60 80 100 % water “good” (3.0–5.0 mg BOD7/l).

Figure 77. Distribution of the occurrence frequency of measurement

results of NH4-N in the rivers of Estonia during 1992-2004 according to the data of all monitoring stations.

61 Total N, mg/l 15

0 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004

Linear trend Data of all monitoring stations

Figure 78. The tendency of total nitrogen in the rivers of Estonia during 1992–2004 according to the data of all monitoring stations.

The measurement of the content of nutrients The values measured in the monitoring stations of river waters (nitrogen compounds and phos- and the frequencies of the measurement results

phorus compounds) enables to assess the pol- regarding NH4-N are specified on figures 76 and lution load originating from point sources and 77, regarding total nitrogen – on figures 78 and catchment areas. The content of nutrients is a 79, and regarding total phosphorus – on figures factor, which affects the status of rivers through 80 and 81. In 1995, a new methodology was in- the growth of phytoplankton and phytobenthos troduced for the determination of ammonium during vegetation periods. Nutrients in the river, nitrogen; the old determination method provid- when carried into the sea, play an important role ed a little higher results. Therefore, the values

in the formation of the ecosystem. of NH4-N, measured up until 1995, have been overestimated. The tenden-

cy of NH4-N, total nitrogen Total N, mg/l and total phosphorus dur- 6 ing the period in question expresses the decrease in 5 Quantiles the content of nutrients.

1 Frequency of 0 data 0 20406080100%

Total N <2 2-3 3-4 4-5 >5

Figure 79. Distribution of occurrence frequency of measurement results of total N in the rivers of Estonia during 1992-2004 according to the data of all monitoring stations.

62 Total P, mg/l 1,6

1,4

1,2

1,0

0,8

0,6

0,4

0,2

0,0 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004

Linear trend Data of all monitoring stations

Figure 80. The tendency of total phosphorus in the rivers of Estonia, during 1992-2004, according to the data of all monitoring stations.

Pursuant to current legislation, the quality of water of rivers is Total P, mg/l characterised on the basis of the 0,5 frequency of occurrence (X0.9) regarding the concentrations of 0,4 nitrogen compounds and phos- Quantiles phorus compounds. As regards

NH4-N, X0.9 <=0.25 mg/l, the level 0,3 of the consolidated data on rivers corresponds to the class of water 0,2 “good” (0.1–0.3 mg NH4-N/l), and as regards total nitrogen, 0,1 X0.9<=4.09 mg/l, it corresponds to the class of water “bad” (4.0–5.0 Frequency of mgN/l). Regarding total phos- 0,0 data, phorus, the frequencies with a 0 20 40 60 80 100 % 90% guarantee, X <=0.12 mg/l, 0.9 Total P <0,05 0,05-0,08 remain on the boundary of the 0,08-0,12 0,12-0,16 >0,16 classes of water “good” (0.08–0.12 mg P /l) and „bad” (0.12–0.16 mg Figure 81. Distribution of the occurence frequency of P /l). measurement results of total P in the rivers of Estonia, during Based on the data collected in 1992-2004, according to the data of all monitoring stations. the course of the monitoring of the rivers of Estonia during 1992 – 2004, it may be admitted that the trends of Quality of sea water based on nutrients both BOD and nutrients have been falling. Such One of the main problems of the whole Baltic a tendency –decrease in the BOD7, the Sea and the Gulf of Finland is eutrophication. concentration of nitrogen compounds and The chemical composition of the biomass of phosphorus compounds in rivers – has been phytoplankton may be presented as an equation characteristic for the whole of EU region. In describing photosynthesis, which shows that in the case of the rivers of Estonia, further phytoplankton, the nitrogen phosporus ratio is attention must be paid to the reduction of the 16/6. This explains why N:P ratio in the seawater content of nitrogen compounds and is used. phosphorus compounds.

63 N:P 40

0 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004

Trend Data of all monitoring stations

Figure 82. Winter values of N:P, calculated by the data of all monitoring stations of the coastal waters during 1994-2004.

On the basis of the winter ratio of N:P of the seawater, it is possible to assume which one of these 40 nutritional elements is going to limit the growth of phythoplank- ton. The winter period is selected 32 since the nutrients that have been bound in the organic substance 24 of plankton and detritus, have N:P> 16 been released as the result of a N:P P-limiting 16 decomposition reactions, and the N:P < 16 quantity of mineral nutrients, dis- N-limiting solved during this period, is a re- 8 serve, which will be used again in the primary production. Based on 0 the ratio between nitrogen and 0 20406080100 phosphorus compunds dissolved in the winter water, the regions Frequency of data, % where N:P < 16 are regarded as potential regions of N-limitation, Figure 83. Occurrence frequencies of N:P, calculated on the and the regions where N:P >16 basis of the winter data. are regarded as potential regions of P-limitation. The ratios of N: P, calculated on the basis of the winter data of the coastal waters of Estonia. In comparison with the monitoring stations of the state monitoring the data of the monitoring stations of the Gulf of programme of the coastal waters of Estonia, are Finland, the situation is similar – either a clear specified on figure 82. limitation of nitrogen occurs or the situation is According to figures 82 and 83, assumptions interim where the potential primary production could be made that, in most cases, the poten- may be limited by both nitrogen and phospho- tial primary production is limited by nitrogen in rus.

64 Quality of sea water according to chlorophyll a The maximum concentrations of chlorophyll The mesurement results of chlorophyll a in a, measured in the Pärnu Bay, the Tallinn Bay 2004, given on Figure 84, characterise the the and the Narva Bay by years during the period extent of the biomass and the timely process of of 1993–2004 are speciﬁed on Figure 85. There phytoplankton, generalised on the basis of all are less measurement results concerning 1996, the monitoring stations of the coastal waters of which probably explains the lower maximum Estonia included in the state monitoring pro- concentrations of that year. Considering the gramme. The spring maximum of the biomass measurement results of all monitoring stations, of phytoplankton, which falls in the period be- the trend of chlorophyll a in the coastal waters tween the month of April and the beginning of of Estonia, during 1993 – 2004, is shown on Fig- May in the coastal waters of Estonia, is intrinsic ure 86. of the region.

25 3 m /

g 20 m , a

l 15 h C 10

0 1.03.2004 1.05.2004 1.07.2004 31.08.2004 31.10.2004

Data of all monitoring stations of the coastal waters of Estonia Pärnu Bay, station K21 Narva Bay, station N12 Tallinn Bay, station 2

Figure 84. Seasonal changes of chlorophyll a in Estonian coastal waters in 2004.

20 3 m /

g 15 m , a l h C 10

0 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Pärnu Bay, station K21 Tallinn Bay, station 2 Narva Bay, station N12

Figure 85. Maximum values of chlorophyll a measured in the Estonian coastal waters in 2004, in stations K21,N12 and 2.

65 50

3 30

a 20

Chl , mg/m

0 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005

Linear trend Data of all monitoring stations

Figure 86. The trend of chlorophylla in the coastal waters of Estonia, during 1993-2004, on the basis of all monitoring stations.

Concentrations of chlorophyll a, measured in – both comprising approximately 7% of measur- the coastal waters of Estonia, compared to the ing stations – in the whole Baltic Sea over the data of the Gulf of Finland and other regions last decade. The concentrations of chlorophyll a of the Baltic Sea, are in an approximately equal have remained on approximately the same level magnitude, 5–6 mg/m3 on average. When con- in most monitoring stations of the Baltic Sea, in- sidering the time-related changes regarding the cluding the coastal waters of Estonia during the concentrations of chlorophyll a, it is possible to last decade. observe increasing as well as decreasing trends

Changes in a content of phosphorus and nitrogen in lakes

Nohipalu Mustjärv Nohipalu Valgjärv Pühajärv Rõuge Suurjärv Suurlaht'' 99- 04 Uljaste Viitna Pikkjärv Ähijärv '96-'04 Võrtsjärv Peipsi 2 (Mustvee) Peipsi 4 (in the middle) Peipsi 11 (southern part)

(the estuary Peipsi 38 of the Emajõgi) Peipsi 16 (Lämmijärv)

-0,03 -0,02 -0,01 0,00 0,01 0,02 -0,6 -0,4 -0,2 0,0 0,2 0,4 0,6 total phosphorus total nitrogen

Figure 87. Permanent monitoring of the contents of total phosphorus and total nitrogen in lakes during 1994-2004.

66 In Estonia, similarly to the whole Europe, eu- Quality of groundwater trophication in lakes has decreased. The content of phosphorus has decreased and the per- Pursuant to Regulation 47 of 10 May 2004 of centage of lakes with high phosphorus content the Minister of Environment, “Classes of water of has also decreased. bodies of groundwater, the values of quality indicators corresponding to water classes of bodies 23 small lakes, Lake Peipsi and Lake Võrtsjärv of ground water and the procedure of determ- were under state monitoring in 2004. Permanent ination of classes of water”, 15 bodies of ground inspections have been conducted on Nohipalu water have been distinguished in Estonia on the Mustjärv, Nohipalu Valgjärv, Pühajärv, Rõuge basis of the main aquifers of groundwater. Suurjärv, Lake Uljaste, Viitna Pikkjärv and Lake Peipsi and Lake Võrtsjärv since 1992, on Ähijärv The status of the bodies of groundwater in since 1996 and in Mullutu Suurlaht since 1999. Estonia are assessed according to several characteristics pursuant to the Regulation of the Minis- In general, the content of phosphorus in the ter of Environment. The most characteristic monitored lakes is low. It was higher in the water ones are shown on figures 88 and 89. near the bottom of Lake Rõuge Suurjärv. The content of phosphorus has increased only in two The status of bodies of groundwater is good if: monitoring points – in Viitna Pikkjärv and Peip- si Lämmijärv. The latter is obviously affected by • the content of dissolved oxygen does not refer the pollution load coming from Russia, since in to a tendency of decrease conditioned by human the other monitoring points of Lake Peipsi, a activities or if the oxidation of water (CODMn) is clear decrease in the content of phosphorus is <= 5 mg/l O2; observed. Decrease is also noticed in Rõuge Su- urjärv, Võrtsjärv, Nohipalu Mustjärv and Mullutu • the content of ammonium-ion does not exceed Suurlaht. The change has not been very signifi- 0.5 mg/l in naturally aerobic groundwater or does cant in the rest of the lakes. not exceed 1.5 mg/l in naturally aerobic aquatic environment or the natural origin of ammonium The content of nitrogen is higher in Mullutu in groundwater is proved in the event of the ex- Suurlaht, in the estuary of the Emajõgi River, in cess of a quality indicator; Peipsi Lämmijärv and Võrtsjärv. Likewise, the content of nitrogen of the water layer near the • the content of chloride-ion does not refer to bottom of Rõuge Suurjärv, the deepest lake in Es- pollution conditioned by human activities or the tonia, is still higher. The situation has improved penetration of salty water; in Lake Uljaste, Võrtsjärv, Nohipalu Valgjärv and in all monitoring points of Lake Peipsi – this re- • the content of nitrate-ion does not exceed 50 fers to the reduction of human activities (espe- mg/l and the tendency of the increase in the con- cially agricultural activities); in the case of Lake tent of nitrates does not give rise to a signifi- Peipsi, the completion of the construction of cant deterioration of the status of ecosystems the new wastewater plant in Tartu has also been depending on groundwater; an important factor. The content of nitrogen of lakes used for recreational purposes – Nohipalu • the use of the content of sulphate-ion for the Mustjärv, Pühajärv, Viitna Pikkjärv and Ähijärv evaluation of some bodies of groundwater in Es- – has increased to a certain extent. tonia are being worked out.

The qualitative status of the groundwater of the Ordovician aquifer system in the Ida-Viru oil shale basin is poor due to an increased content of sulphates, minerality, hardness and the occurrence of hazardous substances (primarily phenols). Dewatering associated with the production of oil shale also has a relevant impact. The status of all other aquifer systems and layers of groundwater in Estonia is good.

67 CODMn , Dissolved oxygen, O 2mg/l Ammonium, mg/l

6 0,6

5 0,5

4 0,4

3 0,3

2 0,2

1 0,1

0 0,0 n i u u n n n n n s v y n n a e a n n n a n n a a n a e n n n e n n n n k i a i w r r t r k s k i i a a a a a o d a a a a a e a a e e a e a a a a a a r s a s n i i i i i i i i i o i i i i i i i i i r r r r e i n u n r e d o r r r V V a e c c a o c c c c d c d d n n L d n v r a a a a i i - - i i i i n i o o v b b a - a a v a b n G n n n o o n i r r o i i i i a v v a v v v v v a a e n e t t t t n o n s r v v e s e e o l v s m e o o o o r o o o o r r o d d e t s s s s v e e e l I D I l e e d e a a V V V d d V t V e V d d d d e e d m e e e e e - h n t - - t r r a t - r r r r r e r d V t a D D D n C i n ä d a n n E E E E a h a n D e m O O f O O O O O r a - - - - M w s a ä u n e a a i u u a r M d o i l i i o i - e e e a a d c l r L r r a n n n n n r c n e i i d Q Q Q t p n n d d n b b b a a a a a b I I v u d o s v d i i i i i p ä ä u i r r r r r o n e o m m m m ä ä o U r u u u u u d u M r d l l l l a l a a a L L r i i i i i e C G C C G C S S S S S O h t

CODMn O2 mg/l Ammonium mg/l Dissolved oxygen O2 mg/l

Figure 88. The average quality of ground water in groundwater bodies 1988-2004.

Suplhate, chloride Nitrate, mg/l

300 20

270 18

240 16

210 14

180 12

150 10

120 8

90 6

60 4

30 2

0 0 n i u u n n n n n s v n e n a a n n n a a n n a n a e n n n e n n n n k i a w r r t i r s k k i i a a a a a o a a a a a e e a a e a e a a a a a a a r s s i i i i i i i i i o i i i i i i i i i n r r r r e i u n n r e d r r r V V a e c c a c c c c d c d d n n L d n v r o a a a a i i - i i - i i n i o o b a - a a v a b n G n n n o o n i r r o v i i i i a v v a v v v v a a v n e t t t t n o n s v v e s e o e l v s m e o o e o o r o o o o r r o d d e t s s s s v e e l I I l e e d e a a V V V D d d V V e V d d d d e e d m e e e e - h n t - - t r r a t - r r r r e r e d V t D D r D n C i n ä a d n n E E E E a h a n m D O O f e O O O O O r a - - - - M s a ä e u n a a i u u a M o i l i i o i d - e e e a a r c l r L r r a n n n n n r c i i d Q Q Q t n p n n d d e b b b a a a a a b I I v o s d v i i i i i u p ä ä i d r r r r r o e o m m m m ä ä n U r u u u u u d M d l l l l a l a a a L L u r i i i i i e C C C G C S S S S S O h t

Nitrate mg/l Sulphate mg/l Chloride mg/l

Figure 89. The average quality of ground water in ground water bodies 1988-2004.

68 140 l

/ 120 g m , s e t 100 a r t i n f

o 80 n o i t a r t

n 60 e c n o c

e 40 g a r e v

a 20

0 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 Wells with a high content of nitrates of Adavere-Põltsamaa NVZ Private wells of Pandivere NVZ Estimated average of Adavere-Põltsamaa NVZ Adavere-Esku regions Allowed maximum content of nitrate-ion in drinking water

Figure 90. Changes in the content of nitrate-ion in the upper layer of groundwater in a nitrate vulnerable zone 1990-2004.

Pursuant to the framework Directive on water after Estonia gained independence; since then, policy and the Water Act, a nitrate vulnerable the content of nitrate-ion in the groundwater of area (NVZ), which is divided into the nitrate vul- uppermost aquifers has been more or less nerable areas of Pandivere and Adavere-Põltsa- stable: in the nitrate vulnerable area of maa, has been distinguished in Estonia, with a Pandivere approximately 20 mg/l, according to view to protecting ground and surface water in estimations; in the nitrate vulnerable area of the region associated with the agricultural pro- Adavere–Põltsamaa 30..35 mg/l (blue). The duction of Pandivere and Adavere-Põltsamaa; content of nitrate-ion is somewhat higher (nearly in the latter regions, agricultural activities have 50 mg/l, orange) in the water of the wells in the caused or may cause the content of nitrate-ion to fields in the vicinity of Adavere and Esku, exceed 50 mg/l in the ground water. The whole proceeding from intensive agricultural produc- nitrate vulnerable zone, sized 3250 km2, forms tion and natural conditions. The water of some approximately 7% of the total area of Estonia, wells in this location is still not suitable for drink- whereas the included area of Pandivere covers ing (red). By implementing the measures, which 2382 km2, the area of Adavere–Põltsamaa – 667 are specified in the activity plan of a nitrate vul- km2 and the area of the intermediary zone (the nerable zone (environmentally sound managing; Endla swamps) – 201 km2. The quality of the rising the environmental awareness of producers groundwater close to the soil of the NVZ has and renovating-cleaning shallow water sources, significantly improved according to the content including polluted water sources), it is possible of nitrate-ion by today, in comparison with the that the quality of the groundwater under the beginning of the nineties. The improvement of fields of Adavere and Esku vicinity will also im- the quality of water was more rapid immediately prove in the future, regarding to the content of the nitrate-ion. Quality of drinking water

2002 2003 2004

Non-conformity as regards microbiological characteristics (%) 0,02% 0,006% 0,004%

Non-conformity as regards chemical characteristics (%) 1,3% 2,3% 2,5%

Non-conformity as regards indicators (%) 35,3% 28% 29,6%

Table 1. Number of inhabitants using substandard drinking water (%)

69 Compared to the year 2001, the quality of drink- Quality of bathing water ing water has improved to some extent with In 2004, there were 23 beaches and 105 bathing regard to microbiological characteristics and sites in Estonia. Altogether 420 samples for the indicators. Due to measures taken and state su- determination of the microbiological quality of pervision, no major incidences, caused by drink- water and 435 samples for the determination of ing water, have occurred over the last ten years. the chemical, physical and organoleptic quality Microbiological and chemical characteristics of water were taken. 22 of them or 5.2% failed refer to direct threat to health. With regard to to comply with microbiological requirements chemical characteristics, Estonian drinking wa- and 48 or 11% failed to comply with chemical, ter failed to comply with the established require- physical and organoleptic requirements. The ments in 2.5% of the cases (in 2004). The biggest percentage of the samples of bathing water, problem is an excessive content of fluor (over which failed to comply with the requirements, 1.5 mg/l), the level of which depends on the lay- was significantly higher in 2004 in comparison er of utilised groundwater. As a rule, the ground- with 2003. The larger number of non-conformi- water, rich in fluor, contains also more boron. ties was primarily associated with the floods in Indicators characterise the organoleptic quality July. Regarding the microbiological character- of water. Where exceeded, the conditions for istics, mainly faecal streptococci, and as to the the use of water and the quality of life worsens, chemical, physical and organoleptic characteris- but there is no direct threat to health. The main tics, mainly the content and colour of dissolved compounds, in the case of which the quality of oxygen exceeded the standards. As regards the drinking water often fails to comply with the requirements, are 20 iron and sensory parameters associated with iron – manganese 16 and ammonium. Due to measures taken, the indicators have 12 also improved. During the last two years, a lot of innovations have 8 taken place: drinking water purification plants and pipelines 4 were built and renovated, and iron removal equipment was 0 installed. For exam- 1996 1997 1998 2001 2002 2003 2004 ple, iron removal fil- Microbiological characteristics (%) Chemical characteristics (%) ters were installed on the Sõmeru drinking water pipeline, used Figure 91. Quality of bathing water – non-satisfying results of bathing water samples (according to the data of the Health Protection Inspectorate). by 1362 residents. In Illuka rural municipality in Ida-Virumaa (Ida-Viru county), the renovation of all water- microbiological characteristics, the quality of works was completed, an iron removal filter was bathing water improved during the period from installed, the external and internal piping sys- 1996 to 2004. The chemical quality of water has tems of houses were replaced. A wide range of worsened to some extent. iron removal devices were launched in the counties of Viljandi, Jõgeva, Põlva, Saare, Tartu and East-Viru. The water treatment plants (WTPs) of Keila and Viljandi were also launched.

70 5.4. Measures

Issues associated with the regulation of water Water Act measures are based on several legislative docu- § 11. Fee for use of water and water body: ments, briefly described as follows: (1) The public use of a water body is free of charge. OBJECTIVE: to implement prevention measures (2) A fee shall be charged for the special use of in order to ensure the good status of water bod- water. ies – to prevent the generation of pollutants. § 111. Procedure for payment for special use of water. Decision No 1600/2002/EC of the European Parlia- (8) If pollutants are discharged into a water ment and of the Council - laying down the Sixth Com- body, the soil or groundwater, the pollution munity Environment Action Programme. charge shall be paid in accordance with the Pol- lution Charge Act (RT I 1999, 24, 361; 54, 583; Article 2 – Principles and overall aims. 95, 843). The objective is to ensure a high level of envi- § 38. Planning of water protection and use. ronmental protection, taking into account the (1) Measures for water protection and use shall principle of subsidiarity and the diversity of situ- be planned in the water management plan of a ations in the various regions of the Community, river basin or sub-river basin (hereinafter water and also of the decoupling between environ- management plan), which shall be taken into mental pressures and economic growth. The consideration in the compilation, review or re- programme shall be based particularly on the vision of the public water supply and sewerage polluter-pays principle, the precautionary prin- development plan, comprehensive plan and de- ciple and preventive action, and the principle of tailed plan of the local government. rectification of pollution at source. Article 3 – Strategic approaches to meeting envi- Pollution Charge Act ronmental objectives. §2. Pollution charge. Encouraging the development of environmen- (1) The objective of establishing a pollution tally sound production and consumption pat- charge is to prevent and reduce possible damage terns is important. For that purpose, inter alia, caused by the release of pollutants or waste into the use of fiscal measures, such as using environ- the environment. The pollution charge shall be mentally related taxes and incentives, at the ap- paid for the release of pollutants and waste spec- propriate national or Community level, must be ified in this Act into the environment. promoted and encouraged. The users of water resources pay for their activi- Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament ties. The protection of both surface and ground and of the Council establishing a framework for Com- water is developed by way of fees for special use munity action in the field of water policy – framework of water. During the period from 1993 to 2005, Directive on water policy. the rates of the fee for special use of water increased 10–25 times, depending on the source Member States should aim to achieve the objec- of water and the purpose of use thereof. tive of at least good water status by defining and implementing the necessary measures within integrated programmes of measures, taking into account existing Community requirements. Article 9 – Recovery of costs for water services. Member States shall ensure by 2010, that water-pricing policies provide adequate incentives for users to use water resources efficiently, and thereby contribute to the achievement of environmental objectives of the Framework Direc- tive on Water Policy.

71 The rates of the fee for special use of water differ 70 by sources of water. Sur face water is cheaper than 60 ground water. In the water

intake system of Tallinn, 50 the fee is higher than else 3

where. Water abstraction m

r 40

from the Upper and e p

Middle Devonian aquifer s t

n 30

system (D3-2), from the e c Middle Devonian-Silurian aquifer system (D2–S), 20 from the Silurian– Ordovician aquifer system 10 (S–O), from the Ordovician –Cambrian aquifer system 0 (O–C) and from the 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Cambrian–Vendian aquifer system (C–V) costs in 2005 Mine water more than 10 times more D3-2, D2-S, S-O, O-E than in 1993. The ground Surface water elsewhere Cm-V water of the Cambrian– Surface water in Tallinn Q Vendian aquifer system has been evaluated as the most valuable water. In Figure 92. Fee for special use of water during 1993-2005. establish ing the tariff rates, whether the water is used for drinking, 1993 to 7 cents per cubic meter at present. In the technological or other purposes, is taken into extraction of mineral water, there has been a account. The rate of the fee for special use of change from 40 cents to 22 kroons within the the technological water abstracted from the same period of time. The rates of the fees for Cambrian –Vendian ground water is nearly special use of water, which are established several two times higher than that of drinking water years in advance, have enabled the users of water and a lot higher than the rate of water used to plan their activities, and have contributed to for other purposes. The rate of the fee for the sustainable water use. special use of water pumped out from mines has gone up from 0.5 cents per cubic meter in

15 3 m / K E

E 10

0 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Waterworks Sewerage Total

Figure 93. Average prices of waterworks and sewerage services during 1992-2004.

72 The prices of waterworks and sewerage (the of 01.01.2005. The biggest amount, 26.7 EEK/m3, price of water) is given on the basis of the data of was paid for water and sewerage in Tallinn and Estonian Water Enterprises Association (EVEL). Paide. In Kärdla the price was 26.4 EEK/m3. In Approximately 30 waterworks have been taken Rapla, Valga, Paldiski, Orissaare and Kärdla into account. The expenditure on the produc- also more than 25 EEK/m3 was paid. The price of tion of water, which increased the price of water, water in Jõhvi, Viljandi, Kohtla-Järve, Pärnu, investment and economic and political decisions, Kuressaare, Keila, Jõgeva, Haapsalu, Põlva and urged water saving, fostering the correct meas- Maardu ranged from 20.4 to 25 EEK/m3. In urement of water and the renewal of pipes and Türi, Rakvere, Kadrina, Tartu and Vändra water sanitary ware. The average price of water in cost 17–20 EEK/m3. The lowest price was paid in Estonia during 1992–2004 has increased by more Sillamäe – 13.2 EEK/m3. In 2003, on the than 25 times, being with the basic fee 23.9 EEK/m3 or approximately 1.52 euro/m3 as

8 000

7 200

6 400

5 600 n o t

r 4 800 e p

K 4 000 E E 3 200

2 400

1 600

800

0 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Total phosphorus BOD7 Total nitrogen Suspended selids

Figure 94. Rates of water pollution charge during 1993-2005. average, 2% of the average monthly income of a water is directed into the sea through a deep- household member was spent on the water and sea outlet. The highest pollution charge, 37,688 sewerage service. EEK per one ton (as of 01.01.2005) is the pollution charge for discharging monophenols into Polluters of water bodies pay for their activities. water bodies. Nearly 9,000 kroons per one ton A pollution charge is used with a view to man- must be paid for oil products. The rate for sul- aging the contamination of water resources. phates is the lowest - 40 kroons per one ton (as The pollution charge rates, in kroons per one of 01.01.2005). The pollution charge rates shall ton of pollutant, are established with regard to be reduced if the receiving body of water is lo- the organic substance BOD7, total nitrogen and cated on soil with moderately protected ground- total phosphorus, suspended solids, sulphates, water or if the receiving water body is located monophenols, oil products, mineral oil or liquid on soil with well-protected groundwater. The products obtained from the thermal treatment pollution charge rates will be reduced if a payer of solid fuel or other organic matter. The pollu- of the pollution charge complies with all the re- tion charge rates have gone up by more than 10 quirements established by the Government of times over the last twelve years. They are higher the Republic concerning waste water directed if the recipient is located on soil with unpro- into water bodies, or if all the indicators which tected groundwater, if the recipient is located characterise the treatment of waste water or all within the boundaries of a city, town or beach the indicators which characterise waste water are or in the close vicinity thereof, if the recipient better than the maximum tolerances established is a sea or transboundary water body or a water by the Government of the Republic. body of importance to the ﬁsheries or if waste

73 800

700

600

500

400

miilion EEK 300

200

100

969,7 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 prognose

Environmental Investment Centre Local governments/waterworks State aid EU aid Bilateral aid Foreign loan

Figure 95. Investments in water management during 2000-2005.

The Ministry of Environment establishes the In 2004 the following major buildings were com- provision of people with an adequate quantity of pleted: good quality drinking water and the treatment 1. The Tartu K2 tunnel collector. The building of the wastewater of settlements according to value of the 2.5-kilometre tunnel was 84.5 mil- the established requirements as the goals of in- lion kroons. At present, the whole wastewater, vestments in water protection. Therefore, water canalised by AS Tartu Veevärk, goes through the protection investments are directed at the reno- treatment plant. vation and building of drinking water puriﬁca- 2. The Reiu–Sindi water pipeline and pumping tion plants and waterworks, as well as wastewater stations; the value of the works was 18.1 million treatment plants and sewerage, as well as at the kroons. A drinking water pipeline was built reconstruction and building of wastewater col- from the Reiu Water Treatment Plant to the city lection systems. of Sindi and in Sindi, a fully automatic booster pump station with water tanks was built. The length of the Reiu - Sindi water pipeline is 7.2 km, in addition to which a drinking water pipeline with the total length of 1.8 km was built in the city of Sindi. 3. The Kiviõli Water Treatment Plant and Pump- ing Station; the value of works was 16.3 million kroons. The groundwater of the city of Kiviõli contained an excessive amount of iron and methane. The new water treatment plant provides 7000 inhabitants of Kiviõli with clean drinking water.

74 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW 2005

WASTE

WASTE GENERATION • GENERATION OF HAZARDOUS WASTE • GENERATION AND HANDLING OF MUNICIPAL WASTE. GENERATION AND RECOVERY OF PACKAGING WASTE.• TRANSBOUNDARY MOVEMENT OF WASTE • RECOVERY OF WASTE • DISPOSAL OF WASTE • NUMBER AND CLASSIFICATION OF LANDFILLS IN USE 6 WASTE

In Estonia, the implementation and improve- was, on one hand, conditioned by the relatively ment of environmentally sound waste man- rapid development of waste management in Es- agement is regulated by the National En- tonia over the past years and, on the other vironmental Strategy, which is based on the hand, from the need to bring the Act into Sustainable Development Act and stipulates conformity with these significant changes that the principles of sustainable development also in have occurred in the waste related legislation of this domain. Bases for economical use of natural the European Union. Regarding the newer dir- environment and natural resources, comprising ectives, it is hereby worthwhile to mention the also waste management, are set out in part II of documents regulating the operation of inciner- the Sustainable Development Act. Estonia’s en- ator plants, end-of-life vehicles and the waste of vironmental strategy presents a ranking of electrical and electronic equipment. practical solutions regarding the organisation of waste conditioning, with the priority given to the Regulation No. 34 of the Minister of the prevention of waste generation and the re- Environment, of 26 June 2001, “Requirements duction of the quantity of generated waste and for the establishment, operation and closure of the harmfulness thereof. Significance is also landfills”, which transposed the main part of the attributed to more wide-based recovery of waste, requirements of Council Directive 1999/31/EC waste treatment pursuant to environmental on landfills, is of special importance. Earlier, the requirements and to environmentally sound respective concrete requirements were missing. disposal of waste. The aforementioned regulation entered into force on 1 September 2001, the renewed version Proceeding from the aforementioned doc- thereof entered into force on 1 May 2004. uments, the first National Waste Management Plan, the purpose of which is the organisation The draft Packaging Act covering the part, of waste management, including waste handling, which is not regulated by the Waste Act, was also was completed and approved in the Riigikogu devised. The Act was passed by the Riigikogu on on 4 December 2002. The waste management 21 April 2004 and entered into force from 1 plan covers the situation of waste management June 2004. The new Packaging Act provided the in the whole country and administrative units, target figures of the recovery of packaging waste the planned goals in the organisation of waste as of 1 May 2004. The Act prescribes the management and intensification and measures implementation of concrete economic measures for the achievement of these goals. According to for the promotion of the recovery of packaging the requirements of the Hazardous Waste waste – obligation to collect packaging and Directive 91/689/EC and these of the Packaging packaging waste, implementation of deposits and Packaging Waste Directive 94/62/EC, the on certain beverages packaging and the imple- National Waste Management Plan covers the mentation of excise duty upon failure to fulfil handling of hazardous waste and packaging the obligation of recovery of sales packaging. waste as separate parts. Draft waste management plans of all 15 counties that will be approved by Organised and reliable data regarding waste the Minister of Environment have been de- handling constitute the precondition for setting veloped on the basis of the National Waste strategic goals, drawing up action plans and Management Plan. implementing legislation. The data concerning waste handling are collected in the course of During 2000–2003, the waste related activities annual reporting on waste, from persons hold- were aimed at the amendment of legislation ing a waste permit or integrated environmental with a purpose of fully transposing the waste re- permit, persons registered pursuant to the lated principles of the European Union and tak- Waste Act and producers of hazardous waste, ing measures with a view to giving effect thereto. except households. The new Waste Act was prepared; the Act was passed by the Riigikogu on 28 January 2004 and A List of the Waste, including Hazardous entered into force during Estonia’s accession to Waste, based on the respective waste list of the the European Union, i.e. on 1 May 2004. The Euro-pean Union 2000/532/EC, has been used new Waste Act replaced the Waste Act passed in for the classification and coding of waste and for 1998. The radical amendment of the Waste Act relevant conclusions.

76 6.1. Waste generation

Strategic objectives for waste result from Esto- OBJECTIVE: to avoid generation of waste, to re- nia’s Environmental Strategy until 2010 and duce the amounts and hazardousness of waste. from National Waste Management Plan.

20,0

17,5

15,0 s

e 12,5

o t n

o 10,0 i l l i m 7,5

5,0

2,5

0,0 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Hazardous waste Non-hazardous waste

Figure 96. Waste generation during 1993-2003.

Waste generation has been relatively stable The important sources of the generation of during the period from 1993 to 1998. However, waste are the extraction of mineral resources, being at its lowest in 1999, the relevant trend especially oil shale, large power plants that has been constantly growing, exceeding 18 operate on oil shale and enterprises producing million tonnes in 2003. In comparison with the shale oil. 12 million tonnes of waste, associated year 2002, the quantities of waste have increased with the extraction and use of oil shale, is by approximately 4 million tonnes, primarily in generated each year (86% of overall waste gen- association with a signiﬁcant increase in the eration). The percentage of oil shale waste in total amount of the waste from oil shale the generation of waste decreased to some ex- extraction and treatment (2.3 million tonnes), tent during 2000–2003, forming 78% thereof on and also in connection with the better provision average. Other sectors producing large volumes of data with regard to certain large-volume waste of waste comprise the building industry, water types in waste related reports. treatment plants and related facilities, cement production, wood processing and the collection of scrap metal. 6.2. Generation of hazardous waste, incl. the waste generated by oil shale industry

OBJECTIVE: to reduce the percentage of cal industry and the production of thermal en- hazardous waste in the total amount of waste, ergy and electric power, and the hazardousness as well as the amounts of waste related to the thereof. extraction of oil shale, oil shale-based chemi-

77 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Total of hazardous waste, incl: 7,73 7,48 7,27 7,68 7,36 6,27 5,62 5,97 6,21 6,40 7,50 oil shale bottom ash, ﬂy ash and 6,16 6,00 5,71 5,93 5,82 5,19 4,96 4,93 4,92 5,34 6,30 dust oil shale pitch waste (”fusses”) 1,23 1,27 1,23 1,29 1,37 0,93 0,63 1,02 1,12 0,83 0,80 and oil shale semi-coke other hazardous waste 0,34 0,21 0,33 0,45 0,17 0,15 0,02 0,02 0,17 0,23 0,40 Percentage of hazardous waste in the entire waste generation, % 53 54 54 52 51 48 52 51 48 44 41

Table 2. Generation of hazardous waste in 1993-2003 (million tonnes).

Throughout the years, hazardous waste has economic growth and an increasing need for formed nearly a half of the total amount of waste, energy. whereas the decrease in the percentage of hazardous waste could be observed over the Provided the technology and extent of the last years. The amount of hazardous waste, gen- extraction and processing of oil shale does not erated in the industries of oil shale chemistry and change, the amount of waste generated in the energy, forms on average 97% of the total gener- extraction, thermal processing and combustion ation of hazardous waste. In 1993–1999, the will not change either and the hazardousness overall quantity of hazardous waste decreased thereof will not decrease in Estonia. Therefore, from 7.73 million tonnes to 5.62 million tonnes, modernisation of the oil shale sector is very or by 27%, however, in 2003 it went up again to important for decreasing the adverse environ- 7.5 million tonnes, i.e. reached the level of 1993- mental effect. Eesti Energia AS, which is the 1997. When observing the generation of haz- owner of the power plants in Narva, has ardous oil shale waste in association with the admitted the inevitability of large-scale technical change of gross domestic product (GDP), it is rearrangements in order to meet environmental noticeable that within the same time frame, the requirements that are becoming more strict, relative generation of waste shows a tendency for and has worked out measures with a view to continuous decrease with regard to a GDP unit increasing the effectiveness of the production of and has stabilised over the last years. Therefore, energy and changing the technology of the an increase in hazardous oil shale waste in ab- landﬁlling of oil shale ashes. solute quantities is primarily conditioned by

7,5 110

105 7,25 100 7

95 s

e 6,75 90 n

K n

o t 85 E n n

6,5 o o i i l l l l i i 80 m m / 6,25 75 t

70 6 65 5,75 60

5,5 55 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Quantity of hazardous oil shale waste per million EEK of GDP Hazardous oil shale waste

Figure 97. Generation of hazardous oil shale waste 1993-2003.

78 With regard to other sources causing the gener- In co-operation with the Danish Environmental ation of hazardous waste, the following types of Protection Agency, the Vaivara complex for waste play an important role: waste containing oil hazardous waste handling, including a laborat- products, generated during the cleaning opera- ory for making analyses, was launched. The tions of transport and storage tanks and drums; Paldiski hazardous waste disposal site has been bilge water of ships and the so-called clinker dust closed. Out-of-use pesticides and the waste of generated in the electric ﬁlters of the Kunda the military forces of the former Soviet Union cement plant. were deposited in a temporary storage built for that purpose in the Vaivara handling centre. During 2000-2003, the development of the col- The disposal of the stored waste has com- lecting system of hazardous waste, the main part menced in hazardous waste treatment facilities of which comprises works related to the construc- in Estonia and in other member states of the tion of the network of state collecting centres and European Union. local collecting points, continued.

6.3. Generation and handling of municipal waste (including separately collected waste)

OBJECTIVE: to stabilise the annual genera- 2005–2006, to decrease the hazardousness of tion of municipal waste per capita for the years municipal waste.

500

450

400

350 a t i 300 p a c

r 250 e p y /

g 200 k 150

100

0 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Mixed municipal waste Separately collected municipal waste Other municipal waste (code 20 03 01) (code 20 01)

Figure 98. Generation of municipal waste 1999-2003.

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Refuse, mixed municipal waste 432 397 275 292 328 (Code 20 03 01) Separately collected municipal 16 12 23 25 43 Table 3. Generation of waste (Code 20 01) municipal waste during Other municipal waste 30 32 54 69 25 1999-2003 (kg/y per Number of inhabitants (million) 1,379 1,372 1,367 1,361 1,356 capita).

79 The share of municipal waste forms an average In 1999–2003, on average 410 kg of municipal of 4% of the overall generation of waste in the waste was annually generated per capita. course of years. Approximately 60% of refuse or mixed municipal waste comes from households, the rest from institutions and enterprises.

OBJECTIVE: to increase municipal waste recov- the extension of the separate collection of ery (reuse, material recycling, composting) – to waste and sorting of municipal waste by fractions recover 30–40% of waste, to more widely pro- in the new Tallinn Waste Sorting Plant. Accord- mote and direct the sorting of municipal waste ing to the waste report of 2003, the plant in households, to more intensively introduce sorted 20% usable waste, including 11% of the sorting of waste in the industry, service and packaging waste, out of 60,000 tonnes of mixed commerce in order to decrease the quantities of municipal refuse. In 2003, AS Vaania also dealt municipal waste directed to landfills. with the sorting of municipal waste and according to their report, 40% of 1,707 tonnes of In 1999–2003 the share of municipal waste de- mixed municipal waste was sorted out as usable posited in landfills has significantly decreased, materials, including 34% paper, cardboard and forming only 67% of the total amount of mu- glass in total. The sorting of waste and the nicipal waste generated in 2003. This was mainly recovery of the separated material has increased due to the implementation of the Packaging Act the recovery of annually handled municipal and the Packaging Excise Duty Act, promoting waste from 3 per cent to 15 per cent during the the recovery of the packaging and packaging described period of time. waste of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages,

700 10 % 600 1% 8% 1% 2% 3% 1% 13 % 500 2% 16 %

s 3%

e 12 % 1%

n 1%

n 1% 1%

o 15 % t 400 1% 3% d

n 5% a s u

o 300 h t 85 % 87 % 80 % 78 % 67 % 200

100

0 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

landfill disposal undefined handling recovery export

Figure 99. Municipal waste handling during 1999-2003.

80 6.4. Generation and recovery of packaging waste

OBJECTIVE: to avoid and reduce the genera- According to surveys and practical experiences tion of waste from used packaging, to stop the of waste handlers, packaging waste forms ap- increase in the quantity of packaging waste by proximately 2/3 of paper and cardboard waste 2006, to reduce the undesirable (adverse) ef- included in municipal waste. Surveys have also fect of packaging and packaging waste on peo- shown a large percentage of packaging waste ple and the environment – landﬁlling of waste within glass waste (approx. 100%), metal and should be the last handling method. plastic waste (approx. 80%) included in municipal waste. Packaging waste is forming also a Packaging waste constitutes a large part of mu- substantial part of wood and composite material nicipal waste. According to waste reporting, fractions of municipal waste (Moora, 2003). packaging waste formed on average 23% of the total quantity of municipal waste during The fractional content of packaging waste or 2001–2003. The quantities of packaging waste the share of different packaging materials with- have increased over the years, making a signiﬁ- in the general quantity of packaging waste re- cant growth in 2002. Partially, this may also be mained relatively stable during 2001–2003. An caused by the improvement of the quality of the average of 43% of paper and cardboard, 27% information regarding waste related data. Fur- of glass, 15% of plastics, 7% of wood, 6% of ther annual increase has been approximately metal and 2% of other materials were included 3%. Such a tendency for growth has also been in the content of packaging waste, according to predicted for the nearest future. During 2001– estimations. At the same time, in 2003, the per- 2003 an average of 87 kg of packaging waste centage of paper and cardboard has started to per capita was generated annually, reaching as increase and the percentage of glass has started much as 91 kg in 2003. to decrease in packaging waste.

55000

50000

45000

40000

35000

year 30000 per

s 25000

n o

t 20000

15000

10000

5000

0 paper and plastic wood metal glass other cardboard packaging packaging packaging packaging packaging

2001 2002 2003

Figure 100. Generation of packaging waste, including collection, during 2001-2003.

Signiﬁcant changes have taken place in waste ery of waste increased by approximately 50% handling in 2003. Despite a conspicuous in- (according to calculations) and the export for crease in the quantities of packaging waste, the recovery increased by 80%, in comparison with recovery and export of waste remained at a rela- 2002, however, the results prescribed by target tively low level in 2001 and 2002, in comparison ﬁgures were not yet achieved. with the generation of waste. In 2003, the recov-

81 OBJECTIVE: to promote the recycling or other Pursuant to the Packaging Act recovery of pack- forms of recovery of packaging or packaging aging waste had to form at least 50% of the total material in a way, which would ensure the recov- mass of waste already in 30 June 2001. In fact, an ery of packaging waste in the extent prescribed estimated 12% of the generated packaging waste by the Packaging Act. was actually recovered in 2001. The target indicator established by law could not be achieved by 2003 when nearly 24% of packaging waste was directed into recovery.

2001 2002 2003

Estimated generation of packaging waste (included in mixed 111073 119741 123681 municipal waste + the separately collected waste)*** Import 2292 3156 2154 Recovery of packaging waste generated in Estonia (incl. export 13270 16221 29236 for recovery) according to the data of waste reports Recovery (incl. export for recovery) % of estimated generation 12 14 24

Table 4. Generation and handling of packaging *** The surveys on the fractional composition of municipal waste (tonnes/per year). waste in 2000 showed that the approximate percentage of packaging waste in the total mass of municipal waste was estimated to be 25-30% in 2000 (Moora, 2003). As at that time, the separate collection was minimal and this has increased over the years, the content of packaging waste in the mixed municipal waste also decreased in 2003. According to estimations, in 2003, the percentage of packaging waste in mixed municipal waste remained even under 20%.

During 2001-2003, several measures have been the case of packaging of non-alcoholic and al- taken for achieving the target indicators estab- coholic beverages, the excise duty has been car- lished by law. Efforts have been made to include ried out. In order to be exempted from paying enterprises, inhabitants and local governments duty, enterprises had to organise recovery of in the organisation of the system for the collec- the beverage packaging – packaged, imported tion and recovery of packaging and packaging and launched on the Estonian market by the waste. Attention has been paid in raising the enterprise – according to the rate established by environmental awareness of the population. In the Packaging Excise Duty Act.

2001 r a

e 2002 y

2003

0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 tonnes

Recovery Disposal (except landfills) Undefined handling Landfill Export for recovery

Figure 101. Handling of packaging waste during 2001-2003.

82 6.5. Transboundary movement of waste

OBJECTIVE: to cooperate with other countries During 1993–2003, the import of waste formed in the ﬁeld of environmentally sound handling an average of 0.4 % and the export of waste of waste, to direct the waste, the recovery of 2.4% of the waste generation. which is technically impossible in Estonia, into export. Mainly metal waste has been imported to Esto- nia, being sorted and pre-treated here and then exported to waste handlers of other countries Import and export of waste, especially as regards for further handling or as secondary raw materi- recoverable waste, the so-called secondary raw al. Actually, this has been a transit of metal waste materials, holds a fairly important place waste from the states of the Commonwealth of In- management. The treatment of all types of waste dependent States to the Western countries. The is currently not possible in Estonia and will main export partner has been Finland, and, to a probably also not be possible in the future. lesser extent Sweden, Netherlands and other Estonian enterprises mainly export the types of countries. waste, e.g. metal and plastic waste, the collecting and sorting expenses of which are lower than profits from the sale of the secondary raw materials. The import and export of waste depend to a large extent on the world market prices.

5,0

4,0 n o i t a r e n

e 3,0 g e t s a w

f 2,0 o %

1,0

0,0 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Import Export

Figure 102. Import and export of waste during 1993-2003.

83 6.6. Recovery of waste

OBJECTIVE: to increase the recovery of waste – in direct reuse, – in material recycling, – in biological processes (composting), – in energy recovery (combustion of waste for producing energy).

One of the priorities of waste related activities is In comparison with the year 1999, the recovery the recovery of waste to as large extent as of waste has increased by approximately 70%, possible. The ﬁrst preference must be given to i.e. from 1,336 thousand tonnes in 1999 to the reuse of waste. If this is not possible, the 4,247 thousand tonnes in 2003. 23% of the recycling of waste as a material or raw material total of generated waste was recovered in 2003. must be preferred to the energy recovery of The actual recovery of waste is probably even waste. The encouraging of waste recovery is larger but at the moment, the methodology of effected by various economic measures, such as reporting does not allow to record bilaterally all pollution charge, producers responsibility, excise the deliveries and receipts of wastes which are duty on packaging, as well as by various require- directed to recovery (e.g. saw dust sold to private ments proceeding from legislation. The recovery persons or enterprises, wood waste for heating, of waste is organised by enterprises dealing clinker dust for lime fertilisers, manure, etc.). with waste handling and waste transport, as well This is why a part of the handling operations, as by the generators of waste according to their regarding the generated waste, remains to some technical possibilities and economic efficiency. extent undeﬁned and the sum total of waste recovered and disposed during a year may not coincide with the actual generation of waste in the same year.

4500

4000

3500

s e

n 3000

o t

d 2500 n a s u

o 2000 h t 1500

1000

500

0 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

R10 R1 R11 R9 R5 R3 R4 other

Figure 103. Recovery of waste during 1999-2003 (codes are in table 5).

84 Kood 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Use principally as a fuel or other means to R1 117 155 183 195 298 generate energy (energy recovery)

Recycling or reclamation of organic R3 17 38 39 142 992 substances which are not used as solvents (including composting and other biological transformation processes)

Recycling or reclamation of metals or R4 1 1 64 74 85 metal compounds

Recycling or reclamation of other inorganic R5 52 128 652 682 715 materials

Oil re-reﬁning or other reuses of oil R9 15 20 13 19 13

Land treatment resulting in beneﬁt to R10 1135 1213 850 1508 2063 agriculture or ecological improvement

Use of wastes obtained from any of the R11 0 3 4 1 3 operations numbered R1 to R10

Other recovery 0 1 1 2 76

Total of recovered waste: 1336 1560 1805 2622 4247

Recovery % of the whole waste generation 13 14 14 18 23

Table 5. Summary of the recovery of waste, according to different recovery operations during 1999-2003 (thousand tonnes).

6.7. Disposal of waste, including landfilling

OBJECTIVE: to decrease the quantities of is also one of the common methods of waste dis- disposable waste i.e. waste released into the en- posal. Mainly wood waste but also waste oil and vironment; to dispose of waste at a site of waste other hazardous waste are combusted. handling, which is located as near as possible to the location of waste generation and is appro- Although the quantities of disposed waste have priate from the aspect of technology and envir- increased from 9.2 million tonnes in 1999 to 12.6 onmental protection; to prevent the disposal of million tonnes in 2003, the percentage of the waste into the aquatic environment. disposal of waste in that period has signiﬁcantly decreased in comparison with the overall genera- The disposal of waste is an operation, in the tion of waste – from 85% in 1999 to 69% in 2003. course of which, waste is released into the en- At the same time, the amount of recovered waste vironment. In Estonia, the main method of dis- has increased. The main possibility for the posal of waste is the deposition of waste in land- reduction of the quantity of disposed waste is to ﬁlls. Incineration of waste without using energy direct the increasing amounts of waste into reuse and recovery.

85 Prior to the turn of the century, the main atten- of previously sorted or unsorted waste, the col- tion was paid to the development of landﬁlls and lection of recoverable and reusable waste and the deposition of waste, however, since then, hazardous waste should take place with a view the main emphasis is laid on the development to reducing the quantities of the waste that are of waste handling centres where the treatment released in the environment.

20,0

17,5

15,0

s 12,5

n o t 10,0 n o i l l i

m 7,5

5,0

2,5

0,0 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Generation of waste Disposal of waste, incl. landfilling

Figure 104. Generation and disposal of waste, incl. landfilling 1999-2003.

Kood 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Landfilling of waste (in landfills, including D1, 9 194 9 458 9 514 10507 12587 specially engineered landfills); placement of D4, liquid or sludgy discards into pits, ponds or D5 lagoons)

Land treatment (e.g. biodegradation of liquid D2 0,5 0,0 0,2 0,1 0,4 or sludgy discards in soils)

Biological or physico-chemical treatment D8, 7 6 34 72 62 (e.g. evaporation, drying, calcination), which D9 results in ﬁnal compounds or mixtures which are discarded by means of any of the operations numbered D1 to D12

Incineration on land D10 13 9 1 1 1

Other disposal 0,1 0,9 0,1

Total of disposed waste: 9 214 9 474 9 549 10581 12650

% of disposed waste of the overall generation 85 82 74 73 69 of waste

Table 6. Summary of the disposal of waste according to different disposal operations during 1999-2003 (thousand tonnes).

86 6.8. Number and classification of landfills in use

Objectives of Estonian National Environmental Objectives of Estonian Environmental Strategy Strategy until 2004: until 2010: • To appoint owners or operators for existing • To optimise the number of landfills of non- landfills and to close down landfills which do hazardous waste to the maximum of 8-10 land- not have an owner or operator; fills; • To establish new landfills and close down old • To build landfills and waste handling centres, disposal sites in accordance with the require- complying with the requirements and ensure ments of the European Union; the landfilling of waste only in the landfills that • To optimise the number of municipal land- meet the requirements; fills (up to 150) • To ensure environmentally sound closure of all landfills failing to comply with the requirements and the organisation of the monitoring and aftercare of waste handling sites; • To reorganise the ashes disposal technology of oil shale power stations and renovate or close down the existing ash fields in compliance with environmental requirements; • To provide environmentally sound closure of deposit sites of liquid waste generated in the processing of oil shale and to prevent the spreading of hazardous substances therefrom.

(Slops OÜ) KNT Uikala Sillamäe Kohtla-Järve Narva Balti SEJ Sõrve Kopli Tallinna Paldiski Ussimäe Kiviõli Sillamäe Pääsküla Kehra Viru Ahtme Tapa Tuula Harjumaa Eesti SEJ Lääne-Virumaa Estonia Oru Haiba-Mõnuste Ida-Virumaa Mäepere Risti Rakke Järvamaa Hiiumaa Pullapää Raplamaa Läänemaa Väätsa Torma

Külama Jõgevamaa Vändra Pärnu-Jaagupi Neemi Pärnumaa Tartumaa Saaremaa Pärnu Viljandi Kudjape Viinamärdi Aardlapalu Viljandimaa Kilingi-Nõmme Laguja Adiste Skan Holz Häädemeeste Valgamaa Põlvamaa

Keeni Räpo Andrikova Valga Hazardous waste Non-hazardous waste Võrumaa 1-50000 1-500 50000-1000000 500-2000 1000000-4500000 2000-10000 Inert waste 10000-50000 1-70000 50000-105000 70000-1000000 0 20 40 60 km 1000000-3900000

Figure 105. Landfills in operation in 2003 and the quantities of waste deposited therein (in tonnes).

87 175 170 157 150 s l l

i 125 f d n a l f

o 100 r e b m

u 75 n

59 50 50

0 2000 2001 2002 2003

Figure 106. Number of landfills in operation during 2000-2003.

Up until now and in the near future, landfilling non-hazardous waste are foreseen to operate in has been the main method of the disposal of waste Estonia in the future. During 2000– 2003, in Estonia as this is the easiest method of special attention was paid to the building of new disposal thereof. Such a mentality and attitude up-to-date landfills and the closure and recon- was promoted by the use of non-complying to ditioning of old ones. The Vaivara land-fill of environmental requirements deposit sites, which hazardous waste (2000), Väätsa landfill in Järva often lacked the supervision over the deposited County (2000), Torma landfill in Jõgeva County waste. According to the waste reporting of 2000, (2001), the 1st stage of the Uikala landfill in there were 148 operating landfills of mixed Ida-Viru County (2001) and the new landfill of municipal and other non-hazardous waste and 22 Tallinn in Jõelähtme rural municipality (2003) internal landfills of industrial waste in enterprises. were launched and the international procure- Pursuant to the requirements of the Estonian ment documents for the construction of anoth- Regulation on Landfills, many landfills were er regional landfill in Paikuse in Pärnu County closed for the receipt of waste, by the decision of were prepared. International procurement was environmental county authorities, thus sig- conducted for the works of shutting down the nificantly reducing the number of acting landfills Pääsküla landfill. Large-scale works were carried failing to comply with requirements. 37 landfills out in Sillamäe during the closure and recondi- of non-hazardous waste, 10 landfills of hazardous tioning of the landfill for the waste generated in waste and 3 landfills of inert waste remained in the production process of AS Silmet. The plant operation by the end of 2003. The number of act- for sorting municipal waste was built in Tallinn, ing landfills is continuously decreasing according utilising the own funds of the enterprise. to the development of a modern network of waste handling sites. According to the National Waste Management Plan, 8-9 regional landfills of

88 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW 2005

BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

PROTECTION OF SPECIES COMMUNITIES • ALIEN SPECIES PROTECTED AREAS AND NATURA 2000 • HUNTING 7 BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

7.1. Protection of species communities

Strategic objectives for protection of species OBJECTIVE: to proceed, upon the organisation communities result from Estonia’s Environmen- of protection of species and communities, from tal Strategy until 2010. a goal to guarantee them with a favourable status.

100

% 50

10 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 5 5 0 5 0 0 5 0 0 5 vascular mosses lichen fungi invertebrates fish amphibans reptiles birds mammals plants

I category II category III category

Figure 107. Percentage of protected species from the total number of species.

A signiﬁcant change in the protection of spe- of species, to provide them with the status of a cies took place in 2004, when, pursuant to the protected species. Nature Conservation Act which took effect this year, it is possible to implement the protection OBJECTIVE: to enhance the protection of nat- of a habitat of a protected species, in addition to ural and semi-natural habitats (communities), the protection of individual specimens. the protection of plant and animal species, their habitats and landscapes, pursuant to the In the case of birds and mammals, the decline renewed legal provisions, international agree- in protected species is conditioned by the fact ments and the requirements of the European the Animal Protection Act and the Hunting Act Union. precisely determine the cases as to when the kill- ing of an animal is allowed. Thus, it is also not Figure 108 demonstrates the sites of protected permitted to simply kill the animals which are species and their percentage with regard to the not under protection. Proceeding from this, it is species listed in the Annexes of the EC Directive not any more relevant, with regard to a number 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds

90 Habitats of protected species >1200 400-800 Other habitats 800-1200 <400 Habitats of species listed in the Directive

Figure 108. Sites of protected species listed in the Environmental Register.

(bird directive) and EC Directive 92/43/EEC biological diversity by way of protecting natural on the conservation of natural habitats and of habitats and the fauna and ﬂora. In Hiiumaa wild fauna and ﬂora (habitat directive)(as od and Saaremaa, the proportion of species, listed 01.01.05). in the Bird and Habitat Directives, is small, as The aim of the Birds Directive is the protection the prevailing part of local habitats of these spe- of natural bird species and their habitats. The cies coincide with the ones for protected plant goals of the Habitat Directive is the ensuring of species. Only a small number of plant species

10000

9000

8000 8038

7000 6412 6000

5000

habitats 4000 3750 3000 2762 2054 2366 2000 1235 1000 598 883 305 0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Flora Fauna

Figure 109. Number of habitats of protected species, listed in the Environmental Register (earlier, in the Nature Protection Register), according to different years. protected in Estonia have been listed in the An- ditioned by the fact that only a few habitats of nexes of the Habitat Directive. animal species of categories II and III have been Lesser signiﬁcance of protected animals is con- so far determined.

91 7.1.1. Alien species

Strategic objectives for protection of species communities result from Estonian Environmen- tal Strategy until 2010.

OBJECTIVE: to guarantee efﬁcient measures for stopping at least the alien species endanger- ing biodiversity in Estonia.

Black book Most well-known alien species

All imported botanic species that more or less In 1950ies the Sosnowski’s hogweed(Heracleum endanger natural communities are registered sosnovskyi) was brought to Estonia from the in „the Black Book“. The 1. and 2. category in Caucasus as a decorative and fodder plant. In- „the Black Book“, or list of especially dangerous dividual plants grow up to 5m high, they avert species, is called the black list. Distribution of other species from the community. In contact species listed in the black list shall be stopped with skin they cause burns that heal with difﬁ- in any possible way, in some cases active warding culties and suppurate. off shall be started. In order to control the Sosnowski’s hogweed, the Ministry of Environment started a national programme „Warding off toxic hogweeds in Category Species 2003–2010”. Its main objective is to stop further distribution of the hogweed in Estonia and de- 1 0 stroy existing distribution foci. 0 Naturalised plants

1 Especially dangerous naturalised 1 9 The Chinese mitten crab(Eriocheir sinesis) 2 Potentially dangerous naturalised 3 8 reached Europe in the beginning of the XX century with ballast water from cargo boats. In 3 Dangerous and permanent 3 3 its country of origin the specy lives in rivers, but it has also successfully adapted win the low-salt 4 Established aliens 3 0 contents brackish water in the Baltic Sea. 5 Permanently runs wild 6 5

6 Occasionally runs wild or 544 occasional aliens

7 Undeﬁned status 2

Total 740

Table 7. Number of species by categories in „the Black Book“.

92 Figure 110. Distribution of the Sosnowski’s hogweed in Estonia in 2003.

Figure 111. Findings of the Chinese mitten crab in Estonian waters.

93 7.2. Protected areas and Natura 2000

Strategic objectives for protected areas and Circa 75% of the goal set in the Environmen- Natura 2000 result from Estonian Environmental tal Strategy have been accomplished, meaning Strategy until 2010 and from Sustainable Strategy that as of 01.01. 2005, there are 169, 633 ha of Estonia until 2030. of the IUCN (the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) OBJECTIVE: to create, pursuant to the EU category I (a+b) areas, i.e. ~ 3.8% of the terri- recommendations, a network of protected areas tory of Estonia. (Natura 2000) in which the more strictly protected zones (strict nature reserves and special management zones) would encompass up to 5% of the Estonian land territory.

250 000

200 000

) 150 000 a h (

a 100 000

50 000

0 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

IUCN I (a+b) Goal set in Environmental Strategy

Figure 112. Area-related changes (ha) regarding the IUCN category I protected areas in Estonia during 1994-2004.

IUCN OBJECTIVE: to determine the percentage of category Relevant interpretation for Estonia protected areas and Natura sites in the territory of Estonia (no less than 10%). Ia Strict nature reserve

Ib Natural part of the special management The Natura 2000 areas subject to temporary zone restrictions of economic activities (hereinafter III Individual natural objects referred to as areas subject to temporary restrictions) added to the list of protected areas on 1 IV Maintained part of the special management zone, provided this has May 2004, have signiﬁcantly increased the size been created for the purposes of the of the protected territory. As of 01.01.2005, the protection of species protection rules of 155 protected areas have V Maintained part of the special been approved. In Estonia, there are 5 na- management zone (created for other tional parks, 55 nature conservation areas, 95 purposes) and the limited management zones of landscape protection areas landscape protection areas, 554 parks, 218 pro- VI Limited management zone of the tected areas with non-renewed protection rules nature conservation area and national and 459 areas subject to temporary restrictions. park Special conservation areas and species’ protection sites, partially formed on the basis of areas Table 8. Compatibility of the IUCN categories subject to temporary restrictions, will be added with the Estonian Nature Conservation Act. to the aforementioned in 2005.

94 The following thematic map demonstrates the diagram, however, refers to the distribution of percentage of the protected territory within the different protected area types in different coun- total area of the particular county; the sector ties in 2000.

Percentage of protected areas (01.01.2000) 18,2-21,3 13,4-16,1 4,2-13,4 Type of protected area RP LKA MKA VK PA

Figure 113. Distribution of protected areas in different counties in 2000.

The following thematic map demonstrates the diagram refers to the distribution of different percentage of the protected territory within the types of protected areas in different counties in total area of the particular county; the sector 2005.

Percentage of protected 21,3-31,6 16,1-18,2 7,6-13,4 areas (01.01.2005) 18,2-21,3 13,4-16,1 Type of protected area RP LKA MKA VK PA AJ

RP – national park; LKA – nature conservation area; MKA – landscape protection area; VK – protected area with non-renewed protection rules; PA – park; AJ – area subject to temporary restrictions.

Figure 114. Distribution of protected areas in different counties in 2005.

95 In 1999, protected areas constituted 10.0% of the 16 % mainland territory of Esto- nia; 0.9% was added to this 14 % by the end of 2004, thus, the total is 10.9%. When 12 % adding the areas, subject to temporary restrictions, to 10 % this figure, we obtain the 8 % total percentage – 16.3 %. 6 % Outcomes oftheNatura of the Natura 2000 project 4 % Natura 2000 is the network 2 % of protected areas formed pursuant to the EU Bird 0 % Directive and the Habitat 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Directive. mka rp pa outside protected areas The Estonian State submitted vk lka aj the list of Natura 2000 sites to the European Commission Figure 115. Area-based changes in protected territories during by the moment of joining the 1999-2004, percentage of the protected territory in relation to the European Union. This list mainland area of Estonia. comprises 66 Special Protection Areas (SPA) with the total territory of The Natura 2000 areas in Estonia have been se- 1, 236,808 ha and 509 Special Areas for lected for the protection of the more relevant Conservation (SAC) areas with the total area of habitats of 66 bird species, more important stag- 1, 058, 981 ha. ing posts, wintering and moulting areas of 70 SAC and SPA areas coincide either partially or migratory species mentioned in Annex I of the fully, there are altogether 490 Natura 2000 sites Bird Directive, and for the protection of 60 hab- with the total area of 1, 422, 500 ha. 51% is itat types listed in Annex I and the more repre- located in the sea, the total area of Natura 2000 sentative finding sites of 51 flora and fauna spe- sites on the land is 691,800 ha. cies listed in Annex II of the Habitat Directive.

external border of the protected area SAC area with temporary restrictions SPA

Figure 116. Natura 2000 areas and protected areas in Estonia.

96 7.2.1. Compensatory mechanisms

OBJECTIVE: to work out and implement compensatory mechanisms for Natura 2000 areas.

Pursuant to § 4, subsection 1 of The Land Tax which are solely zoned within natural special Act, land tax is not imposed on land where management zones, are exempted from lad tax. economic activities are prohibited by law or Likewise, land tax rate is 0% in natural special pursuant to the procedure provided by law. management zones and strict nature reserves Mandatory activities necessary for the preser- located within multi-zone protected areas. As of vation of protectable objects provided by pro- 01.01.2005, the total number of protected areas tection rules are deemed not to be economic with adjusted land tax rate is 118 (76% of areas activities. Proceeding from this, protected areas with renewed protection rules).

225000

200000 26985 177741 175000

150000 52430

125000 ) a h (

a 100000 e r a 75000 24396 129009 50000

25000 54889 7900 0 limitation maintenance natural reserve

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Figure 117. Land tax rate according to protective zones (the area also comprises the aquatorium of the protective zones). Limitation - limited management zone, maintenance - maintained part of the special managenment zone, natural - natural part of the special management zone, reserve - strict nature reserve

without land tax incentive 11 %

As of 01.01.2005, tax incentives were imposed in Estonia within 422, 365 hectares and the area of land without tax incentives was 51, 381 ha. with land tax incentive Upon the approval of the new protection rules, 89% it is also necessary to impose a land tax incentive in these sites.

Figure 118. Land tax incentives as of 01.01.2005.

97 Nature conservation supports Pursuant to § 18 of the Nature Conservation pursuant to the Minister of the Environment Act, Nature conservation support is paid for Regulation No 24, 22.04.2004; performance of work necessary for preserva- 2)The precipitation-rich summer in 2004 cre- tion of semi-natural communities of protected ated a situation where large alluvial meadows areas, special conservation areas or species pro- on the shores of the Kasari River and Emajõgi tection sites. Possessors of immovables have the River were ﬂooded from July until the end of right to apply for nature conservation support. September. Therefore, some of the planned The procedure for application for nature con- maintenance work was left undone. servation support, review of applications and payment of support, the requirements 16 000 000 for payment of support, and the rates of support have 14 000 000 been established by a regu- 12 000 000 lation of the Minister of the Environment No 62 (RTL 10 000 000 2004, 75, 1228). The follow- K

ing Figure shows the ﬁnan- E 8 000 000 cial resources allocated for E the maintenance and resto- 6 000 000 ration of semi-natural communities during the period 4 000 000 2001–2004. Maintenance comprises the areas of semi- 2 000 000 natural communities, which 0 have been maintained by 2001 2002 2003 2004 way of mowing and/or graz- ing, in addition, the expens- maintenance restoration es also comprise allocations for supporting the construc- Figure 119. Financial resources spent for the maintenance and tion of fences. Restoration restoration of semi-natural communities during 2001-2004. comprises all types of work associated with the ridding of the semi-natural communities from brushwood and thinning the tree layer. The 18000 area of maintained sites de- 16000 creased in 2004, due to two relevant reasons: 14000 1)By this time, the Natura 12000 2000 areas had been select-

ed and put under temporary ) 10000 a h

protection, by the Regula- (

a 8000 e

tion of the Minister of the r a Environment; in addition, 6000 the rules for the payment of nature conservation sup- 4000 ports and carrying out relevant work stipulated that 2000 the maintained biotic com- 0 munity had to be located 2001 2002 2003 2004 within the protected area, special conservation area, maintenance restoration species’ protection site or outside these mentioned areas – within an area taken Figure 120. Areas of semi-natural communities maintained and under temporary protection restored during 2001- 2004.

98 species, viabiliti and high productivity of popu- 7.3. Hunting lations and high hunting productivity, avoiding at the same time extensive damages to forestry and other economic activities. Strategic objectives for hunting result from Es- tonian Forestry Development programme „Es- Elk (Alces alces) tonian Forest Policy“ The number of elks has become stable near to the optimum line, food basis has improved, that OBJECTIVE: to regulate the number of game in conclusion has stopped the further increase animals in a way that guarantees the diversity of of elk damages

18000

16000

14000

12000

10000

8000

6000

4000

2000

0 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Probable number Allowed number if forest damage occurs harvest Official census Optimal number by Environmental strategy

Figure 121. The number of elks and harvest in 1960-2003.

Beaver (Castor ﬁber) The ongoing peak of the number of beavers has of beavers, it is necessary to intensify harvest in caused substantial damages to forests and drain- those habitations where the beaver causes sub- age systems. In order to decrease the number stantial harm to rural economy.

16000

14000

12000

10000

8000

6000

4000

2000

0 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

harvest number

Figure 122. The number of beavers and harvest in 1991-2003.

99 Wolves (Canis lupus) The number of wolves has started to increase again after several years of decrease tendency and the status of the population is improving. The results of monitoring since 2003 show more than doubled number of wolves in general game census.

Figure 123. Wolf litters, 2003.

800

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

0 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Census Hunting Motoring

Figure 124. Wolf census, hunting and monitoring.

100 Lynx (Felis lynx) The number of lynx is rather stable and distribution relatively even. The status of the population is good. Modest harvest in recent years and very good food basis have caused a slight increase in the number.

Figure 125. Distribution of lynx, winter 2003/2004.

1400

1200

1000

800

600

400

200

0 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Census Hunting Monitoring

Figure 126. Lynx census, hunting and monitoring.

101 BEAR (Ursus arctos) The number of bears has been very stable in the last decade and the status of the population is good. The density of population is bigger in the central and eastern part of the Estonian mainland.

Figure 127. Distribution of bears, summer 2003.

900

800

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

0 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Census Hunting Monitoring

Figure 128. Bear census, hunting and monitoring.

102 Main games The number of red deers and elks has become stable, the number of wild boars and roe deers is increasing due to warm winters in recent years and application of suitable game care methods. Increase in the number of wild boars has not even been stopped by increasing harvest volume.

45000

40000

35000

30000

25000

20000

15000

10000

5000

0 1999 2000 20012002 2003

number Roe deer Beaver Wild boar Elk Red deer

harvest Roe deer Beaver Wild boar Elk Red deer

Figure 129. The number of main hunting games based on monitoring and harvest data. (individuals).

103

E N V I R O N M E N T A L R E V I E W 2 0 0 5

FORESTRY

AREA AND GROWING STOCK OF FORESTS • TREE SPECIES COMPOSITION • FELLING AND INCREMENT • REFORESTATION WORKS • ILLEGAL FELLINGS • DISTRIBUTION OF DAMAGED FOREST AREAS • SHARE OF PROTECTED FOREST AREAS • STATE AID AWARDS TO PRIVATE FORESTRY • FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANNING • EMPLOYMENT • FOREST SECTOR • VISITABILITY, MAINTENANCE AND INVESTMENT COSTS OF FOREST RECREATION AREAS•ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS • FORESTRY EDUCATION 8 FORESTRY

8.1. Area and growing stock of forests

The strategic goals of forestry are based on the OBJECTIVE: to ensure the preservation of the Estonian Forestry Development Plan of until productivity, regeneration capacity and vitality 2010. of forests in order to ensure both short and long term production of benefits acquired from the forests.

million ha 100 milj m3 m3/ha 5 225

k 200 c o

) t

3 s

4 m g

n 175

a i

h w

( o r

g 150

h l a

r t

3 e o t 125 p d

k n

c a

t a 100 s e r

a 2

i l a

w t 75

o o

r T

g 50 1 25

0 0 1958 1975 1988 1994 2004*

Total area of forests Total growing stock of Growing stock per forest stands hectare of stands

Figure 130. Changes in the total area of forests and the growing stock forest stands over the time.

The total area of forests has signiﬁcantly of non-used agricultural areas, the drainage of increased during the last 50 years. At present, paludiﬁed areas (1960-1980) and changes in the forestland covers nearly 51.5% or more than the methodology of forest inventories. a half of the total area of Estonia. The main reasons for the increase in the area and growing stock of the forest is the natural afforestation

* Since 1999 data collection has used a statistical sample-plot based inventory method - National Forest Inventory (hereinafter NFI).

106 8.2. Tree species composition

42 41 39 40 38

31 30 31 28 28 30 27

23 23 24 24 %

20 18

0 pine spruce birch

1958 1975 1988 1994 2004* *NFI

Figure 131. Distribution of forestland by dominant tree species.

Essential changes have also incurred in the tree main reasons are the changes in the metho- species composition. The share of deciduous dology of forest inventory and the natural stands and mixed stands with a majority of afforestation of the non-used agricultural areas. deciduous trees has increased. And again, the

8.3. Felling and increment

In state forest the annual 14 felling volume has been appr. 3,5 mln m3 in recent 12 years. First of all, the high total volume of fellings has

) 10 been caused by the more 3

m active management of n o l i

l forests that in earlier years

l 8 i

m have been outside active (

e management. This tendency m 6 u l

o can be seen due to the v developments in the land re- 4 form. But in the last 3 years the total volume of fellings 2 has decreased.

0 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Volume of Increment fellings

Figure 132. Felling volume and increment during 1999-2003.

107 8.4. Reforestation works

12 000

10 000

8 000 ) a h (

a 6 000 e r a

4 000

2 000

0 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Planting Seeding Contribution to natural regeneration

Figure 133. Volumes of reforestation works during 1991-2004.

The volume of reforestation works has increased to natural regeneration (28.8%) and over the last years. The major part of reforesta- seeding(14.2%). In planting, mainly plants of tion works comprises planting – on average 58% spruce, pine and birch, which respectively form of the total area of reforestation works (during 67.4%, 19.8% and 12.1% of the total planted the last ﬁve years); less is contributed area, are used.

8.5. Illegal fellings

1 400 140 000 1 200 120 000

s 1 000

g n

i 100 000

l l

) e 3 f 800 f 80 000 m ( o

r e

e 600 m b

60 000 u l

m o

u v

N 400 40 000

200 20 000

0 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Number of illegal fellings Volume of illegally felled timber

Figure 134. The number of illegal fellings and the volume of illegally felled timber registered by the Environmental Inspectorate during 2000-2004.

Downtrend in illegal fellings is noticeable. In on timber market and the implementation of addition to the work of the Environmental In- measures in order to restrict transactions made spectorate, gradual decrease in the area of free with stolen wood, have contributed to this. The forestlands and those subjected to privatisation, share of illegal fellings forms approximately 1% in the course of the land reform, the situation of the total felling volume.

108 8.6. Distribution of damaged forest areas

20000

15000 ) a h ( a e r

a 10000

5000

0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Root rots Unfavourable water conditions Game damages Windfall Forest fires Others

Figure 135. Distribution of damaged forest areas according to damagers, during 1998-2004 (ha).

A significant part of forest damages is done by were no big storms in 2003 and 2004 – the Figure game animals. These mostly involve more than reflects the consequences of earlier storms. Un- 10-year-old large damages in middle aged spruce favourable water conditions are mainly caused by stands. The number of more recent damages is the activity of beavers. The most frequent occur- small. Destructive summer storms of 2001 and rences of root rots are caused by heterobasidion 2002 are not well reflected on the Figure, since parviporum of spruce and pine, damages caused a large part of the forest, damaged by the storm, by Armillaria fungi occur less often. was logged by the end of the year. There

8.7. Share of protected forest areas

OBJECTIVE: to ensure the preservation of registered as conserved forests. elements of the biological diversity in the forests of Estonia. The data is based on the legislation which was in force in 2003. In the near future, the share Protected forests form 585,800 ha or 25.8% of of protected forests will signiﬁcantly increase. A all forests - protected forests form nearly 30.9% wide range of amendments regarding both the of the forests of the State Forest Management reasons for protection and the width of zones Centre (RMK) and 22.8% of other forests. arise from the Nature Conservation Act passed in the spring of 2004; likewise, important The share of strictly protected forests among all changes have occurred in association with the forests is 6.3%. This comprises protected forests creation of new protected areas in the frame- and woodland key habitats. Reserves of protec- work of Natura 2000. ted areas, special management zones, areas selected in the framework of the project of the In the Estonian Forestry Development Plan until network of forest protection areas and planned 2010 a goal has been set to increase the area of to be subject to strict protection, display grounds strictly protected forests to 10% of the forest area of Capercaillie (1st zone) and the habitats of the of the Republic. category I protected species have been

109 Protection Reserves and special forests 441 500 management zones Protected forests ha 96 300 ha 134 600 ha Other reasons 19,5% 16,4% 5,9% 129 600 ha 22,1%

Limited management zones 95 300 ha 16,3% Alvars 57 200 ha 9,8%

Commercial forests 1 681 400 ha Woodland Water protection forests Display grounds of 74,2% key habitats 145 300 ha Cappercaillie 9700 ha 24,8% 62100 ha 10,6% 0,4%

Figure 136. Distribution of the area of Figure 137. Distribution of the area protected forestland by forest categories in 2003. forestlands pursuant to the reasons for protection in 2003.

8.8 State aid awards to private forestry

OBJECTIVE: to create a support system for pri- (e.g. projects of joint activities, neighbourhood vate forest owners, which supports the achieve- watch, etc.) and the allocation of resources ments of the goals set by the state, is effective intended for the development of the joint activ- and complies with the requirements of the own- ities of private forest owners and for raising the ers and the interests of the state. awareness of the forest owners and for general development (training sessions, consultations, The Figure describes the activities targeted at publications, etc.) by years. The volume of aid the development of joint activities of private awards intended for forest owners has increased forest owners (e.g. reforestation, forest main- each year. tenance works etc.), by way of the foundation Private Forest Centre, and the investments

3 500 000

3 000 000

2 500 000

2 000 000 K E E 1 500 000

1 000 000

500 000

0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

joint activity and investments awareness and development activities

Figure 138. State aid awards to private forestry during 2000-2004.

110 8.9. Forest management planning The share of forests, managed on the basis of establishes the Forest Management Plan as the the Forest Management Plan, is increasing. The precondition for the management of forests, amendment of the Forest Act, which has a certain role in this regard.

988 1000 850 850 900 )

a 800 h 660 d 700 n a

s 600 u o h

t 500 ( 414 a

e 400 r a 300 200 100 15 3 0 0 State forests Private forests Other owners Unrestituted lands

Total forest area Forests managed on the basis of the plan

Figure 139.Share of forests managed on the basis of the Forest Management Plan in 2005.

8.10. Employment

OBJECTIVE: to raise the international com- While the number of jobs decreased in the petitiveness of the forest sector companies and country as a whole during 1994-2003, the rel- the local use of production thereof, in order to evant ﬁgure increased in the forest sector at the guarantee the maximum utilisation of the tim- same time. ber, generated in the course of the management of forests.

45 ) s

d 40

n 12,5 a 10,7 s 8,9 u 35 9,8 o 5,5 10,4 h t

( 1,5 2,1 s 30 1,5 2,4

e 1,5 2,0 1,6 e

y 1,9

o 1,9 l 25 p 1,4 m

e 20 f 19,9 3,2 20,3 19,8 22,0 o 3,1 2,8 2,7 1,9 19,8 18,4 19,1 r 10,5 18,2 e 5,8 17,3 b 15 5,6 5,4

m 6,5 7,7 u

n 10

11,9 10,9 10,9 10,9 5 9,5 8,5 9,0 6,9 6,8 8,1 8,5 9,4 8,4 8,7 8,5 0 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Wood Forestry and processing Pulp and paper industry Furniture industry logging industry

Figure 140. Employment in forest sector during 1989-2003 (th. people)

111 8.11. Forest sector

The need of the forest industry for raw material competitive production, it is necessary to focus has continuously increased, which has given rise on production development; the volumes of to an increase in import (mainly from Russia futher processing are continuously increasing. and Latvia) – 17% of the timber used has been The further development of production de- imported. In order to promote sustainable and pends on the raw material supply.

6 1,2 1,4 1,2 1,4 5 1,2 1,3 1,3 0,3 0,3 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,3 1,1 4 0,2

% 1,1 1,3 0,2 1,9 2,2 0,1 1,8 2,6 3 1,6 % 2,3 2,6 0,1 1,4 1,0 1,2 1,1 2 0,9 2,3 2,3 2,5 2,3 1,9 2,0 1,9 1,9 1 1,6 1,7 1,2 0 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Forestry and logging Wood Furniture industry processing Pulp and paper industry industry

Figure 141. Percentage of forest sector enterprises in the gross domestic product (% according to current prices) during 1993-2003.

8.12. Visitability, maintenance and investment costs of forest recreation areas

OBJECTIVE: to provide the population with as Estonia – Tallinn and Tartu, and 81% of visitors varied possibilities of forest growing as possible, move by cars. People mainly came to the recrea- without damaging the forest and forest species. tion area with their families (51%), and friends or relatives (47%). The most important activi- The creation of various recreation possibilities in ties during the visit to the recreation area com- the state forest and the organisation of respective prised nature observation, (19%), swimming activities are the tasks of the manager of state (14%), staying in the forest (9%) and camping forests, RMK (State Forest Management Centre). (8%). Since 1997 the RMK has been dealing with the creation of various possibilities for people to According to the survey, 82% of the population move in the nature, within 10 recreation areas. of Estonia in their productive age or of those aged 15–74, are aware of the possibilities for The results of the visitor survey of recreation forest recreation and moving in nature, created areas, conducted by the RMK in 2003, showed by the RMK and 55% of them use them. The that 35% of the visitors of the recreation areas of places of the highest visitability comprised the the RMK arrive from the two largest cities in RMK recreation area in the vicinity of Tallinn (210,000 people), the Northern Estonian recre-

112 ation area of the RMK (189,000) and the RMK est recreation and movement in nature, and for recreation area of the Northern coast of Lake the management of ten recreation areas as fol- Peipsi RMK (157,000). lows:

During 2000–2004, the RMK used the ﬁnancial resources for developing the possibilities of for-

12 000 000

10 000 000

8 000 000

EEK 6 000 000

4 000 000

2 000 000

0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

expenditure of works building expenditure

Figure 142. Recreational (development of the possibilities for forest recreation and movement in nature and the management of ten recreation areas of the RMK) works during 2000-2004.

8.13 Environmental awareness

OBJECTIVE: to ensure a level of forest education and research in Estonia, which meets the international requirements and local needs and to provide the population with information covering the principles of a sustainable use of forests.

In 2003, AS Emor conducted a poll regarding (77% of the respondents). The knowledge con- nature-related problems amongst the popula- cerning forests mainly originated from the me- tion of Estonia. It became evident that the ma- dia. 40% of the respondents wished to get more jority of Estonians actually perceive the current information about forests, whereas the impor- most important nature-related problems. At the tance of the Internet, as the source of informa- same time, the need to protect and manage the tion, was pointed out. forests was considered the most important one

113 The forest contributes to ensuring 41 employment in rural areas The forest is an important holiday making place 60

I go to the forest to pick berries and mushrooms 62 The forest is an essential richness and a source of income for Estonia’s economy 65 The forest has an important meaning in Estonian culture and history 69 It is pleasant to go hiking, skiing and to go in 74 for sports in the forest Walking in the forest is relaxing; you can 82 spiritually load yourself there The forest as a preserver of natural diversity 83

The forest as a valuable landscape element 86

The forest, as a preserver of the overall 89 physical and social environment, must be protected 0 20 40 60 80 100

% of all respondents

Figure 143. Reflection of environmental awareness – importance of forests for people.

8.14. Forestry education

The number of the graduates, regarding the years, however, there has not been a signiﬁcant specialities in forestry, from 2000 to 2004, are decrease in the total number of those who have presented in a consolidated manner, represent- completed their studies. During recent years, a ing all types of study formats. The number of lot of attention has been paid on the moderni- those who have acquired an education in for- sation of curricula and bringing them into con- estry has been relatively ﬂuctuating over the formity with contemporary requirements.

80 74

59 59 60 60 s e t

a 50 47 u 46 d

a 42 r 41 40 g

f 40 o r e b 28 28

m 30 u n

20 16

10 9 9 10

0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Estonian Agricultural University Tihemetsa study place of the Pärnumaa Centre of Vocational Education Luua Forestry School

Figure 144. Number of graduates in forestry specialities, during 2000-2004 (consolidating all types of study).

114 E N V I R O N M E N T A L R E V I E W 2 0 0 5

FISHERY

FISHERY • CATCHING OF FISH • REDUCTION OF FISHING CAPACITY REPRODUCTION OF FISH RESOURCES FISHING BY THE MEMBER STATES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION 9 FISHERY

9.1. Fishery

Fishery is one of the most diverse and, at the task is to co-ordinate the fisheries sector at the same time, most problematic domains in a coun- Community level. Fisheries attaché in the Per- try bordering with the sea. Relatively recently, manent Representation of Estonia to the EU during the previous decade, fishermen could in Brussels co-ordinates Estonia’s co-operation catch as many fish as they wanted, but now, while with other EU member states and protects the the fish resources are decreasing, it is necessary interests of Estonia in the observed field. to regulate the use of this resource. The development of the fisheries sector entirely relies on Objectives regarding fisheries the status of fish resources, thus, when utilising the fish resources, it is necessary to guarantee Fish resources are important renewable natu- the natural reproduction capacity of fish popu- ral resources, the use of which is in accordance lations. None of the planned activities should with the principles of sustainable development, result in taking the quantities of fish resources approved both at international level and in Es- below the line necessary for biological reproduc- tonia. tion. The achievement of a persistent balance Possibilities for preserving or increasing fish re- between the reproduction of fish resources and sources are as follows: relevant utilisation is one of the most important 1. Regulation of fishing by way of restrictions tasks upon the creation of a competitive fisher- and the limitation of the number of traps or fish ies sector. In Estonia, fish resources are adminis- quantities, stipulated in the Fishing Rules, and tered by the Fish Resources Department of the the protection, enhancement or restoration of Ministry of the Environment, and fish manage- the living environment of fish ment is being dealt by the Fishery Economics 2. Decrease in fishing capacity. Department of the Ministry of Agriculture. Fish- 3. Reproduction by way of fish breeding (re- eries Directorate under the European Commis- stocking of juveniles, bred in fish breeding fa- sion is represented by a Commissioner whose cilities, into water bodies).

60000 55000 50000

45000 40000 35000 30000

25000 20000 15000 10000

5000 0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Baltic herring Sprat Cod Salmon ( Bothnian Bay) Salmon (Gulf of Finland)

Figure 145. Fisheries quotas allocated to Estonia during 2001-2004 (in tonnes, the salmon – in individuals) .

116 9.2. Fishing

Industrial fish species in the Baltic Sea are Clupea haren- gus membras (Baltic herring), 90000 Sprattus sprattus (sprat) and Salmo salar (salmon). Catch- 80000 ing of these species in the Baltic 70000 Sea is regulated with quota that means the biggest allowed catch 60000 amount. The quota will be deter- 50000 mined by species based on scientific recommendations and will 40000 be expressed in tons or number 30000 of individuals (salmon). Since 1998 the quota as well as catch 20000 amounts have decreased in the 10000 Baltic Sea. The more important species in 0 The Baltic Sea Internal waters Catch in the ocean distant catch are Palaemon ser- ratus (common prawn), Sebastes 2001 2002 2003 2004 spp. (sebasties) and Raja spp. (ray). Prawn reserves have been quite stable in years and based Figure 146. Catching of fish in Estonia during 2001-2004 (in tons). on recommendations from sci- entists the prawn quota was increased for 2006. redfish reserves have not been (Greenland halibut) reserve is constantly dete- improved and Reinhardtius hippoglossoides riorating.

9.3. Reduction of fishing capacity

The existence of fish resources as a natural re- (TAC), whereas the size of the fleet (fishing ca- source is directly dependent on human activi- pacity) was not subject to direct restrictions. ties, incl. the fishing capacity conditioned by the As of 2004, the fishing fleet register comprises fishing fleet; these two factors should be in bal- all ships dealing with fish catching in Estonia, ance. In the majority of countries of the world, operating in the Baltic Sea, ocean fishing, coast- the development of the fishing fleet has by to- al fishing and inland waters. A proper overview day reached a level where its total fishing capac- guarantees the set objective – reduction of fish- ity remarkably exceeds the fish resources to be ing capacity. For this purpose, fishing vessels are used. Subsidies in the fishing sector and too easy split into segments according to the fishing re- an access to fishing resources have been the two gion, fishing gear and the overall length of the main preconditions for the generation of exces- fishing vessel (Fig). The Figure refers to four sive fishing capacity in European countries. In different segments: Estonia, there is no subsidising of fish catching, 4S1 – vessels with overall length 12 m and however, during the second half of the 1990s, more; surplus catching quantities were caused by the 4S2 – vessels with overall length less than 12 m; utilisation of high capacity fishing fleet without 4S3 – vessels with overall length 24 m and restrictions, resulting in a conspicuous reduc- more; tion of catching possibilities. During this period, 4S4 – vessels used on inland waters. fishing was limited by way of prescribed quotas

117 Number of vessels (active)

Capacity (kW)

Total capacitance

0 2500 5000 7500 10000 12500 15000 17500 20000 22500 25000 27500

4S1 4S2 4S3 4S4

Figure 147. Segments of the fishing fleet (2004).

9.4 Reproduction of fish resources

One of the possibilities for the preservation of IBSFC Salmon Action Plan, Estonia has to guar- fish resources is indeed the reproduction of antee the spawning of salmon, in potential salm- fish species and their restocking in natural wa- on rivers, within 50% of the maximum possibil- ter bodies. In this instance, the following is of ity. The goal of restocking is to increase the size prime importance: of the population to a state where the spawn- 1)To enhance the status of species which, pur- ing fish, returning to the river, can themselves suant to international agreements and Estonian cope with reproduction. Since 1997, salmon has legislation, have been specified as endangered been restocked in sufficient quantities, however, ones and are in need of protection; the results have been poor. The reason being 2) To increase catching possibilities on the ac- the non-accessibility of spawning areas and the count of increased fish resources rather than probable change in the ecosystem of the Gulf fishing capacity. of Finland, leading to a situation where the amount of returning restocked salmons has re- Programme for fish species that need national duced by many times. protection or are endangered and for fish-farm reproduction of fish reserve for Estonian water Regarding the costs incurred by restocking, bodies determines the species in the case of the eel (Anguilla anguilla) belongs within the which it is necessary to enhance the situation by same magnitude with the salmon, however, in way of restocking the fish. Reproduction is not the case of eels, the primary aim is to increase regarded necessary in cases when the status of the catching possibilities. Following the con- the particular species can be improved by way struction of the dam on the Narva River in the of regulating the catches. Relying on the pro- 1950s, eels are unable to make their way up the gramme, the study on the efficiency of restock- stream and thus, the entire eel industry is based ing different species was launched in 2002; as a on the restocking of the Peipsi basin. During re- result, corrections have been made with regard cent years, the restocking comprises the speci- to restocked species over the years. mens of eels who have been bred for a couple of months, their migratory instinct is lower and The most important species of the restocked they reach the catches two-three years earlier. ones is salmon (Salmo salar). Pursuant to the Currently, a plan for the protection of the eel

118 is being devised in the European Union, in the future, this would probably affect the restocking species 2000 2001 2002 2003 of the eel in inland waters. eel 1105 471 304 554 Aiming at the protection thereof and simul- pike 3317 2130 2013 taneously, at creating fishing possibilities, the crayfish 29,7 7,7 17,9 16,7 sea trout (Salmo trutta), whitefish (Coregonus carp 15,1 5,1 4 2,7 lavaretus) and crayfish (Astacus astacus), are pikeperch 53,4 125 87 42,5 currently being restocked. Regarding other spe- tench 21,3 17 2,8 4,6 cies to be restocked, the aim primarily focuses salmon 133 278 364 417 on an increase in fishing possibilities. whitefish 116 143 153 34,8 sea trout 65 105 133 90 As mentioned above, the protection of fish resources proceeds from the standpoint that it is primarily necessary to manage the resources by Table 9. Number of restocked fish (thousand fish) way of regulating the catches. If this does not during 2000-2003. provide any results, it is necessary to consider restocking. A concrete term, regarding the transfer from restocking to the regulation of catches, than the recommended ones and thus, there is has so far been approved for salmon. Salmon a high probability that restocking would be fin- is the only species, the restocked quantity of ished after the end of the year 2010. Yet in order which is in accordance with the recommenda- to reach this goal, the quantities of restocked tions, yet the set objective would probably not fish have to increase and the status of the eco- be reached by 2010, due to an additional impact system needs to be improved. The Table below by other factors. Regarding other protected spe- presents the number of restocked fish during cies, the actual quantities are noticeably smaller 2000–2003.

Fishing by the mem- Member state 2000 2001 2002 ber states of the Austria 439 362 Belgium 29807 30217 29027 Estonia 113146 104994 102354 European Union Spain 1069930 1087496 Holland 495804 518163 Regarding the figures reflecting the catching of Ireland 276317 356309 281534 fish, Estonia occupies 14th-15th place among Italy 302155 310403 262332 the member states. In comparison with the coun- Greece 99292 94394 tries who acceded to the EU in 2004, Estonia is Cyprus 67482 75803 1795 in fourth place, preceded by Poland, Latvia and Lithuania 78987 150831 Lithuania. Fisheries of other acceded countries Latvia 136403 125433 104495 mainly comprise fish farming and fishing on in- Malta 1059 882 941 land waters. The largest catch numbers are in Poland 217686 225062 Denmark and Spain. Portugal 189151 191090 195973 France 693818 604333 616287 Sweden 228540 311828 294692 Germany 205249 211287 224453 Slovakia 368 1531 2578 Slovenia 1856 1827 1460 Finlan 156480 150085 144845 Great Britain 747571 741075 686467

Tabel 10. EL liikmesriikide 2000.–2003. a kalapüügi andmed (tonni).

119 120 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW 2005

ENVIRONMENTAL SUPERVISION

VIOLATIONS IN DIFFERENT SECTORS DURING 2000-2004 10 ENVIRONMENTAL SUPERVISION

The essence of environmental supervision in The data given in the table comprise the sum- Estonia is laid down by the Environmental Su- marised activities provided by the institutions pervision Act. dealing with environmental supervision – En- vironmental Inspectorate, Land Board, Police Board, Border Guard Administration, local government bodies or institutions, during 2000- 2004.

Sector Number of violations Number of ﬁned persons Total amount of ﬁnes (th. kr)

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Maintenance and excavations 3767 3083 4590 198 826 1465 47 463 1239

Requirements of hunting 177 537 284 275 190 119 378 206 157 102 48 137 120 229 134

Waste 1801 3043 1521 2887 2427 343 399 469 509 471 290 298 738 922 686

Protected natural objects 63 83 109 155 116 32 63 90 104 70 22 40 83 119 89

Fishing 2839 3464 3442 3941 3976 1702 2181 1937 1627 2 005 838 891 1116 1618 1808

Chemicals 75 86 39 51 56 41 52 28 29 25 33 39 39 202 88

Protection of fauna and animals 54 95 140 63 129 13 76 22 40 48 9 19 12 41 33

Protection of the earth crust 55 76 55 46 38 31 55 48 35 27 24 412 111 114 88

Forest protection 2292 2019 1833 1831 1570 892 905 863 983 875 833 854 1159 1363 1100

Arbitrary construction and 573 794 671 95 118 133 46 138 200 avoidance of planning regulations1

Protection of the shores1 39 107 20 61 43 74

Protection of water 621 535 411 684 557 237 230 230 488 299 206 293 403 766 507

Protection of ambient air and 76 176 174 234 243 56 107 127 188 120 50 85 161 335 286 ozone layer

CITES2 8 2 3,6

Requirements of environmental 1 1 3 impact assessment and environmental auditing

Requirements of environmental 3 3 8 monitoring

Integrated pollution prevention 1 1 2 and control

Total3 8767 11003 12687 13569 14057 3604 4597 4440 5052 5600 2412 3220 4274 6296 6205

Table 11. Violations in different sectors during 2000-2004.

122 Upon the analysis, it is necessary to give considera- 1 As of 2003, there is no registration of violations regarding arbitrary construction and avoidance of planning regulations, instead, relevant tion to the fact that alterations have taken place in violations are being registered under the sector of protection of the the course of years, with regard to legislation, statisti- shores. cal forms, institutions dealing with supervision and 2 Requirements laid down for the protection of the species (including the species given in the Appendices of the Washington Convention or their functions. Likewise, the number of inspectors CITES) listed in the Appendices A-D of the Council Regulation (EC) involved in environmental supervision has increased No 338/97. 3 The row “Total” comprises the violations listed in the above- and their qualiﬁcation improved. mentioned sectors and also other offences.

Number of penal sanctions Number of violations connected Total environmental damage in criminal cases with environmental damage (th. kr)

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

1 3 2 18 62 48 63 49 135 438 411 599 584

1 1 1 2 1 80 10

5 8 19 6 1248 1165 2934 276

10 4 2 173 121 214 163 231 430 498 2237 797 448

1 3 1 10 164 10

2 3 2 10 2 3 3 12 757 14 17

3 11

353 329 107 91 143 1396 871 612 493 439 123 213 106 877 124 043 77 122 72 007

9 4 3 8 4 15 257 4 41 27

8 2 84 1

366 334 112 91 145 1603 1068 897 768 737 123 808 109 346 128 697 81 835 73 376

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW 2005

MEASURES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

EUROPEAN UNION ECO-LABEL • EMAS 11 MEASURES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

11.1 Measures for environmental management

Environmental management systems and eco- tasks (e.g. by regulating the sorting of waste or labels are the measures for environmental man- the use of electric energy). agement. Regarding the formal systems, organisations in Environmental management system is a part of Estonia can implement the international envi- organisation’s management system and consti- ronmental management standard ISO 14001 tutes the controlling, decreasing and prevent- or the Community eco-management and audit ing of environmental impact coming from the scheme (hereinafter referred to as EMAS). organisation’s action and thereby helps to improve the competitiveness. Environmental man- Eco-label is a label applied voluntarily and given agement system may be implemented in two to products and services by an impartial institu- ways, either formally – by applying for a relevant tion. certiﬁcate, or non-formally – by solving concrete

11.2. European Union eco-label

A uniform ﬂower-shaped eco-label or “Flower” An Eco-label on the product indicates that the has been utilised in the member states of the entire life cycle, starting with the selection of European Community. raw materials until the disposal, is environmentally friendly. The environmental impacts are identiﬁed on the basis of examination of the in- teractions of products with the environment, including the use of energy and natural resources, during the life cycle of the product.

The eco-label will be awarded to services and products, which comply with the criteria.

Why should the eco-label be requested? The goals for the creation and implementation For an entrepreneur, it is important that his/her of the EU eco-label are as follows: product or service is known and that the con- to promote the use of products and services sumer would develop trust towards the relevant compatible with the environment; enterprise, this, in its turn, secures the survival of to contribute to sustainable use of natural re- the enterprise under acute competition circum- sources; stances. Here, the eco-label may prove to be the to provide consumers with information on the guarantee of entrepreneur’s success. Applying qualities of environmentally sound products for an eco-label is voluntary. In a number of Eu- and services; ropean countries, it is customary that purchases to assist the consumer in making choices from are being made with preference being given to among the products and services with a similar eco-labelled products and services. Along with purpose yet different environmental impact. the increase in environmental awareness of peo-

126 ple, the awarding of the eco-label is also gaining eco-labelled products and services have been more signiﬁcant importance for businesses in registered in Denmark, Italy and France (ﬁgure Estonia. Up until now, none of the Estonian en- 148). The most popular categories being tex- terprises have applied for the “Flower” for their tile products, indoor paints and varnishes, and products or services. also tourist accommodation services. Regarding As of April 2005, the contract for a “Flower” the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, one has been concluded with 241 enterprises in the usage right of the eco-label has been issued in European Community. The largest number of each country.

45 k r a m

40 n e D 35 y l a t I

30 e c n a y r t i F t 25 n a u Q n

20 s e d d n e a y n l w i r n S a e e

15 a p c h m t m e S o r e l e d e r a N g G g G n e i a

10 u i y t h r K r t a T o s d m w u r P e u t i i o A g

5 n l N e U B 0

Textile products Indoor paints and varnishes Tourist accommodation services Footwear Copying paper Tissue paper products

Figure 148. Eco-labelled products and services in the member states of the European Community. Source: European Commission, comprehensive register www.eco-label.com

11.3. EMAS

Community Eco-Management and Audit In order to obtain EMAS registration, the or- Scheme (EMAS) is meant for the evaluation and ganisation has to implement the environmental enhancement of the organization’s environ- management system pursuant to the require- mental performance. ments of the ISO 14001, compile an environ- EMAS aims at contributing to mental statement and send the validated envi- the continual improvement of ronmental statement, together with an applica- environmental performance tion, to the competent body for registration. in organisations. The requirements of the During the period 1998–2000, only 2 organisa- EMAS regulation, to a large tions were certified in Estonia pursuant to ISO extent, coincide with these of 14001, however, in 2004, the relevant number the ISO 14001 standard. Both was as high as 55 (figure 149). Within the first proceed from the “Plan-Do-Check-Act” model. four months of 2005, the number of issued ISO Every organisation, implementing the EMAS, 14001 certificates in Estonia was 20. As of May has to compile a relevant environmental state- 2005, the total of 117 organisations had been ment and publicise this. certified in Estonia, pursuant to ISO 14001.

127 Registration of the environmental management system in conformity with the EMAS requirements is becoming ever more important for organisations, also in the commu- 70 nication with state and local government authorities and in partici- 60 55 pating in public procurements. 50 AS Tallinna Vesi is the ﬁrst com- pany in Estonia that registered its 40 environmental management system pursuant to the requirements 30 28 in the EMAS regulation. At the moment there are several coopera- 20 tion projects in Estonia that should 12 result in the implementation and 10

registration of EMAS at least in six 11 organisations by the end of 2005. 0 1998 2000 2002 2003 2004 The largest number of organisations, within the borders of the Figure 149. Number of ISO 14001 certificates issued European Community, having the in Estonia. EMAS registration, are located in Germany, Spain, Italy and Austria; whereas in Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, none of the organisations have yet been registered. The most active organisations applying for registration during the recent years comprise hotels, restaurants, educational and state institutions, enterprises and organisations operating in the ﬁeld of transport and social work. An increasing trend is also noticeable in the industrial sector, primarily among the organisations focusing on chemicals, foodstuffs and drinks, electric energy and waste.

128