Public Land Management in

Evelin Jürgenson Siim Maasikamäe

Content of presentation

• Some facts about Estonia • Legal framework • Institutional framework • Overview about state land distribution • Some examples of land maintenance • Questions • Conclusion

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1 Facts about Estonia

• Total area – 45 227 km2

Not reformed Privatised land 22% 14%

State Municipal Restituted ownership ownership 33% 30% 1%

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Legal framework

• State Assets Act, adopted 11.11.2009 – it is new one (the previous one was passed on 15.02.1995) • The act regulates governing of the state assets. • It gives main rules for administration of state assets. • The special procedures for selling and renting is adopted by ministry of Finance. • Every municipality adopts its own procedure for municipal assets.

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2 Institutional framework

Rules and regulations

Ministry of Administrators of State Assets Local Finance state assets Register (old) authorities or (226) State Real ministries (11) Estate Register (new) county ? governments (15) Ensure transparency State Real Control Estate Ltd activities other institutions General public (6)

National Audit Office Control activities 5

State assets register will be changed (1) • According to the old system (1995 – 2010) - state assets have been registered in the national state assets register. • This register is – accessible through the internet but • it is old-fashioned, • It has not been always updated, • there are a lot of mistakes.

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3 - State Assets Register (1995-2010)

• .

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State assets register will be changed (2) • According to the new system (2010 - …) – state real estate register will be established. • The new register enables the public to get information about state immovable properties and also about transactions. • This register is not founded yet.

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4 New system - State Real Estate Strategy

Real estate Real estate Protected areas Forest land with buildings without buildings – state land plots

? State Real Land Board State Forest State Forest Estate Ltd Management Management Centre Centre or Environmental Board

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State land distribution

• State land area is 1 374 905 hectares (30 % of the total Estonian area) Other ministries and authorities; 142 363 ha; 10%

Ministry of Environment; 1 232 542 ha; 90%

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5 Land distribution under the Ministry of the Environment • Total area 1 232 542 ha • Total number of plots – 14 971

Distribution according to the area Distribution according to the number of plots Other Land Board; Other institutions; institutions; 89 307 ha; 987 plots; 7% 32 356 ha; 3% 7%

Land Board; State Forest State Forest 5 799 plots; Management Management 39% Centre; Centre; 1 110 878 ha; 8 185 plots; 54% 90% 11

Land Board’s activity with land maintenance in urban areas

300 251 250

200

150 95 100 49 49 49 50 50 30 26 28 27 17 20 20 17 12 0 Pärnu ja Sindi

Total number of plots 2010 Managed plots 2010 Managed plots 2009

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6 Average maintenance cost per plot (2007-2010)

1400

1200

1000 Tallinn 800 Tartu Pärnu ja Sindi 600 Kuressaare 400 Rakvere

200

0 2007 2008 2009 2010

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Problems with state land maintenance • For better organization of maintenance, it would be useful to map the problematic state lands and to create a proper database or map. • Sometimes there is a lack of information on the land units that need maintenance. • Before organizing procurement, all state lands what need to be maintained, should be checked and then ranked in accordance with necessary works. • Maintenance work prices are very different, depending on the various aspects of the subject. • There is need for maintenance standards – it would clarify the work content and also simplify supervision.

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7 Questions

• How much state and municipal land we need to carry out the tasks of state and local government? • How much land is economically reasonable to be kept on public sector? • How to convince the government (state or local authority) that sometimes real estates are more useful to keep than sell out? • Public land - what does it mean?

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Public land – what does it mean?

State land Municipal land

Land for special Public land purpose ?

Land under Land for border Forest areas, Green areas, constructions guard, military etc protected areas parks

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8 Conclusion (1)

• It is important to determine how much and which land is needed to carry out the tasks of state and local government. • The concept of state, municipal land and different sub-types need to be clarified. • Land what is essential according to the future development must keep in state ownership. • Unnecessary land has to be sold or rented out, a long time action plan is needed for that purpose. • The availability of tools for land acquisition (also compulsorily) for public purposes is very important.

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Conclusion (2)

• A user-friendly and transparent database is needed for efficient public land management. • The state and municipal land management can be costly. • Find out the cost sharing possibilities. • The cost calculation is important. • To compare the land management costs, it is necessary to develop a cost calculation model for public authorities.

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9 Thank you!

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