EU Member State experience in implementing the Espoo Convention ESTONIA 21 September 2007, Moscow

Basic documents and legal acts The law on ratification of the Espoo Convention (2000)‏ The Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Management System Act (2005)‏ Agreement between Estonia and Latvia on EIA in a Transboundary Context (1997)‏ Agreement between Estonia and Finland on EIA in a Transboundary Context (2002)‏

The joint commissions on EIA The Estonian-Latvian and the Estonian- Finnish joint commissions are established. The tasks of the commissions are: to oversee and review the implementation of the Agreements – to establish, where appropriate ad hoc working groups for overseeing and following up transboundary EIA’s in individual cases to develop further the mandatory information to be included in the notification to discuss practical matters how to carry out EIAs in a transboundary context etc

The materials/information from Estonia To Latvia: SEA of Valga comprehensive plan SEA of Pedele River Recreation plan To Finland, Sweden and Russia: EIA of renovation of the power units in Estonian and Baltic Power Plants (to Finland and Russia)‏ EIA of construction of five offshore windfarms near to Hiiumaa (to Finland and Sweden)‏ EIA and SEA of an energy complex development project in Narva (to Finland and Russia)‏

The notifications/materials sent to Estonia (1)‏ From Latvia: – EIA of a sand quarry in the rural territory of Ainaži (2006)‏ EIA of the dolomite mining site „Ape“ (2006)‏ EIA of the dolostone mining project in Aluksnes (2007)‏ From Sweden: – EIA for the Encapsulation plant and the Final repository for spent nuclear fuel (2006)‏

The notifications/materials sent to Estonia (2)‏ From Luxembourg: – SEA Screening Report of Draft ESPON 2013 Operation Programme (2006)‏ From Finland: – SEA of the forthcoming Central Baltic cross-border development programme (2006)‏ EIA for the Extension of the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant (2007)‏ EIA for supplementing the Loviisa nuclear power plant (2007)‏

The notifications/materials sent to Estonia (3)‏ From Lithuania: EIA of construction of the nuclear power plant in Lithuania (2007)‏ From 5 states: EIA of the Nord Stream pipeline (2006)‏

The experience of one transboundary EIA case The proposed activities: renovation of the power unit No 8 in Estonian Power Plant renovation of the power unit No 11 in Baltic Power Plant

The proposed activities During the planned activities: to replace pulverised oil shale boilers with the new more effective and environmentally sound circulating fluidised bed boilers to replace old worn boilers with new effective electrostatic precipitators

The necessity of the proposed activities relation with international agreements national policies repowering and modernisation contract of Narva Power Plants Ida-Viru County Development Plan

Roles in EIA Developer – Estonian Energy Ltd (Narva Power Plants Ltd)‏ Decision-maker/supervisor – the Ministry of the Environment (MoE)‏ EIA expert - Tallinn Pedagogical University, Institute of Ecology and expert group

The transboundary EIA procedure (1)‏ Narva Power Plants Ltd submitted environmental memorandums to MoE MoE initiated the transboundary EIA Preparation of the EIA programme The notification to Finland and Russia

The transboundary EIA procedure (2)‏ Public hearing of the programme Finland confirmed of its participation in the EIA and sent comments on the programme Amendments to the EIA programme Adoption of the programme by the MoE

The transboundary EIA procedure (3)‏ Preparation of the EIA report Report in Estonian, summary also in English and Russian Draft EIA report sent to Finland Comments on the report from Finland Public hearing of the report

The transboundary EIA procedure (4)‏ Amendments to the EIA report Approval of the EIA report and environmental requirements by MoE Final decision and environmental permits Amended EIA report to Finland

Good experiences Early notification The EIA programme in English Comments sent to the draft EIA report before public hearing in Estonia Informal contacts by Amended EIA report was sent to Finland afterwards

Main difficulties Very tight time schedule Not enough time was given to Finland for public hearings – only one month Only the Summary of the EIA report was translated into English

Lessons learned The notification should be sent as early as possible More time is needed to get comments from the Affected Party – at least two months All the EIA documentation should be translated