In Estonia, preliminary regulatory impact assessments (RIAs) refer to the legislative intent documents, which precede all primary laws, unless exemptions apply. Full RIAs are rare, but simplified RIAs are included for all draft laws. Recent efforts to improve RIA practice include systematic training of law drafters and the creation of a network for public officials. A 2023 amendment to the inter‑ministerial co-ordination process required the Ministry of Justice to review all draft laws twice before they are presented for Government approval, enabling earlier identification of RIA shortcomings and the chance to review improvements. The Ministry is testing a new methodology to assess RIA quality, data collection began in 2023, and data analysis and results are expected by the end of 2024.
In 2023, Estonia created an open government roadmap to improve stakeholder engagement in policymaking. Public consultations are spread via an information system for draft legislation (EIS), ministries’ websites, social media and newspapers. Online consultations to inform stakeholders about the nature of the policy problem and identify policy options are conducted in some cases. Later‑stage consultations are held for all primary laws and subordinate regulations.
Ex post evaluation has been mandatory for some regulations since 2012, occurring 3–5 years after implementation, and covering competition, administrative burden, and regulatory overlap. Ex post evaluations must now assess if the policy goals are met. Ex post evaluations are mandatory for urgent laws that bypassed usual rule-making processes where they impose significant impacts on specific groups. Publishing ex post evaluations is at the discretion of the relevant minister.
The Ministry of Justice oversees regulatory quality and is responsible for improving and evaluating regulatory policy. The Minister of Justice reports annually to parliament, including on compliance with RIA and stakeholder engagement requirements. The Government Office co‑ordinates stakeholder engagement across government by issuing guidelines and promoting the engagement co-ordinators’ programme. Its EU Secretariat co-ordinates EU law transposition, and its Legal Department examines the quality of draft subordinate regulations.
All primary laws/ ▲ Yes ■ Required ● Yes, there is a regulation and a policy
Major primary laws/ ● Yes, there is a regulation
Some primary laws/ ■ Not required but allowed ● Yes, there is a policy
Never/ ▲ No ■ Not allowed