Problems of Estonian Local Government in 2013 and Co-operation as an Instrument of Their Resolution

• Author: Kalle Merusk - Vallo Olle
• Position: Professor of Constitutional and Administrative Law, University of Tartu - Docent of Administrative Law University of Tartu
• Pages: 160-168

160 JURIDICA INTERNATIONAL XX/2013

Kalle Merusk Vallo Olle

Professor of Constitutional and Docent of Administrative Law

Administrative Law, University of Tartu University of Tartu

Problems of Estonian Local

Government in 2013 and

Co-operation as an Instrument

of Their Resolution

In 1928, Estonian lawyer E. Maddison wrote on the expanding load of a local government’s (LG’s) tasks:

‘The way out would be through joining forces and working together with some other local government.’*1

Eighty-four years later, the document titled ‘Survey of the Trends and Problems of Estonian Local Govern-

ment Organisation and Proposals Made by Different Parties’ states that, while there exist some examples

of co-operation among LGs, this opportunity is, in fact, not very widely exercised.*2 Because of the real-

world nature of the problems seen today, the authors of the present article have focused on the issues of

LG co-operation law. Also, there is a relative scarcity in Estonia of relevant legal writings on this particular

subject.*3 The format for this article determines certain decisions as to the subject matter: themes related to

potential models for a metropolitan area remain beyond the scope of study.

The authors search for and attempt to formulate answers to the following questions:

1) What main problems are characteristic of the current Estonian LG system?

2) What can/should be done in LG law, particularly in co-operation law, to solve these problems?

Although this article focuses on the themes of voluntary co-operation, its opposite pole – mandatory co-oper-

ation—cannot fully be overlooked. As a matter of fact, in the Estonian legal system voluntary co-operation

among LGs is synonymous with their co-operation as a whole: unlike many countries (Finland, Denmark,

Latvia, etc.), Estonia has no regulations in its legislation addressing obligatory co-operation among LGs.

1 Sihtühisuste probleem meie omavalitsuste elus [‘The problem of joint ventures in the life of our local governments’]. –

Maaomavalitsus. Eesti Maaomavalitsuste Liidu häälekandja 1928/12, p. 181 (in Estonian).

2 Ülevaade Eesti omavalitsuskorraldust puudutavatest trendidest, probleemidest ja eri osapoolte ettepanekutest [‘Overview of

the Trends, Problems and Proposals from Various Parties’]. Tallinn 2012, p. 21. Available at https://www.siseministeerium.

ee/public/Lisa_2_Ulevaade_KOV_trendidest_probleemid..pdf (most recently accessed on 3.3.2013) (in Estonian).

3 One could mention as an exception the commented edition of the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia, wherein certain

aspects of co-operation among LGs are dealt with under §159 (Eesti Vabariigi põhiseadus. Kommenteeritud väljaanne.

Kolmas, täiendatud väljaanne [‘Constitution of the Republic of Estonia, Commented Edition. Third, Revised Edition’].

Tallinn: Juura 2012, pp. 878–881 (in Estonian)), and the fi nal report from the study of legal and managerial solutions for

co-operation models of metropolitan areas compiled by the Tallinn University of Technology by order of the Union of Harju

County Municipalities (Projekti „Pealinnaregiooni omavalitsusüksuste koostöö- ja haldusvõimekuse tõstmine” raames

pealinnapiirkonna koostöömudelite õiguslike ja juhtimisalaste lahenduste väljatöötamine. Lõpparuanne. Tallinn 2011.

Available at http//43939.edicypages.com/fi les/Tallinna_Tehnikaülikooli_lõpparuanne_15_02_2011.pdf (most recently

accessed on 2.3.2013) (in Estonian)).