Estonia - Justice and Home Affairs

Short-term priorities:

• Implementing measures to combat corruption and organised crime and to continue judicial reform.

Assessment (October 1999)

These priorities were partially met.

Estonia had continued to make efforts in the fight against corruption and organised crime. Steps to restructure and modernise the police had also been taken. However, further efforts needed to be made, in particular to fight corruption within the police and to improve police efficiency. The same applied to the judiciary where training of judges and prosecutors had to be intensified, especially with regard to Community law. Limited training and low salaries continued to jeopardise the progress achieved in this area. Greater political and administrative attention had to be paid to the drugs situation. Estonia had reached a relatively high standard of security on its eastern border. Border infrastructures and equipment needed to be further developed, however, and the facilitated border-crossing procedures had to be brought into line with EU visa practice.

Assessment (November 2000)

Estonia had taken steps to create an advanced integrated criminal investigation data system and to strengthen capacities to deal with money laundering. It had also ratified the 1988 UN Convention on illicit drug trafficking and the European Convention on money laundering. Limited progress had been made on completing the reform of criminal law. Further efforts needed to be made to ensure better coordination among law enforcement bodies and the judiciary.

Assessment (November 2001)

The criminal law system has been partially reformed. Further efforts are needed to ensure coordination between the courts and law enforcement bodies. Measures to combat organised crime must be stepped up as this priority has been fulfilled only in part.

Assessment (October 2002)

Progress is still being made in the fight against organised crime. However capacities need to be strengthened to deal with money laundering. Legislative alignment is largely complete. However, Estonia still needs to take the necessary steps to transpose Community instruments, mainly by adopting and applying the new criminal and civil law codes. Judges are receiving training in accordance with the action plan.

Assessment (November 2003)

Please refer to the fact sheets on the adoption of the Community acquis.

Medium-term priorities:

• ratification and application of necessary international legal instruments relevant to the Community acquis;
• enhance border management, especially on the eastern border;
• implementation of migration policy and asylum procedures;
• alignment of visa policy with that of the European Union and completion of alignment with international conventions;
• fight against organised crime (particularly money laundering, drug trafficking and trafficking in human beings), in the light of the Schengen acquis.

Assessment (October 1999)

Estonia had continued to make efforts in the fight against corruption and organised crime. It had adopted laws on asylum and money laundering. Its visa policy had almost been brought into line with the Schengen acquis.

Assessment (November 2000)

Visa policy had been aligned with that of the European Union.

Assessment (November 2001)

Visa policy had been brought into line with EU requirements. However, further work still needed to be done on border controls, immigration and police cooperation with Europol.

Assessment (October 2002)

Measures are being taken to align legislation regarding visas, legal immigration and asylum, apply legislation on border control and migration to prevent illegal immigration, and implement the law on refugees. Progress has already been made in strengthening border management and control, including maritime surveillance. Nevertheless, steps still need to be taken to adapt the infrastructure and equipment necessary for border control.

The capacity to fight drug trafficking should be stepped up.

Legislative alignment with the Convention on the financial interests of the Communities and its protocols should be completed.

Assessment (November 2003)

Please refer to the fact sheets on the adoption of the Community acquis.

Following the signing of the Accession Treaty on 16 April 2003, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia acceded to the European Union on 1 May 2004.

REFERENCES

Decision 98/264/EC of 30.03.1998Official Journal L 121, 23.04.1998

Decision 1999/855/EC of 06.12.1999Official Journal L 335, 28.12.1999

Commission Opinion COM(97)2006 finalNot published in the Official Journal

Commission Report COM(98)705 finalNot published in the Official Journal

Commission Report COM(1999)504 finalNot published in the Official Journal

Commission Report COM(2000)704 finalNot published in the Official Journal

Commission Report COM(2001)700 final - SEC(2001) 1747Not published in the Official Journal

Commission Report COM(2000)700 final - SEC(2001) 1747Not published in the Official Journal

Commission Report COM(2003) 675 final - SEC(2003) 1201Not published in the Official Journal

Treaty of Accession to the European Union [Official Journal L 236, 23.09.2003]

Last updated: 19.11.2004