3.3 Regional level of the administrative system: institutions, their authority, function and tasks

The regional level of the Estonian administrative system consists of:
  • county governors and governments
  • the regional offices of the number of executive agencies, inspectorates and other governmental agencies
  • county associations of local governments.

3.3.1 County governors and governments

County governors are appointed to office for a term of five years by the Government of the Republic on the proposal of the Minister of Regional Affairs. The competencies of county governors are listed in § 84 of the Government of the Republic Act. Among other duties, county governors shall:

  • represent the interests of the state in the county and care for the comprehensive and balanced development of the county;
  • direct the work of the county government;
  • report to the Minister of Regional Affairs and the Government of the Republic on his or her activities;<0}
  • co-ordinate the co-operation of regional offices of ministries and other agencies of executive power and local governments in the county;
  • give his or her opinion on the appointment to and release from office of the heads of regional offices of ministries and other agencies of executive power located in the county;
  • inform the Government of the Republic, the Minister of Regional Affairs and local governments on regional policy and other issues concerning relations between executive power and the local governments;
  • make proposals through the Minister of Regional Affairs to the Government of the Republic and ministries for the management of the work of local administrative agencies of government agencies and other state agencies located in the county;
  • possess, use and dispose of state assets within the scope of his or her authority pursuant to law;
  • conclude, by authorisation of the Government of the Republic, administration contracts with local governments for performance of state obligations by them;
  • monitor the activities of local governments and perform functions of supervisory control;
  • guide and co-ordinate the activities of state agencies administered by the county government;
  • represent the state in court in court actions arising from performance of the duties of the county governor and organise the collection and communication of information concerning such court actions.

A county government is a government agency which provides services to the county governor and is directed by the county governor. There are 15 county governors and county governments in Estonia.

3.3.2 Regional governmental offices

Regional governmental offices operate both within county and district boundaries, depending on the particular administrative field. Some of the agencies and inspectorates do not have regional offices, departments, etc., due to the nature of their functions. Following governmental agencies and inspectorates have regional agencies, departments or other units in all 15 counties:

  • Estonian Land Board - 16 cadastral bureaus (counties, + Tallinn)
  • National Heritage Board - 15 senior inspectors
  • Estonian Agricultural Registers and Information Board - 15 bureaus
  • Consumer Protection Board - 15 services
  • Veterinary And Food Administration - 15 agencies
  • Labour Market Board - 15 departments
  • Veterinary And Food Administration - 15 veterinary centres
  • Plant Production Inspectorate - 15 surveillance bureaus
  • National Labour Inspectorate - 15 centres

The territorial organisation of these governmental agencies and inspectorates has formed the specific administrative districts:

  • Security Police Board - 7 regional departments
  • Defence Resources Agency - 2 departments dealing with registration of persons liable to service in the Defence Forces
  • Citizenship and Migration Board - 4 departments
  • National Road Administration - 1 regional office and 5 subordinate agencies
  • Estonian Tax and Customs Board - 4 tax and custom centres
  • National Board of Border Guard - 5 border districts
  • National Police Board - 4 prefectures
  • Rescue Board - 4 rescue centres and 15 departments of rescue centres
  • National Communications Board - 3 representative offices
  • Social Insurance Board - 4 Pension Boards
  • Estonian National Maritime Board - 5 divisions of navigational marking
  • Language Inspectorate - 5 surveillance divisions
  • Environmental Inspectorate - 7 departments, + 8 bureaus of departments
  • Health Protection Inspectorate - 4 divisions
  • The Prosecutor's Office - 4 circuit prosecutor's offices

 

3.3.3 County associations of local municipalities

Local governments in a county may form a county association of local governments. A county association may be founded jointly by more than one half of the local governments in that county. There is no obligation to join the county association of local governments.
Such association is a non-profit association, which has also some administrative functions - both local government and state functions. The functions should be performed in accordance with the norms prescribed in the Local Government Associations Act. An association shall perform those functions of a local government which the general meeting has decided should be performed jointly through the association. Functions which require the exercise of powers of public authority shall be transferred to an association for performance only if corresponding authorisation provided by law has been granted. An association shall perform also state functions assigned to it by law or on the basis thereof. An association may enter into a contract with a governmental authority by which the association undertakes to perform a state function. An association may undertake to perform a state function provided that none of the local governments which are members of the association are against it.
In a more general terms, the objectives of a county association are, through the joint activity of the local governments in the county, to foster the balanced and sustainable development of the county, to preserve and promote the cultural traditions of the county, to represent the county and the members of the association, to protect the common interests of its members, to promote co-operation between the local governments in the county and to create possibilities for improved performance of the functions of its members as prescribed by law.