Search results : 32

On 17 June 2026, the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu) adopted amendments to the Estonian Public Broadcasting Act (Eesti Rahvusringhäälingu seadus) reshaping the composition of the Council of the Estonian public service broadcaster (Eesti Rahvusringhääling - ERR) by 60 votes to 25. President Alar Karis promulgated the law on 2 July 2026, while publicly cautioning that although the amendments do not contradict the Constitution, they could affect press freedom adversely if political parties appoint council members who defend party rather than public interests. The ERR Council...

The recently enacted Products and Services Accessibility Act (Toodete ja teenuste ligipääsetavuse seadus — LPS) transposes the EU Directive on that subject. The law applies to traders who manufacture, import or distribute products, and to service providers that offer services falling within the scope of the law. These products and services include, for example, e-readers, payment terminals, ticket machines, check-in machines, cash or payment machines, self-service terminals, computer hardware and operating systems, terminal equipment with interactive computing capabilities, e-commerce...

For some time, Estonia has led the way when it comes to technological advancements and digital innovation. Therefore, its failure to transpose the Audio-Visual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) and the European Electronic Communications Code in a timely manner has brought the country into total disrepute. Media services are regulated by the Media Services Act (MSA), in force since 16 January 2011 (as amended). The implementation of the AVMSD was initially scheduled for May 2021. Finally, on 16th February 2022, the Act on Amendments to the Media Services Act and Amendments to Other...

On 26 November 2018, the EU Commission initiated proceedings for infringement of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union against 17 member states for non-compliance with the Directive requiring the transposition into national law of the Marrakesh Treaty (Directive (EU) 2017/1564) (see IRIS 2017-9/4 and IRIS 2016-9/4). The Marrakesh Treaty is a WIPO-administered convention that was signed on 27 June 2013 and entered into force on 30 September 2016, after the first 20 ratifications. The Treaty facilitates access to print works in formats adapted for persons who are blind, visually...

For the first time the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has stated that denying a prisoner access to the Internet may amount to a violation of Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR). In Estonia, Mr Kalda, who is serving a life sentence in prison, requested from the governor of the prison access to the online version of the State Gazette, to the decisions of the Supreme Court and administrative courts, and to the HUDOC database of the ECtHR. The governor refused this request, and so did the Administrative Court and the Tallinn Court of Appeal. The Supreme Court, however,...