Description
Estonian mineral resources are legally national property that has to be managed sustainability. Estonian citizens have still only limited possibilities to take part in the decision-making process related to mineral minings. The aim of the project is to raise awareness of decision-makers of involvement possibilities of local people into the decision-making process related to mining permissions, look for new juridical ways to regulate the sector and cover the topics of mineral minings in media and social media. During the project two juridical analyses will be conducted, several local groups will be advised and meetings with officials and politicians will be held in parallel with publishing articles in media and organizing a social media campaign. The lead partner Estonian Fund for Nature will be coordinating the cooperation between partners and give nature conservation expertise to the project. Estonian Environmental Law Centre will conduct juridical analyses and give advice to local groups. Estonian Mineral Society is responsible of empowerment of local groups and activists related to mining during the project.
Summary of project results
The main objective of the project was to make Estonian decisions related to mineral minings more open to public and more sustainable in the view of social and evnironmental impacts. The Project targeted the topic in 4 ways: Juridical analyses, empowering of grassroots organisations, better environmental decisions in practice and general public awareness. During the Project we managed to get good contact with local grassroots organisations and help them with juridical advice and networking. We also published two Juridical analyses of Estonian mineral mining law and made proposals for better law and implementation. The analyses were introcuced to Estonian Environmental Ministry and we hope in futuure some of our proposals (i.e spatial planning of minings) will be used. During the Project we managed to improve the implementation of the existing law: mining licences are now issued with terms that are possible to control. We organised several public events and made media appearences to increase public awareness. We feel that the Project results will be sustained due to empowered organisations but we also see lot of contra pressure from the industry to liberalise mining laws. Estonian Mineral Society: the society isa n umbrella organisation for grassroots organisations that deal with mineral minings; the society organised gatherings of local activists and public awareness events. The society was very efective in engaging volunteers in the work. Estonian Environmental Law Centre: the centre conduced two Juridical analyses and was the main advisor to local grassroots organisations dealing with Juridical issues, the centre was also active in communicating Project recults and outcomes to the policy makers.
Summary of bilateral results