Estonia and the EU: An Institutional Perspective on National EU Coordination

This paper will focus on the current EU policy coordination mechanism and principles in Estonia. Researchers of public service in Estonia have previously pointed out that the central trait of the Estonian administrative system has been its reliance on ministerial responsibility (e.g. Uudelepp, Randma-Liiv, Sarapuu, 2014). The line ministries have wide powers to regulate and shape their own areas of government. Therefore, the Estonian administrative system is generally described as highly decentralised (e.g. Masso, Osila, Järvalt 2004). However, Estonia's accession to the EU (2004), the Schengen area (2007) and the eurozone (2011) have made it necessary to build up an effective EU policy coordination system. The paper will analyse the structure of the coordination system, the principles of its functioning, the distribution of tasks and show how it has adapted to changes and crises. It will show how the main coordinating elements of this system are centralised in the Government Office, while sectoral competences are located in line ministries. Finally, the strengths and weaknesses of the Estonian coordination system will be discussed. Methodologically, the study relies on document analysis and interviews with government officials involved in the coordination of Estonian EU policies.