Estonia: Law of 1995 on Language

CHAPTER I General Provisions

§1. The status of the Estonian language

(1) The state language of Estonia shall be the Estonian language.

(2) The basis of the official use of the Estonian language, in the context of the present Law, shall be the standard of the Estonian written language according to the procedures determined by the Government of the Republic.

§2. A foreign language

(1) Every other language besides the Estonian language shall be a foreign language in the context of the present Law.

(2) The language of a national minority shall be a foreign language which Estonian citizens belonging to a national minority have historically used in Estonia as their mother tongue.

§3. Language of administration

(1) The language of administration in a state institution, a local government and in its institutions (referred to as local government), as well as the language of service and command in the Estonian defence forces, shall be the Estonian language. Exceptions shall be determined in Chapters 2, 3 and 4 of the present Law.

(2) Language use in pre-trial proceedings and trial proceedings shall be determined in applicable laws.

§4. The right to use the Estonian language

(1) Everyone shall have the right to use the Estonian language in dealing with administration in state institutions, local government, cultural autonomy bodies, as well as in institutions, enterprises and organisations.

(2) All employees of institutions, enterprises and organisations must be guaranteed work-related, Estonian-language information.

§5. Requirements for knowledge and usage of the Estonian language

Requirements for the knowledge and usage of the Estonian language by employees of state institutions and local governments, as well as of institutions, enterprises and organisations, in work-related dealings with the public shall be determined by the Government of the Republic.

§6. Acquirement of education in the Estonian language and in a foreign language

State institutions and local governments shall guarantee the opportunity to acquire Estonian-language education, according to the procedures prescribed in law, in all the educational institutions belonging to them, as well as the opportunity to acquire a foreign-language education, according to the procedures prescribed by law.

CHAPTER 2 The Use of Foreign Languages In State Institutions and Local Governments

§7. Demands made of employees regarding the knowledge and use of the Estonian language

If the language of a national minority is, together with the Estonian language, the language of internal administration in local government, the employees must have a knowledge of the Estonian language within the requirements determined by the Government of the Republic for the knowledge and usage of the Estonian language.

§8. Administration in a foreign language

Persons who do not have knowledge of the Estonian language may also use, in their spoken communication with employees of state institutions and local governments, a foreign language which these employees know, if there is mutual agreement. If there is no mutual agreement, the communication shall be conducted with the mediation of an interpreter, with the expenses being borne by the person who lacks the knowledge of the Estonian language.

§9. The language of foreign communication

State institutions and local governments, as well as their employees, shall have the right to use in their foreign communications a language which is suitable to both parties.

§10. The right to use the language of a national minority

(1) Everyone in a local government unit, where at least half of the permanent residents are of a national minority, shall have the right to receive replies in the language of this national minority, as well in the Estonian language, from the state institutions which operate on the territory of the applicable local government unit, and from the applicable local government, as well as from their officials.

(2) A permanent resident of a local government unit shall be a person who is legally in Estonia and who lives in the local government unit for at least 183 days per year, whereby his or her absence from the local government unit must not exceed 90 consecutive days.

§11. Use of the language of a national minority as a language of administration

The internal language of administration in a local government unit, where the language of the majority of the permanent residents is not the Estonian language, may be, as well as the Estonian language, the language of the national minority which comprises the majority of the permanent residents of the local government unit, according to a proposal by the council of the applicable local government, and to a decision by the Government of the Republic.

§12. The language of correspondence

Correspondence with state institutions and other local governments by local governments shall be conducted in the Estonian language, where the language of internal administration, together with the Estonian language, is the language of the national minority.

§13. Language for seals, rubber stamps, letterheads, advertisements, invitations and announcements

(1) The seals, rubber stamps and letterheads in a local government where, together with the Estonian language, the language of administration is the language of the national minority, must be in the Estonian language.

(2) The invitations, advertisements and announcements in the local governments noted in Paragraph 1 of the present Article must be in the Estonian language, to which the local government may add a translation into the applicable language of the national minority.

CHAPTER 3 The Use of the Language of a National Minority in the Cultural Autonomy Bodies of a National Minority

§14. The language of the cultural autonomy bodies of a national minority

(1) The cultural autonomy bodies of a national minority may use, as the language of internal administration, the language of its national minority.

(2) Communication by the cultural autonomy bodies, both with state institutions as well as with their local governments where the language of the national minority is not in use as the language of internal administration, shall be conducted in the Estonian language.

§15. Language for seals, letterheads, advertisements, announcements and rubber stamps In the cultural autonomy bodies of a national minority

(1) The seals of the cultural autonomy bodies must be in the Estonian language.

(2) Official letterheads, advertisements, announcements and rubber stamps must be in the Estonian language, to which the cultural autonomy bodies may add a translation into the language of the applicable national minority.

CHAPTER 4 Use of Language In Other Fields

§16. The right of the consumer to Estonian-language information

A consumer of goods and services shall have the right to Estonian-language information and service, in accordance with the Law on Consumer Protection (RT I 1994, 2, 13).

§17. The language of reporting

Reporting by institutions, enterprises and organisations which are registered in Estonia shall be conducted in the Estonian language, according to the procedures prescribed by law.

§18. The use of foreign languages in other fields

The use of foreign languages for the transfer of information to the consumers of services and goods, as well as in work-based communication, shall be conducted according to the procedures determined by the Government of the Republic.

CHAPTER 5 Names, Designations and Information

§19. The language for a place name

(1) Estonian place names shall be in the Estonian language. Exceptions which can be justified historically or culturally may be allowed for place names.

(2) Every Estonian place shall have only one official name. The basic form of an Estonian place name shall be written in the Estonian-Latin script. Estonian place names shall be written in the language of a national minority, which uses a different alphabet, according to transcription rules determined by the standards of the written language.

§20. Writing the name of an Estonian citizen

The official form of the name of an Estonian citizen shall be written in Estonian-Latin letters. The names of Estonian citizens shall be written in languages using other alphabets, according to the transcription rules determined by the standards of the written language.

§21. The designation of an institution, enterprise or organisation

(1) The designation of an Estonian institution, enterprise or organisation shall be entered into registries in the Estonian language, to which the keeper of the registry may add a translation into a foreign language, according to the determined procedures. The names which are part of these designations shall not be translated.

(2) The seals, rubber stamps and letterheads of an institution, enterprise of organisation which is registered in Estonia shall be in the Estonian language. In foreign communication, the institution, enterprise or organisation may add a translation into a foreign language.

§22. The international form of a name

(1) The international Latin-letter form of a name of an Estonian place, citizen, item, enterprise, institution or organisation shall be same as the name used in Estonia.

(2) The writing of names, as determined in Paragraph 1 of the present Article, in a language which uses another alphabet, shall implement the transcription rules which are determined in the standards for the written language.

§23. The language of information

(1) Public signs, signposts, advertisements, announcements and advertising shall be in the Estonian language, except in the cases determined in Articles 13, 15 and 18 of the present Law, and except in the organisation of international events.

(2) The provisions in the present Article shall not apply to the representations of foreign countries.

§24. The language of state registration signs

The letter combinations of state registration signs may contain only Latin letters.

§25. Translation of the spoken text of a foreign language of an audio-visual work, or a transmission or program transmitted by a broadcasting organisation

(1) In making public an audio-visual work, an Estonian-language translation must be added to the foreign-language spoken text.

(2) The foreign-language spoken texts transmitted by radio or television stations, which possess a broadcasting license in Estonia, must be provided with an Estonian-language translation, except for language instruction transmissions, or radio transmissions and programs directed at a foreign language listener.

§26. The use of Riigikogu as the name of the Estonian legislative body

(1) The Riigikogu, as the name of the Estonian legislative body, shall not be translated.

(2) Riigikogu shall be written, as in the Estonian language, in foreign languages which use the Latin alphabet, and in languages using other alphabets, according to the transcription rules determined in the standards for the written language.

(3) The term "parliament" may be use instead of, or in addition to, Riigikogu as the unofficial name of the Estonian legislative body, in both the Estonian language and in foreign languages.

CHAPTER 6 Final Provisions

§27. Consequences of violating the Law

Violators of the present Law, and other legal acts associated with it, shall be administratively prosecuted, according to the procedures prescribed by law.

§28. Checking the fulfilment of the Law

Abidance by the present Law shall be checked according to the procedures determined by the Government of the Republic.

§29. Amendments to legal acts

(1) The Estonian SSR Law on Language (ENSV Teataja 1989, 4, 60; RT I 1993, 20, 352; 1994, 49, 804) shall be declared null and void.

(2) The following amendments shall be made in the Law on Local Government Organisation (RT I 1993, 37, 558; 1994, 12, 200; 19, 340; 72, 1263; 84, 1475):

1) Paragraph 8 of Article 23 shall be amended and worded as follows:

(8) The ordinances and decisions of the Council, as well as the minutes of the sessions, shall be formulated and made public in the Estonian language. In local government units, where the language of the majority of the permanent residents is not the Estonian language, the minutes of the sessions of the Council may be prepared in the language of the national minority which forms a majority of the permanent residents in the given local government unit, but an Estonian-language translation must be added to these.

2) Paragraph 2 of Article 41 shall be amended and worded as follows:

(2) The use in local governments of foreign languages, including the languages of national minorities, shall be determined by the Law on Language.

§30. Coming into force of the Law

The present Law shall come into force on April 1, 1995.