Central

The Government is responsible for:

Youth

• Planning, organising and developing youth policy and legislation;
• Developing national development plans in the area of youth and guaranteeing their compliance with the national development plans in this area;
• Preparing the national programmes of youth work;
• Supporting the activities of youth associations and allocating annual grants thereto;
• Exercising supervision in the field of youth work within the competence provided in the legislation and monitoring the purposeful use of funds allocated for youth work from the state budget.

The governmental agency in the field of youth is the Estonian Youth Work Centre (EYWC).

Sport

At State level, sport and recreational sport are coordinated by the Ministry of Culture, which works in close cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Education and Research. 

Additionally, central government is responsible for:

• Promotion of national sport;
• Strategies including 'General Principles of Estonian Sports Policy until 2030' document;
• Research in health sciences and sports;
• International cooperation and participation;
• Anti-doping laws and participation in EU mandates and the Anti‑Doping Convention;
• EU participation and cooperation, including the European Convention on Spectator Violence;
• Measures to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 virus outbreak – see under "Culture".

Regional

Youth

No competencies identified at the regional level.

Sport

Each Estonian county and bigger city has its own sports association (15 county and 4 urban sports associations), which coordinates activities at regional and local level. County sport associations have exclusive right to organise county championships and hand out respective titles.

Local ​

Local authorities are responsible for:

Youth

• Determining the priorities of youth work and setting out the tasks necessary for the achievement thereof in the rural municipality or city development plans;
• Approving the support principles of youth associations, youth programmes and youth projects from the rural municipality or city budget, the procedure and conditions for applying for and paying out of support, providing the terms and conditions of cost‑sharing for the grant of support if necessary as well as the application forms of support and the procedure for reporting the use of support;
• Supporting the youth programmes and youth projects of youth associations operating in the administrative territory of the given rural municipality or city in case of existing budget funds;
• Consulting with the youth council, in case it exists, on planning, implementation and assessment of youth work;
• Approving the conditions and procedure for the conduct of project camp in the administrative territory of the given rural municipality or city and the procedure for issue of the permit for the conduct of project camp;
• Performing other functions connected with the organisation of youth work in their administrative territories.

Sport

• Organising and maintaining sports facilities;
• Promoting sports;
• Determining the area necessary for sport within their administrative territories;
• Supporting the work of sports organisations located within their administrative territories;
• Ensuring conditions for conducting physical education lessons in municipal schools and promoting the practice sport in schools, sports schools and youth camps;
• Designating public servants engaged in the organisation of sport within their administrative territories or assigning these functions to other public servants of the rural municipalities or cities;
• Informing the Ministry of Culture of an intention to change the purpose of a sport facility.

Local governments shall organise and fund local sports events held on their territory.

Responsible ministries/bodies

Estonian Youth Work Centre

Ministry of Education and Research

Ministry of Culture

Sources

Local Government Organisation Act

Sport Act

Youth Work Act

County and urban sport associations