Legislation

(Adopted on February 21, 1995)

(Came into force on April 1, 1995)

CHAPTER 1

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1 (Status of the Estonian language)

The state language of Estonia shall be the Estonian language.

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.

Article 2 (A foreign language)

Any other language besides the Estonian language shall be a foreign language in the context of the present Law.

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

Article 3. Language of management of public business

The language of management of public business (the official language) in a state institution, a local government and in its institutions (hereinafter referred to as local government), as well as the language of service and command in the Estonian defense forces, shall be the Estonian language. Exceptions shall be determined in Chapters 2, 3 and 4 of the present Law.

Usage of languages in pre-trial proceedings and trial proceedings shall be determined in the corresponding laws.

Article 4 (The right to use the Estonian language)

Every person shall have the right to use the Estonian language as the official language in state institutions, local government, and cultural autonomy bodies as well as in institutions, enterprises and organizations.

All employees of institutions, enterprises and organizations must be guaranteed work-related information in the Estonian language.

Article 5 (Requirements for the 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 organizations, in work-related dealings with the public shall be determined by the Government of the Republic.

Article 6 (Education in the Estonian language and in foreign languages)

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 the law.

CHAPTER 2

THE USE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN STATE INSTITUTIONS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

Article 7 (Requirements established for employees regarding the knowledge and usage of the Estonian language)

In local governments where alongside with the Estonian language a language of a national minority is used as the language of internal management of public business the employees' command of the Estonian language must comply with the requirements for the knowledge and usage of the Estonian language established by the Government of the Republic.

Article 8 (Management of public business in a foreign language)

In their oral communication with employees of state institutions and local governments persons who have no command of the Estonian language may, upon a mutual agreement, use also a foreign language mastered by the employees. In case there is no mutual agreement the communication shall be conducted with the mediation of an interpreter whereas the expenses shall be borne by the person who lacks the knowledge of the Estonian language.

Article 9 (Language of foreign communication)

State institutions and local governments as well as their employees shall have the right to use in their foreign communication the language suitable for both parties.

Article 10 (Right to use the language of a national minority)

Every person shall have the right to receive replies, alongside with the Estonian language, also in the language of a national minority, from the state institutions and from the corresponding local governments as well as the officials thereof, operating in a local government unit where at least half of the permanent residents belong to a national minority.

A permanent resident of a local government unit shall be a person whose sojourn in Estonia is legal and who lives on the territory under the jurisdiction of a local government unit for at least 183 days per year, whereby his/her absence from the territory of the local government unit must not exceed 90 consecutive days.

Article 11 (Use of the language of a national minority as the language of management of public business)

Besides the Estonian language the internal official language in a local government unit where the Estonian language is not the language of a majority of the permanent residents, may, upon the proposal by the council of the relevant local government and according to the decision of the Government of the Republic, he also the language of the national minority which comprises a majority of the permanent residents of the local government unit.

Article 12 (Language of correspondence)

Correspondence of local governments, where besides the Estonian language also the language of a national minority is used as the internal official language, shall be conducted with state institutions and other local governments in the Estonian language.

Article 13 (Language for seals, rubber stamps, letterheads, advertisements, invitation and announcements)

Seals, rubber stamps and letterheads in a local government where besides the Estonian language also the language of a national minority is used as the internal official language, must be in the Estonian language.

Invitations, advertisements and announcements in the local governments specified in the first paragraph of the present Article must be in the Estonian language, to which a translation into the language of the relevant national minority may be added by the local government.

CHAPTER 3

THE USE OF THE LANGUAGE OF A NATIONAL MINORITY IN THE CULTURAL AUTONOMY BODIES OF A NATIONAL MINORITY

Article 14 (Language used by cultural autonomy bodies of a national minority)

By the cultural autonomy bodies of a national minority the language of that national minority may be used as the internal official language.

Communication by the cultural autonomy bodies both with state institutions and with local governments where the language of the national minority is not used as the internal official language shall be conducted in the Estonian language.

Article 15 (Language for seals, letterheads, advertisements, announcements and rubber tamps in cultural autonomy bodies of a national minority)

The language of the seals of the cultural autonomy bodies must be the Estonian language.

The language of the official letterheads, advertisements, announcements and rubber stamps must be the Estonian language, to which the cultural autonomy bodies may add a translation into the language of the relevant national minority.

CHAPTER 4

USE OF LANGUAGE IN OTHER FIELDS

Article 16 (The right of the consumer to Estonian-language information)

Consumers of goods and services shall have the right to Estonian-language information and service, in accordance with the Law on Consumer Protection (Rigi Teataja Part I 1994, No 2, Art. 13; Legal Acts of Estonia 1994, No 4).

Article 17 (The language of reporting)

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

Article 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

Article 19 (Toponymy)

Estonian place names shall be in the Estonian language. In the use of place names historically or culturally justified exception may be allowed.

Every locality in Estonia shall have only one official name. Estonian place names shall be written in the Latin-Estonian script. In a language of a national minority, which uses a different alphabet the Estonian place, names shall be written according to the transcription rules established by the standard written language.

Article 20 (Writing of personal names of Estonian citizens)

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

Article 21 (Designations of institutions, enterprises or organizations)

The designation of an Estonian institutions, enterprise or organization 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. Names included in these designations shall not be translated.

The language of the seals, rubber stamps and letterheads of institutions, enterprises or organizations registered in Estonia shall be the Estonian language. In foreign communication the institution, enterprise or organization may add a translation of the above mentioned into a foreign language.

Article 22 (International forms of names)

The international Latin-letter form of an Estonian place name, personal name, name of an item, a designation of an enterprise, institution or organization shall be identical with the form used in Estonia.

While writing the names specified in the first paragraph of the present Article in a language that uses another alphabet the rules established by the standard written language shall be applied.

Article 23 (Language of information)

The language for public signs, signposts, advertisements, announcements and advertising shall be the Estonian language, except in the cases determined in Articles 13, 15 and 18 of the present Law and by organization of international events.

The provisions of the present Article shall not apply to the foreign missions.

Article 24 (Language of state registration signs)

The letter combinations used on state registration signs (on license plates) may contain only Latin letters.

Article 25 (Translation of the spoken text of a foreign language of an audio-visual work, or of a transmission or program, transmitted by a broadcasting organization)

While publicizing an audio-visual work a translation into the Estonian language must be added to the foreign-language spoken text.

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

Article 26 (The use of the term Riigikogu as the name of the Estonian legislative body)

The term Riigikogu as the name of the Estonian legislative body shall not be translated.

In foreign languages, which use the Latin alphabet Riigikogu, shall be written as in the Estonian language and in languages using other alphabets the rules established by the standard written language shall be applied.

The term "Parliament" may be used instead of, or in addition to, the term Riigikogu as the unofficial name of the Estonian legislative body both in the Estonian language and in foreign languages.

CHAPTER 6

FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 27 (Consequences of violating the law)

Violators of the present Law and other legal acts associated with it shall bear administrative responsibility according to the procedure prescribed by law.

Article 28 (Surveillance over the observance of the law)

Surveillance over the observance of the present Law shall be maintained according to the procedure established by the Government of the Republic.

Article 29 (Amendments to legal acts)

The Estonian SSR Law on Language (ENSV Teutaja 1989, No 4, Art.60;

Riigi Teutaja Part I 1993, No 20, Art.352; 1994, No 49, Art.804) shall be declared null and void.

The following amendments shall be made in the Law on Local Government Organization (Riigi Teutaja Part I 1993, No 37, Art. 558; 1994, No 12, Art.200; No 72, Art. 1263 and No 84, Art.175):

Paragraph 8 of Article 23 shall be amended and shall read as follows:

"(8) The ordinances and decisions of the Council as well as the minutes of the sessions shall be formulated and publicized in the Estonian language. In local government units where the Estonian language is not the language of a majority of the permanent residents, the minutes of the session of the Council may be prepared in the language of the national minority which forms a majority of the permanent residents on the territory under the jurisdiction of the given local government unit, but a translation into the Estonian language must be added to these.";

Paragraph 2 of Article 41 shall be amended and shall read 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."

Article 30 (Entry into force of the Law)

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

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