Estonia received the status of a special guest of the Council of Europe in 1991 and became a full member on 14 May 1993. However, relations between Estonia and the Council of Europe date back to 1960, when, on the 20th anniversary of the forced incorporation of the Baltic States into the Soviet Union, the Consultative Assembly (now known as Parliamentary Assembly) of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution condemning this act.
Membership in the Council of Europe has significantly influenced the development of the Estonian legal system since accession. In order to ensure that Estonian legislation complies with the norms of the Council of Europe, experts from the Council of Europe were often involved in the development of legislation. For Estonia, joining the conventions of the Council of Europe and the subsequent monitoring of the fulfilment of obligations has been very important in the preparation for joining the European Union, as it created the prerequisites for fulfilling several criteria for the protection of human rights and democracy in the EU.
Estonia was the president of the Council of Europe for the first time from May to November 1996. At that time, Estonia contributed to the development of the monitoring mechanism of the Committee of Ministers and led the integration of three countries of the Transcaucasia – Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia – into European legal structures. Estonia was the president of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe for the second time from May to November 2016.
The Council of Europe also pays more and more attention to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the digital society, to which Estonia contributes, among other things, as the coordinator of the information policy of the Council of Europe. Estonia also actively participates in the work of the CAHAI committee, which is currently working to create a legal framework regulating the relationship between artificial intelligence and human rights protection.
Last updated: 24.08.2022
