17.07.26 NEWS ... Unlike most of the European Union, Estonia's peak tourism season is primarily in July. Overall, Estonia does not rank among Europe's most popular tourist destinations

17.07.26 OPINION ... Estonia's leaders must understand that money does not ultimately come to the state from spreadsheets but from enterprise — and therefore the state's finances cannot be repaired without the economy, writes Mihhail Kõlvart.

17.07.26 OPINION ... The first target for cuts should be the Ministry of Climate, which engages in outright foolishness such as turning healthy forests into wetlands, fighting packaging or imposing new bureaucratic rules, Aivar Kokk writes.

17.07.26 NEWS ... The France‑based company Puidukoda has invested €1 million in its production facility in Näpi, Lääne‑Viru County. But Estonia's geopolitical location is making such investments increasingly difficult to attract.

17.07.26 NEWS ... Swedbank's net profit in Estonia for the first six months of this year was €122 million, €6.2 million less than in the same period last year.

16.07.26 NEWS ... Tallinn Airport served 373,000 passengers in June, setting a new all-time record. At the same time, travel agencies say they are seeing fewer customers and attribute the decline to the economic situation.

16.07.26 NEWS ... Estonian grid operator Elering carried out a technical test of the power system on Wednesday, known as a black‑start test, to check readiness for situations where part of the grid must temporarily operate separately from the rest of the system.

16.07.26 NEWS ... Food delivery apps will have to offer customers the option of reusable packaging from 2028 under new rules accompanying EU packaging legislation.

16.07.26 NEWS ... The Ministry of Social Affairs is weighing whether to introduce fees for alcohol sales permits, which are currently issued free of charge, in an effort to limit the record number of sales outlets.

16.07.26 NEWS ... A court dispute between composer Ivar Must and the Estonian Film Institute over a modified performance of the Eurovision song "Everybody" raises concerns that any changes to musical works may require direct author approval.

16.07.26 NEWS ... Swedish manufacturer Hanza will buy a metalworking plant in Estonia's Narva, employing 400 people, and will become one of the biggest employers in the eastern border city.

15.07.26 NEWS ... A European Union ban on individually plastic-wrapped vegetables may lead to many types of fruit and vegetables disappearing from supermarket shelves in Estonia, an industry leader has said.

15.07.26 NEWS ... Two Reform Party lawmakers say Estonia could save more than €100 million by delaying major cultural projects, reducing income‑tax transfers to wealthy municipalities and trimming public‑sector benefits. Far larger cuts would still be needed to meet the party's deficit target.

15.07.26 NEWS ... Restaurants in Estonia say they are facing their toughest situation in three decades.

15.07.26 NEWS ... There are signs of recovery in Estonia's economy, SEB Bank chairman Allan Parik said while commenting on the bank's first‑half results. SEB Bank Group ended the first half of 2026 with a profit of €83.8 million, slightly below the €86.2 million earned in the first half of 2025.

15.07.26 NEWS ... Seasonal farm work continues to draw most of Estonia's short‑term foreign labor, as authorities report 2,396 arrivals so far this year — a noticeable decline from recent years.

15.07.26 NEWS ... Accommodation establishments served nearly 320,300 tourists in May 2026, which is 5 percent more than in May last year, according to Statistics Estonia

14.07.26 NEWS ... Estonian summer festivals are confronting higher costs and raising ticket prices to stay afloat.

14.07.26 NEWS ... Justice and Digital Minister Liisa Pakosta (Eesti 200) sent the government a draft law that would end telecom companies' obligation to collect people's communications data on a mass scale at the state's request.

14.07.26 NEWS ... A company which has operated Tallinn's annual Christmas market has once again won the tender to do so for 2026.

14.07.26 NEWS ... A Tallinn apartment which recently sold for €4 million is reportedly the most expensive transaction in Estonian real estate history.

14.07.26 NEWS ... Summer capital Pärnu and the association of local authorities believe introducing a new tax on tourists would be beneficial, but officials in Tallinn think it would damage tourism.

14.07.26 NEWS ... Tallink's chief captain Tarvi‑Carlos Tuulik says a major leap in ship safety occurred 10–12 years ago, when new requirements were introduced mandating that passenger ships must be built so they can return to port on their own after any accident.

14.07.26 NEWS ... A planned 5-percent investment requirement for audiovisual content could harm Estonia's streaming market and domestic production, stakeholders say.

14.07.26 NEWS ... Individual shrink-wrapped cucumbers are to be phased out of Estonia's stores in future, under new EU rules due in force from January 1, 2030, aimed at curbing excess and unnecessary packaging.

14.07.26 NEWS ... This year's blueberry harvest in Estonia is excellent, and the weather favors picking. But instead of selling to wholesale buyers, foragers prefer to sell their berries in social‑media groups, where they can get a better price.

14.07.26 NEWS ... Passenger train company Elron will raise the price of single tickets for journeys within Tallinn and on suburban routes by between five and ten cents from August.

14.07.26 NEWS ... Deputy Mayor Kristjan Järvan (Isamaa) has said reducing traffic and heritage rules would give Tallinn's Kesklinn and Old Town a boost, as businesses and residents continue to leave.

13.07.26 NEWS ... A debate has broken out in Estonia over whether food packaging should feature a traffic‑light‑style label ranging from green to red to help consumers more easily understand the nutritional content of food.

13.07.26 NEWS ... The European Commission will publish its proposals for changes to the emissions trading system (ETS) later this week and Estonia is calling for countries to be able to decide how they use the revenue from the sale of carbon allowances domestically.

13.07.26 NEWS ... New rules over salary transparency came into effect on Monday, which scraps rules banning employees from discussing their salaries with coworkers and requires employers to share the salary with candidates before a job interview.

13.07.26 NEWS ... This year's strawberry season got off to a difficult start for farmers and the heat and heavy rain have damaged the crop for many.

12.07.26 NEWS ... Businesses are starting to create better conditions for chickens after signing a pledge to stop keeping caged hens by 2035, but caged eggs are still popular among customers due to their low price.

11.07.26 NEWS ... The Estonian State Fleet (Eesti riigilaevastik) will soon be getting a new workboat which is uniquely powered by biomethane derived from cow manure on Saaremaa.

11.07.26 NEWS ... All food and entertainment outlets will have to offer reusable packaging by 2028 if a bill drafted by the Ministry of Climate passes into law.

10.07.26 NEWS ... Amendments to the Climate Resilient Economy Act reached the parliament Environment Committee on Thursday after the first reading. Under the changes, obligations to reduce carbon emissions would apply only to the public sector. The opposition says the bill remains empty and without substance.

10.07.26 NEWS ... Farmers are in a difficult situation because fertilizer prices have surged due to the Middle East crisis. The European Union plans to use €540 million from the agricultural crisis reserve to support farmers. Estonia, however, believes that the distribution of funds leaves local producers at a disadvantage.

10.07.26 NEWS ... Exports of goods from Estonia increased by 9 percent year on year in May, Statistics Estonia reported.

09.07.26 NEWS ... The European Commission has opened an infringement procedure against Estonia over the directive on transparent working conditions. The Ministry of Economic Affairs says the issue concerns technical matters that have already been resolved.

09.07.26 NEWS ... A company linked to the Evecon energy group has applied to build a 200‑megawatt gas‑fired power plant in Viljandi County, a project that could take years to clear planning hurdles.

09.07.26 NEWS ... Stone fruit, cherries in particular, are yielding average to above-average crops this year following 2025's poor harvest, yet the persistent rain is still spoiling the fruit.

09.07.26 NEWS ... Tallinn wants to secure European Union structural‑fund financing for the renovation of Linnahall while simultaneously seeking investors with proven interest, Mayor Peeter Raudsepp (Isamaa) said. Decisions about the building's future must be made in the autumn.

09.07.26 NEWS ... Technology developed several years ago to detect imported strawberries falsely marketed as Estonian produce is still not being used, Maaleht reported.

09.07.26 NEWS ... Estonia has moved to establish the first marine protected areas in its exclusive economic zone, proposing new reserves at the Kolgi and Irbe shoals.

08.07.26 NEWS ... The Government Prevention Council has presented a draft alcohol policy framework through 2035, proposing higher excise duties and shorter retail sales hours. Industry representatives and experts warn the measures could pose risks for businesses and the national economy.

08.07.26 NEWS ... The Estonian Ornithological Society, together with several nature organizations, has approached the Climate Ministry and the Environmental Board, arguing that logging during the bird‑nesting season is essentially uncontrolled. According to the society, the current system does not ensure the protection that birds are guaranteed by law.

08.07.26 NEWS ... A study by the Praxis think tank on the impact of the government's tax package has sparked disagreement. It concludes the tax changes have had the greatest negative impact on lower-income households.

08.07.26 NEWS ... Driving a new trolleybus feels almost like driving a passenger car, and all necessary tasks can be done without leaving the cabin, Tallinn trolleybus driver Sergei Gritšenko said.

08.07.26 NEWS ... In its June inflation review, the Ministry of Finance said that as the conflict in the Middle East eases, inflation in Estonia this year could come in below the 4 percent forecast issued this spring.

08.07.26 NEWS ... The Hertz 2 battery storage park, with a capacity of 100 megawatts and a storage capacity of 200 megawatt-hours, was inaugurated in Harju County, on Tuesday.