Estonia

Capital: Tallinn
Population: 1.3 mill.
GDP per capita: 9 800 Euros (2006)
Schengen zone: yes
Eurozone: no
EU-accession: 2004
Cities with European institutions or agencies:

EU-relations: Estonia that has been an EU member since 2004 is the most northern of the three Baltic states. A strong Russian minority (25.7%) is living next to the Estonian majority (68.6%) along with smaller groups of Ukrainians, Belarussians and Finns. About 45% of Tallinn’s inhabitants are non-Estonians. The relations with the previous occupying power Russia are still complex. The riots in May 2007 have especially indicated this after the linking together of a Russian war memorial in the Estonian capital. After regaining independence Estonia reorganized its society according to the Scandinavian model: Not much hierarchy, a lot of transparency of the national bodies and modern communication technology. The Estonians were the first nation world-wide to vote on the internet in a parliamentary election. The Estonian government has nevertheless decided to use a neoliberal economic model as opposed to the neighbours of Scandinavia. The country has joined the European Exchange Rate Mechanism II in June 2004. Accordingly the exchange rate to the Euro is only allowed to float within a range of ± 15% at the most. In a referendum 66.9% of the voters accepted the EU membership. But this was also the poorest number among the new members of 2004.

On the web

Conseil des Etats de la Mer Baltique (CEMB)

Le Conseil des Etats de la Mer Baltique (CEMB ou CBSS) est un forum politique pour la coopération intergouvernementale régionale. Les membres du Conseil sont les 11 Etats de la Mer Baltique (dont la Russie) ainsi que la Commission européenne. Il a été établi en 1992 pour répondre aux changements géopolitiques dans la région à la fin de la guerre froide. Depuis sa création, il a servi de moteur à la coopération multilatérale dans de nombreux domaines tels que l’économie, le développent de la société civile, les droits de l’homme, la sécurité nucléaire, etc. (En anglais)

Conseil des Etats de la Mer Baltique (CEMB)
Estonica

Estonica est une encyclopédie en ligne créée par l’Institut Estonien, avec pour objectif d’offrir une vue d’ensemble, compacte et systématique, de la société estonienne. Il couvre des domaines aussi divers que la culture, la géographie, l’éducation, les sciences, les institutions et l’économie, et tente d’établir des connections entre ces différents domaines.

Estonica

The Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence of the University of Roma Tor Vergata, in partnership with Eurosduvillage group, is organizing the eighth edition of the Jean Monnet Summer Seminar a high level seminar on the functioning of the European Union addressed to graduate and Phd students as well as young civil servants. The seminar include two teaching modules lasting one week. The first module (4-8 July) will analyze the decision making process of the European Union while the second one (11-15 July) the foreign policy of the European Union. For more information and registration go to: http://www.eusummerseminar.uniroma2.it/