Operational Programme for Development of Living Environment 2007–2013

The Operational Programme for Development of Living Environment is a national cross-sectoral programme of Estonia. It encompasses the following priority axes: development of water and waste management infrastructure; development of infrastructures and support systems for sustainable use of the environment; development of energy sector; integral and balanced development of regions; development of education infrastructure; development of health and social welfare infrastructure; technical assistance; and horizontal technical assistance.
Operations under the priority axis “Development of water and waste management infrastructure” will be focused on securing a supply of adequate drinking water and on operations contributing to improving the ecological status of water bodies – establishment of water protection infrastructures and clean-up of contaminated sites posing a threat to the state of groundwater. In developing waste management, the main efforts will be directed to decontaminating oil shale waste dumps and constructing new environmentally sound industrial and municipal waste landfills as well as closing and remediation old environmentally hazardous landfills.
The priority axis of water and waste management infrastructure development will be cofinanced from the Cohesion Fund in the total amount of EUR 626 334 156.
The priority axis “Development of infrastructures and support systems for sustainable use of the environment” covers a variety of environmental protection operations, including the development of environmental education infrastructure, improvement of environmental monitoring and supervision, preservation of biological diversity and improvement of preparedness for environmental emergencies. This priority axis will be co-financed from the ERDF in the total amount of EUR 92 032 774.
The priority axis “Development of energy sector” will seek to improve the efficiency and environmental performance of the use of energy through supporting, on the one hand, broader use of renewable energy and, on the other hand, energy saving in distribution networks and by final consumers, including the housing sector. This priority axis will be co-financed from the ERDF in the total amount of EUR 87 175 488.
The priority axis “Integral and balanced development of regions” covers three types of operations according to the needs of balancing the regional development of Estonia: development of local public services to improve living conditions in rural regions, alleviation of urban problems and strengthening of regional competitiveness. One of the focuses in all these types of operation will be on promoting cooperation between rural regions and towns. The priority axis of regional development will be co-financed from the ERDF in the total amount of EUR 388 582 823.
“Development of education infrastructure” will focus on modernising vocational education, schools intended for children with special educational needs, open youth centres, information and counselling centres and hobby schools. This priority axis will be co-financed from the ERDF in the total amount of EUR 212 765 713.
The priority axis “Development of health and welfare infrastructure” covers the modernisation of acute and nursing care hospitals and state welfare institutions for children and for people with special psychiatric needs. The priority axis of health and welfare infrastructure development will be co-financed from the ERDF in the total amount of EUR 169 110 222.
Horizontal technical assistance will be co-financed from the ERDF in the total amount of EUR 28 553 498. Technical assistance that is OP-specific will be co-financed from the ERDF in the total amount of EUR 2 759 832.