Regulation No. 46 of 2020 of Minister of the Environment on content and requirements for the preparation of a Marine Strategy.

This Regulation, based on the provisions of paragraph 72 (6) of the Water Act, establishes requirements for the content, preparation and updating of the Estonian Marine Strategy in accordance with Directive 2008/56 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Framework for Community Action in the field of Marine Environmental Policy (Marine Strategy Framework Directive, OJ L 164, 25.6.2008, pp. 19-40), provisions. The Marine Strategy applies to the entire maritime area of Estonia, except for activities necessary for national security or national defence, taking into account transboundary impacts on the quality of the marine environment of third countries located in the same maritime area or sea area.
The Regulation consists of 13 articles: Scope and field of application (1); Marine strategy and its objectives (2); Terms (3); Assessment of maritime area (4); Definition of good environmental status of marine areas (5); Environmental objectives (6); Marine monitoring program (7); Maritime action plan (8); Special measures (9); Terms for preparation of parts of marine strategy (10); Disclosure (11); Data and reporting (12); and Implementing provisions (13).
A marine strategy is a framework for action which is prepared for an Estonian marine area or area thereof pursuant to the provisions of 72 of the Water Act and which is implemented there in order to achieve or maintain good environmental status of the marine area. The Ministry of the Environment, as the competent authority for the preparation and implementation of the Estonian Marine Strategy, shall coordinate international co-operation in working groups of the European Union the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission where practicable and appropriate to ensure coherence and coordination in the Baltic Sea Region as a whole, including coordination of measures implemented in Estonia to achieve good environmental status with the EU, HELCOM and third countries. The objectives of the Marine Strategy are the following: (1) to protect and preserve the marine environment, prevent its deterioration or, if possible, restore marine ecosystems in areas where they are damaged; (2) to prevent and reduce discharges into the marine environment in order gradually to reduce its pollution and to ensure that discharges do not significantly affect or endanger marine biodiversity, marine ecosystems, human health or legitimate uses of the sea. (4) The Marine Strategy manages human activities through an ecosystem approach, so that the overall pressures from human activities can achieve good environmental status in the marine environment and the ability of marine ecosystems to respond to human-induced change is not compromised by ensuring sustainable use of marine goods and services for present and future generations.