Land improvement means the drainage or irrigation of land, and the two-way regulation of the water regime of soils in order to increase the cultivation value of land zoned for agricultural and forestry use (profit yielding land) or for the purpose of environmental protection.
An undertaking operating in the field of land improvement is an undertaking operating in the following fields of activity:
- land improvement site investigations;
- design of land improvement systems;
- owner supervision in relation to land improvement systems;
- expert assessment in relation to land improvement;
- the building (including reconstruction) of land improvement systems.
The notification obligation does not apply to the building of small-scale land improvement systems.
(Legal basis: subsection 35 (4) of the Land Improvement Act).
Legal bases
The activity of an undertaking operating in the field of land improvement is regulated by the following legislation:
- Land Improvement Act;
- General Part of the Economic Activities Code Act;
- The constitutive regulations of the register of undertakings operating in the field of land improvement.
Requirements to the submitter
An undertaking must have a legal relationship with a competent person, i.e., an authorised specialist to be able to operate in a chosen area of land improvement, or the undertaking is a sole proprietor competent to act as an authorised specialist operating in the respective area of land improvement.
The authorised specialist responsible for land improvement site investigations, for the design of land improvement systems, for owner supervision of land improvement work or for expert assessments in relation to land improvement must possess:
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specialised higher education (specialties of hydromelioration, land improvement, water management);
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at least three years of work experience in the respective area of land improvement.
The authorised specialist responsible for the building of land improvement systems:
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at least a secondary specialized education or a vocational secondary education in that specializationor or an equivalent qualification (land improvement or a similar specialty);
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at least three years of work experience in the areas of the building of land improvement systems.
The owner of the land improvement system may also perform owner supervision in respect of a small-scale land improvement system.
Professional qualification of employees
Persons who have acquired foreign professional qualifications may also act as authorised specialist if their professional qualifications have been recognised in accordance with the Recognition of Foreign Professional Qualifications Act.
Find out about the professions / professional practice that must be recognised.
To recognize an employee’s professional qualification and receive additional information, contact the Land and Spatial Development Board.
Cross-border operation
If an undertaking has been established and operates in the field of land improvement in another Contracting State of the European Economic Area, but wishes to start permanent operations in Estonia, then the undertaking must submit a notice of economic activities to the register of undertakings operating in the field of land improvement.
The notice of economic activities shall not be submitted by an undertaking of a Contracting State of the European Economic Area who operates in Estonia in the field of land improvement temporarily.
Completing and submitting a notice
The notice of economic activities must contain the following general information:
- name and registry code of the undertaking, in the absence thereof the relevant identification code of the country of its seat;
- contact details (telephone number, e-mail address and postal address) of the undertaking;
- in case of another Contracting State or an undertaking from a third country – the address of its seat if it differs from the postal address; the area of activity applied for must be marked with a cross;
- the date of commencement of economic activities in the relevant area of activity if it differs from the date of submission of the notice of economic activities;
- the date of termination of economic activities if the economic activities are planned for a specified term;
- the name and contact details (telephone number and e-mail) of the person submitting the notice. A board member or other authorised person signs the notice of economic activities. If an authorised person signed the notice, a letter of authorisation must be added to the application.
The notice of economic activities shall include the following information regarding the authorised specialist of an area of activity:
- name and personal identification code and the date of birth in the absence thereof;
- contact details (telephone number, e-mail address);
- information verifying the work experience in the specialist field (total number of years of work experience in the specialist field, name and business registry code or, in the absence thereof, the personal identity code or date of birth of the most recent employer). A list of works executed in the specialist field at least within the past three years shall be added to the application;
- proof of qualification (name of the specialty; name, document number, issuer and the date and time of issue of the document certifying qualification). A copy of a document certifying the qualification of an authorised specialist is added to the application.
You can submit a notice of economic activities:
- via the client portal of the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture (authentication is required);
- digitally signed by e-mail at [email protected];
- by regular mail to the Land and Spatial Development Board at Mustamäe tee 51, 10621 Tallinn;
- though a notary.
Payment of the state fee
A state fee of 10 euros must be paid for the submission of a notice of economic activities by any means other than through the client portal.
The state fee must be transferred to a bank account of the Ministry of Finance with reference number 2900082139 before the submission of the notice:
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Swedbank - EE932200221023778606 HABAEE2X
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SEB - EE891010220034796011 EEUHEE2X
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Luminor - EE701700017001577198 RIKOEE22
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LHV - EE777700771003813400 LHVBEE22
Explanation: MATER economic activity report
NB! No state fee is applied for the submission of a notice of renouncement or temporary renouncement of economic activities.
Amendments to the data on the notice of economic activities
If you wish to change the data on your notice of economic activities, then please submit a notice for the amendment of data on the notice of economic activities. As an undertaking, you must inform the registrar immediately, but no later than within 5 working days as of any changes to the data regarding your economic activities. You can view and check your data in the MATER register of undertakings operating in the field of land improvement.
Renouncement of economic activities
In case of temporary renouncement of economic activities, please submit a notice on temporary renouncement of economic activities, which should state the dates of renouncement and re-commencement of economic activities.
In case of a full renouncement of economic activities, please submit a notice on renouncement of economic activities, which should state the time of renouncement of economic activities.
Confirming the information on the notice of economic activities
As an undertaking, you must confirm the data of your economic activities in the register once a year when submitting your annual report or income tax return. Before confirming, please check that the data is correct and in case of changes to the data, please update the information.
NB! Undertakings who are not obligated to submit an annual report or income tax return must submit a confirmation of the fulfilment of the notification obligation to the register of undertakings operating in the field of land improvement by 30 June.
Supervision
The Land and Spatial Development Board exercises governmental supervision over the activity in the field of land improvement.
Contact details
Substantive information
Maarika Tiigimäe, Land and Spatial Development Board, tel: +372 5346 4221, e-mail: [email protected]
Tiiu Valdmaa, Land and Spatial Development Board, tel: +372 517 5807, e-mail: [email protected]
Registry information and technical questions
Client portal of the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, tel: +372 625 6100, e-mail: [email protected]