You must apply for an activity licence if you wish to carry out activities in the area of hydrogeological works and carry out the following works:
- hydrogeological research;
- hydrogeological mapping;
- designing bore wells and boreholes;
- designing bore wells and boreholes of the heating system;
- drilling, remodelling and eliminating bore wells and holes;
- drilling, remodelling and eliminating bore wells and holes of the heating system.
The activity licence is valid for an unspecified term and is issued by the Ministry of Climate.
Legal bases
The carrying out of hydrogeological works is regulated by the following acts:
Requirements to the applicant
To acquire an activity license, you must have a natural person working for you on the basis of a contract:
- has at least two years of experience in performing the hydrogeological work for which the licence is applied for;
- got his or her latest practical work experience not more than five calendar years ago;
- has knowledge and skills, including geological knowledge of hydrogeological work for which the licence is applied for;
- is familiar with the requirements of legislation pertaining to hydrogeological work for the field in which he or she operates;
- had his or her previous hydrogeological work in the field regarding which the activity licence is applied for, in compliance with the requirements deriving from legislation and the objective of work.
In addition, the natural person working for you on the basis of a contract must have the following:
- higher education in geology, if you wish to apply for the activity licence for hydrogeological research or hydrogeological mapping;
- higher education in geology or environmental technology, if you wish to apply for the activity licence for designing bore wells and boreholes or bore wells and holes of the heating system.
In addition, you must have a drilling rig for drilling bore wells and boreholes that are compliant with the requirements established by legal acts or a bank guarantee on the financing of the investment of acquiring a drilling rig.
Professional qualification of employees
If you wish to employ an employee, who has received his/her qualification abroad or has professional (vocational) work experience abroad, the employee must have his/her professional qualification recognised in Estonia. A professional qualification acquired abroad may not automatically comply with the conditions established in Estonia.
For the recognition of professional qualifications and more information, contact the Ministry of Climate, e-mail address: [email protected].
Find out about the professions/professional practice that must be recognised.
Cross-border operation
The person performing hydrogeological works can also be a person who has obtained his/her professional qualification in a foreign state, if the respective professional qualification has been recognised in accordance with the Recognition of Foreign Professional Qualifications Act.
Filling and submission of an application
To acquire an activity license, you must submit a respective application and the following supplementary documents:
- written evidence regarding at least two years of experience in hydrogeological works and at least three examples of completed works;
- diploma confirming higher education in geology, if you wish to apply for the activity licence for hydrogeological research or hydrogeological mapping;
- a diploma certifying higher education in geology or environmental technology, if the activity licence is aimed at designing bore wells and boreholes or bore wells and holes of the heating system;
- a copy of the technical passport of the drilling rig and the description of the drilling method, if the activity licence is aimed at designing bore wells and boreholes or bore wells and holes of the heating system.
The application can be submitted by entering the Register of Economic Activities (authentication is required).
Payment of the state fee
A state fee of 20 euros must be paid to the bank account of the Ministry of Finance with reference number 2900072987:
- SEB - EE891010220034796011
- Swedbank - EE932200221023778606
- Luminor - EE701700017001577198
Processing of an application
The submitted application is processed within 30 days.
Based on the application, the hydrogeological works activity license committee makes a decision on issuing or refusal of the activity license. Persons responsible for your hydrogeological works shall also be invited to participate in the committee’s session for processing the application.
The following subsidiary requirements can be added to the activity license:
- The specific titles of allowed hydrogeological works with the objective of ensuring the professional carrying out of the hydrogeological works depending on the area of the applicant’s acquired higher education and on hydrogeological work experience, skills and knowledge.
- In drilling bore wells and boreholes, the permit to only drill into a specified aquifer, into the first aquifer from the surface or only drilling bore wells with a specific marginal productivity, with the objective of ensuring the compliance with the requirements of the protection of groundwater depending on the drilling rig and drilling method used by the applicant.
After the decision has been made regarding the issuing of the activity license, the activity license is registered in the Register of Economic Activities.
If the data specified in the application is incomplete, you shall be contacted after the submission of the application via e-mail or telephone.
The activity licence is valid for an unspecified term.
Changing the data of an activity licence
If you wish to amend the activity licence (for example, a responsible specialist leaves the undertaking or a specialist changes), you must submit a notice regarding the intention of amending economic activity at least 30 days before the planned amendment by entering the Register of Economic Activities (authentication is required).
Discontinuation of economic activities
If you wish to terminate the pursuit of economic activities in the area of hydrogeological works, you must submit a notice regarding the termination of economic activities by entering the Register of Economic Activities (authentication is required).
If you wish to suspend the economic activity with a licence obligation temporarily, you must submit a notice specifying the starting date of the suspension and the date of resumption of economic activities .
The cessation of economic activities shall also be regarded a situation where you have failed to fulfil the obligation of submitting an annual report within six months after the deadline for fulfilling the obligation has passed.
Revoking of the activity licence
An activity licence shall be revoked on the basis of the following grounds:
- you have intentionally submitted incorrect information by an undertaking upon application for an activity licence, which has affected the grant of a licence, provided that if such information had not been submitted, the grant of an activity licence would have been denied;
- you have ceased economic activities;
- you are subject to a relevant prohibition on economic activities imposed by a court judgment or arising from law in a relevant area of activity, except for a prohibition on economic activities imposed pursuant to the General Part of the Economic Activities Code Act;
- you have violated the requirements for protection of groundwater, resulting in the excessive decrease of groundwater, the pollution of groundwater or risk thereof;
- you have damaged or put at risk of damage a bore well or borehole.
An activity licence may be revoked on the basis of the following grounds:
- failure to commence economic activities within two years after issue of the activity licence or failure to pursue economic activities within two years;
- material violation of an economic activity requirement in the subject of review of the activity licence or a secondary condition of the activity licence;
- a significant damage or danger caused to public order by the activity permitted by the activity licence, which did not exist or was not known at the time of grant of the activity licence and which overrides the interest of the undertaking in continuing the activity and which cannot be eliminated by amendment of the activity licence;
- the arising of a resolutive condition which has been imposed as a secondary condition of the activity licence and which serves as a prerequisite for the validity of the activity licence in the relevant area of activity.
Supervision
The authorities responsible for supervision is the Environmental Board.
Contact details
Substantive information
Kersti Türk, Ministry of Climate, tel: +372 626 2809, e-mail: [email protected]
Registry information and technical questions
Register of Economic Activities, tel: +372 668 7080, e-mail: [email protected]