Estonian Environmental Law Center

Estonian Environmental Law Center (EELC) is an independent expert organization. Our aim is to shape environmental law rules and their application in a manner that takes due account of public interests (health and well-being of citizens, biodiversity).

EELC was founded in 2007 by an environmental NGO Estonian Fund for Nature (ELF) and 3 public interest environmental lawyers – Kärt Vaarmari, Liis Keerberg and Silver Nittim.

Activities
In order to achieve our aims, EELC uses various methods and activities:

legal aid, including strategic litigation
legal analyses in the field of environmental law
participation in drafting environmental law acts and environmental policies
collection and dissemination of information on environmental law (including webpage on environmental law and a monthly newsletter on the actual news in the field)
training in environmental law
compilation of guidelines to general public and officials

Our activities are partly funded by different donors, e.g. Estonian National Foundation of Civil Society, Environmental Investment Centre and NGO Fund (EEA Grants) but we also provide paid services as a social entrepreneur. This means that we use profits from our services for achieving our statutory goals.

Strategic goals and values
EELC mission is to provide legal expertise in both shaping and application of environmental law rules, protecting public interests in the field.

Our vision is that environmental law rules and their application ensure a living environment which corresponds to needs of human health and well being and protect biodiversity.

Public authorities make decisions with environmental impact in an open and well reasoned manner, assess impacts of the projects to the extent required and give due account to different legitimate interests.
Members of the public are able to express and defend their interests in decision-making processes.
EELC’s vision as shaper of environmental law is to be accepted expert protecting public environmental interests that acts in a competent and transparent manner.