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More than 200 leaders, top experts, and opinion leaders from more than 130 private, third, and public sector organisations will participate today in the opening seminar of preparing the strategy “Estonia 2035”, where the plan for creating the strategy and the possibility of being a part of it is introduced.

Prime Minister Jüri Ratas believes it is important that we face the ever-changing world united and by building bridges. “Many have asked what Estonia’s visions and dreams for the future are now that we have been an independent country for 27 years and achieved so much. New technologies and changes in society create opportunities that we could not have even dreamed about a couple of decades ago and, at the same time, create problems that, if dealt with at the right time, will significantly affect our quality of life in the future.”

Ratas said that we need to be able to look further than election cycles and coalition agreements. “The creation of the strategy “Estonia 2035” creates an opportunity for this. During the next year and a half, experts as well as everyone else have the opportunity to be a part of making important decisions about our country’s goals. No idea should be disregarded easily. I am certain that during the process of creating this strategy, we will discover the faults, goals, and solutions that will help to take Estonia to the year 2035 with great success,” emphasised the prime minister.

The strategy that is planned to be finished by the spring of 2020 has to create a clear picture of the country’s main goals for the next 15 years – what we want to achieve and which problems should be solved beforehand. One goal of the strategy is to reduce bureaucracy and the fragmentation and amount of government-level development plans. Another is to make the long-term development goals and actions of the state clearer to entrepreneurs, citizens, and officials.

Henry Kattago, the Strategy Director of the Government Office, says that the strategy will be prepared with the help of many social partners, experts, politicians, and officials. “Representatives from over a hundred organisations will participate in today’s opening seminar. We will continue with the discussion at the Opinion Festival, where everyone has the opportunity to voice their opinion. In September, a number of content events, which focus on defining problems, goals, and solutions in specific areas, will begin. “Estonia 2035” is a notional but improved continuation of the national reform programme “Estonia 2020”. In the course of creating the strategy, we will also plan the next period of the European Union’s structural resources in Estonia,” said Kattago.

All experts who want to participate in setting Estonia’s goals for the next 15 years are welcome to take part in creating the strategy.
Pictures from the opening seminar: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6z9m3ec2m8h5y46/AADlNZ0RXideJH7Wy666pzeDa?dl=0

Information about “Estonia 2035”
• The government approved the creation of the strategy “Estonia 2035” in the beginning of March.
• The Government Office and the Ministry of Finance are responsible for compiling, implementing, and renewing the strategy “Estonia 2035”.
• According to the set timeline, the strategy “Estonia 2035” will be sent to the government to be given approval in April 2020. Before that, it will be sent to the Riigikogu so the members could express their opinions and discuss the strategy.
• The strategy will be reviewed every year, which allows to take foreign trends into consideration and to react to those changes efficiently and flexibly to support the government in achieving its goals.

Background information
• In 2020, almost a half of the sectoral development plans will end, which means that a large-scale preparation of follow-up strategies will begin. “Estonia 2035” will help to avoid the fragmentation of sectoral development strategies and prevent possible discord, because the strategy will encompass cross-sectoral goals and tasks.
• In 2020, the cross-sectoral National Reform Programme “Estonia 2020” will end and a new follow-up strategy is needed. This role will be given to “Estonia 2035”.
• In 2020, the current financial period of the European Union will end and in 2021, the next one will begin. “Estonia 2035” will help to allocate these resources better. The new main political directions for the European Union will be completed alongside the strategy “Estonia 2035” and they will be integrated into the strategy.
• In 2020, Estonia will transition to an activity-based budgeting system. The consolidation of the state’s finances and the strategical planning framework is the prerequisite of its implementation.