Estonia's European Union Policy

88.    Estonia will ensure that the agreements on the automatic recognition of higher education qualifications are respected and implemented in the European Union.

89.    Education systems must support the development and preservation of national cultures and languages. EU action on education systems must be flexible and respect national specificities or be voluntary.

90.    At the EU level, active learning mobility and transnational cooperation in the fields of education, youth, and sport must be promoted through the necessary EU support measures (e.g. Erasmus+, European Solidarity Corps).

91.    To increase youth participation in policymaking and lawmaking, we stand for lowering the voting age in European Parliament elections from 18 to 16 and for developing youth participation competencies in the European Union.

92.    We consider it necessary that in the new budget period, the European Union should continue to support both basic and applied research and innovation, in particular in the fields of artificial intelligence and clean technologies, critical minerals, health, and cybersecurity. We want EU research and innovation funds to support the development of dual-use technologies for military purposes in the future.

93.    To close the gap in research and innovation capacity in Europe, the EU needs to continue to foster research and innovation cooperation with Member States that have been less involved so far. These EU measures must be targeted and linked to the country’s contribution to increasing R&D competitiveness. 

94.    Common solutions and funding possibilities for the protection of digital cultural heritage, cross-border preservation, and data back-up need to be created in the EU. The protection of cultural heritage plays an important role in the context of crisis preparedness and strengthening security, but also in safeguarding European values.

95.    The European Commission needs to closely monitor compliance with the obligation to assess and manage systemic risks of large platforms and react promptly to breaches of these obligations. To prevent interference in elections and the spread of disinformation, there is a need for strong legal tools and their implementation in a way that provides rapid and relevant assistance in the current security situation. If the EU’s rules on digital services cannot be enforced in this way, they need to be improved.

96.    Researchers need to be given access to platform data to detect potential disinformation campaigns early. To do this, the Commission should immediately adopt a delegated act laying down the conditions for access to researchers’ data. 

97.    We continue to support the exclusion of athletes from Russia and Belarus, and other countries supporting aggression, from international sporting events.