Estonia's economic growth advisory council to wrap up work in October

Estonia's Efficiency and Economic Growth Council, set up by the government, will conclude its activities on October 31 and prepare a final report on how its proposals have been implemented. Council chair Viljar Arakas told ERR that the timeline was set from the start, designed to end six months before the Riigikogu elections so the council's work would not overlap with the election campaign period.

According to Arakas, the council reviewed around 750 proposals submitted to it and has essentially exhausted what it can contribute directly. The next phase, he said, is for the public sector, led by the Government Office, to carry the proposals forward, with the council remaining available to assist, including briefing parliamentary committees and political groups if needed.

Arakas said the council's model could continue under a future government, potentially with a changed membership, though each incoming coalition will decide for itself whether to keep the format.

Bills already before parliament

Several bills stemming from the council's proposals are currently before the Riigikogu, and Arakas expects related work to continue until the end of February next year. He pointed to progress on simplifying planning procedures, with a first step already adopted and a follow-up bill under consideration, as well as changes to employment rules under the Aliens Act.

He also cited planned cooperation between the Tax and Customs Board and Statistics Estonia, which could save the private sector roughly five million working hours annually — a substantial saving once valued against typical accounting labor costs.

The council began its work in spring 2025, gathering proposals aimed at simplifying Estonia's business environment and cutting bureaucracy, and has been tracking their implementation since.