Statutes of the Language Board
Passed 24.07.2020 No. 25
This Regulation is established on the basis of subsection 42 (1) of the Government of the Republic Act.
Chapter 1 General provisions
§ 1. Language Board
(1) The Language Board (hereinafter the Board) is a governmental authority operating within the area of government of the Ministry of Education and Research (hereinafter the Ministry).
(2) Upon performance of its functions, the Board represents the state.
§ 2. Registered office of the Board
The registered office of the Board is in Tallinn. The location and postal address of the units and offices of the Board situated outside Tallinn are determined by the Director General of the Board.
§ 3. Budget, seal and insignia of the Board
(1) The Board has its own budget that is approved, revised and the implementation of which is supervised by the minister responsible for the field (hereinafter the minister) pursuant to the procedure provided by law.
(2) The Board has document forms bearing its name and the procedure for use of the forms is established in the operations procedure of the Board. A structural unit of the Board may have a document form bearing its name where it is provided for in the statutes of the structural unit.
(3) The Board has a circular seal with a diameter of 35 mm with the image of a small national coat of arms in the centre and with the word ‘Keeleamet’ on the edge of the seal.
§ 4. Coordination of activities and reporting requirements
(1) The Board reports on the field to the minister responsible for the field who directs and coordinates the activities of the Board and exercises supervisory control over the Board in accordance with the procedure provided by legislation.
(2) The cooperation between the Board and the Ministry is coordinated by the Secretary General of the Ministry.
§ 5. Board’s name in other languages
The name of the Board in English is the Language Board.
§ 6. Fields of activity and functions of the Board
(1) The fields of activity of the Board include implementation of the language policy and state and administrative supervision over compliance with the Language Act and other legislation regulating language proficiency and the use of language as well as application of the enforcement powers of the state on the grounds and to the extent prescribed by law.
(2) In the field of the implementation of language policy, the Board performs the following functions:
1) makes proposals for shaping the language policy of Estonia and the European Union and for drafting language-related legislation;
2) coordinates and carries out activities targeted at the improvement of the status and prestige of the Estonian language in cooperation with other authorities;
3) analyses the language situation of different fields and regions, effectiveness of language-related legislation and efficiency of supervisory work;
4) works to improve the use of language in different fields and makes proposals for the development of the good practice of the use of language, stylebooks, technical documentation in the Estonian language and standards in the Estonian language;
5) coordinates language studies for adults and promotes the corresponding exchange of information, makes proposals to the Ministry for improving the efficiency of and developing the language study system of adults;
6) explains the requirements arising from the Language Act to the public and informs the public of the language situation;
7) advises individuals and authorities in matters of linguistic human rights and the implementation of language-related legislation;
8) advises employers on the application of the requirements of Estonian language proficiency to employees and the organisation of Estonian language studies;
9) assesses the compliance of employees or officials with the requirements of Estonian language proficiency for work;
10) informs people not proficient in the Estonian language of language learning opportunities and advises them on the selection of suitable language courses;
11) monitors the implementation of language technology in different spheres of life, makes, on the basis of its activity, proposals to the Ministry for improving the implementation of language technology solutions and development of new applications.
(3) In the field of supervision, the Board performs the following functions:
1) exercises supervision over the compliance with the requirements for the use of the Estonian language and foreign languages established by law in state agencies, local government authorities and agencies administered by local government authorities as well as in agencies of legal persons in public law (hereinafter authority), at the bureaus of notaries, bailiffs or sworn translators, in companies, non-profit associations or foundations and in the activities of self-employed persons;
2) inspects whether employers apply the requirements for Estonian language proficiency at the level necessary to perform service or employment duties to officials and employees;
3) inspects the compliance of an official or employee with the requirements for Estonian language proficiency established on the basis of the Language Act and other legislation providing requirements for language proficiency and, where necessary, issues a precept for acquisition of language proficiency at the required level, requires that an official or employee take a proficiency examination or makes a proposal for revocation of the decision on appointment of an official or for termination of an employment contract with an employee;
4) inspects the compliance of official use of language, including use of language on official websites, with the Estonian Literary Standard and adherence to the good practice of the use of language on public signs and signposts and in announcements, notices and advertisements;
5) inspects the use of an official name form and adherence to the transcription rules in official use of language;
6) inspects the existence of an Estonian translation upon public performance of audio-visual works in a foreign language, transmission of foreign language programmes of television stations and organisation of international events directed to the public;
7) inspects the existence of instructions for use in Estonian and proper labelling in Estonian upon provision of goods and services and the existence of general information in Estonian at sales and service establishments;
8) assesses the compliance of curricula, the learning environment and teachers of continuing education institutions applying for an activity license for the conduct of Estonian language studies with requirements established by or under the law;
9) examines the organisation of Estonian language studies in continuing education directed to preparation for the proficiency examination and inspects the conduct thereof in accordance with the requirements of the Language Act;
10) makes proposals for the improvement of the quality of Estonian language studies in continuing education.
Chapter 2 Structure and management of the Board
§ 7. Structural units
(1) The structural units of the Board are departments. A department may include divisions.
(2) Departments perform the functions which fall within their competence in the field of activity of the Board and which are determined in the statutes of the department.
(3) The composition of the service positions of the Board is approved by the minister responsible for the field or, by the authority of the minister, the Director General.
(4) Divisions, officials and employees not forming part of any department may report directly to the Director General. The duties of an official or employee reporting directly to the Director General are set out in a job description or an employment contract.
(5) The competence of heads of structural units and the powers of the public authority are determined by the Director General in their job description.
§ 8. Director General
(1) The Board is managed by the Director General.
(2) The Director General of the Board:
1) manages the work of the Board and organises the performance of duties that fall within the competence of the Board;
2) is responsible for the accurate and efficient compliance with legislation regulating the activities of the Board and reports to the minister responsible for the field;
3) acts on behalf of the Board and represents the Board and authorises other officials and employees to represent the Board;
4) submits proposals for the budget of the Board to the minister responsible for the field and is responsible for the accurate and purposeful execution of the budget;
5) submits proposals to the minister responsible for the field for organisation of the field of activity of the Board and for amendment and supplementation of legislation stipulating the requirements for language proficiency and the use of language;
6) approves the work plans, work organisation rules, operations procedure and job descriptions of officials and employees of the Board;
7) appoints to office and releases from office officials included in the composition of the Board, enters into and terminates employment contracts with employees, determines the salary of officials on the basis of the salary guide and agrees upon the wages with employees;
8) applies incentives and imposes disciplinary penalties to officials and issues warnings of cancellation of the employment contract to employees and other warnings, where necessary;
9) establishes the procedure for performance and appraisal interviews with officials and employees;
10) reviews challenges filed on an administrative act or other act of the Board and issues decisions on specific individual cases;
11) ensures the application of the internal control system and internal audit of the Board, following the agreement made with the head of internal audit of the area of government;
12) possesses, uses and disposes of the state assets and funds in the possession of the Board in accordance with legislation;
13) issues directives in service-related matters in accordance with law and legislation issued on the basis thereof and for execution;
14) approves the statutes of structural units;
15) represents the Board in performing the functions arising from the statutes and other legislation and grants authorities to represent the Board;
16) enters into agreements on behalf of the Board within the limits of the approved budget or authorises other officials or employees to do the same;
17) performs other functions assigned to the Director General by legislation.
(3) Upon absence of the Director General, an official appointed by the Director General substitutes for the Director General.
(4) In exceptional circumstances, the minister may appoint a person not specified in subsection (3) of this section to substitute for the Director General.
§ 9. Management of structural units of the Board
(1) A department of the Board is managed by the head of department, who reports directly to the Director General.
(2) A division is headed by the chief inspector appointed by the head of department.
Chapter 3 Departments
§ 10. Departments of the Board
The departments of the Board are:
1) the Department of Language Policy Implementation and Development;
2) the Supervision Department.
§ 11. Department of Implementation and Development of Language Policy
The main functions of the Department of Implementation and Development of Language Policy are:
1) participation in the development of language policy and in activities to enhance the prestige of the Estonian language;
2) analysis of the language situation of different fields and regions, effectiveness of legislation regulating the use of language and efficiency of supervision over the compliance with the Language Act;
3) preparation of proposals for amendments to legislation regulating language proficiency and the use of language and for improvement in the sphere of language;
4) provision of advice to people and authorities in matters of implementation of legislation concerning language policy and language sphere and of language studies;
5) preparation of proposals for the development of the good practice of the use of language and for translation of widely used standards into the Estonian language;
6) coordination of Estonian language studies for adults;
7) monitoring of language technology within its field of activity and making of proposals for the development of language technology applications and support for introduction thereof.
§ 12. Supervision Department
(1) The main functions of the Supervision Department are:
1) supervision over compliance with the Language Act and other legislation providing for requirements for language proficiency and the use of language;
2) processing of activity licences for continuing education institutions providing Estonian language studies;
3) making of proposals for the improvement of the quality of continuing education institutions providing Estonian language studies;
4) provision of advice to people and authorities on implementation of legislation regulating language proficiency and the use of language.
(2) The composition of the Supervision Department includes the following regional supervision divisions:
1) Tallinn and Harju County Supervision Division – located in Tallinn;
2) Ida-Viru Supervision Division – located in Kohtla-Järve;
3) Southern Estonian Supervision Division – located in Valga.
Chapter 4 Implementing provisions
§ 13. Repeal
Regulation no. 15 “Statutes of the Language Inspectorate” of the Minister of Education and Research of 9 February 2007 is repealed.
§ 14. Entry into force of the Regulation
This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 August 2020.
Mailis Reps
Minister
Mart Laidmets
Secretary General
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