Supreme Court: Logging Permits in Green Network Areas Require Impact Assessment

Estonia's highest court has delivered a significant victory for environmental protection, ruling that logging permits in crucial green network areas require a thorough impact assessment. The Supreme Court's administrative chamber upheld a complaint filed by the NGO "Save Estonia's Forests" (Päästame Eesti Metsad MTÜ), invalidating logging permits issued by the Environmental Board in 2021 to the State Forest Management Centre (RMK).

This landmark decision reinforces a long-standing principle in Estonian environmental law: that decisions affecting ecologically sensitive areas cannot be made lightly. The court stressed that issuing permits in green network areas must not be an automatic process. Instead, the Environmental Board must meticulously evaluate the actual impact of any proposed logging activities on the integrity and functionality of the green network.

The ruling is a clear message to authorities and state-owned enterprises like RMK that environmental considerations must be paramount when managing forest resources. It underscores the importance of biodiversity and ecological connectivity, ensuring that economic activities do not come at the irreversible cost of Estonia's natural heritage. This decision is likely to influence future land-use planning and environmental permitting processes across the country.