The Estonian Maritime Administration ( et, Veeteede Amet) was a
governmental agency
A government or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an administratio ...
that operated within the area of government of the
Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications. It was mainly tasked with implementing national economic policies and maritime safety in Estonian
territorial
A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal.
In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or an ...
and navigable
inland waters
According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a nation's internal waters include waters on the side of the baseline of a nation's territorial waters that is facing toward the land, except in archipelagic states. It includes wat ...
.
In 2021, the organization was superseded by the
Estonian Transport Administration
Estonian Transport Administration is a governmental agency that operates within the area of government of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications ( et, Majandus- ja Kommunikat ...
.
History
1918 - 1940
On 13 November 1918, after the departure of
German occupation forces, the
Estonian Provisional Government
The Estonian Provisional Government ( et, Eesti Ajutine Valitsus) was formed on 24 February 1918, by the Salvation Committee appointed by '' Maapäev'', the Estonian Province Assembly.
History Konstantin Päts' first provisional cabinet
The Pr ...
took over the Maritime Safety and Navigational Auxiliary Service and then formed the agency as part of the Command of Tallinn Port. A month later, the Command of Tallinn Port became the Ports Authority. On February 1, 1919, two new agencies were formed in addition to the Ports Authority - the Pilots, Lighthouses and Aids to Navigation Authority office and the Board of Waterways, Ports’ Dredging and Repair office. On March 1, 1920, the previously established agencies were united into a new agency - the General Authority of Maritime Issues - which was subordinate to the Ministry of Trade and Industry. On 22 May 1922, the General Authority of Maritime Issues was subordinated to the Ministry of Roads. On July 1, 1929, the agency was reformed into the Waterways Authority, which was tasked with organizing ship traffic at Estonian seas and inland waterways, preparing new development projects for ports and maintenance plans for waterways, and technical inspection and management of Estonian merchant fleet. The Waterways Authority was renamed the Waterways Department on 8 April 1938. On 31 December 1940, after the
Soviets had annexed Estonia, the agency was dissolved and its resources were transferred to the
Estonian Shipping Company
Eesti Merelaevandus or ESCO, also called Estonian Shipping Company is an Estonian shipping company that currently operates eight multipurpose dry cargo and container ships. Technical management of the ships is performed by First Baltic Shipmanag ...
and
Hydrography Service of the Soviet Union Navy.
1990 - present
The decision to establish the Estonian Maritime Administration was made on December 1, 1989, and the agency was formed on 16 January 1990. The first statute of the Estonian Maritime Administration was approved on 29 April 1990, and the agency was tasked with preparing the Merchant Shipping Code, which was accepted on December 9, 1990. At the same time, the creation of the Estonian Ship Register began, which was approved on November 8, 1991. On 3 August 1993, an agreement was signed between Estonia and Russia for the transfer of hydrographic resources to Estonia, and on October 1, Estonia took over the responsibility of ensuring safe shipping in its waters. To fulfil its obligations, the icebreaker Tarmo was purchased in 1993. In the beginning, the main tasks of the organization included icebreaking, offering piloting services and fulfilling coast guard duties, like maritime rescue and oil pollution control. Between 1995 and 1996, those duties were transferred to other institutions. However, icebreaking duties were transferred back in 2000. On January 31, 1992, the Estonian Maritime Administration joined the
International Maritime Organization. In January 1994, it joined the
International Association of Lighthouse Authorities
The International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA), previously known as International Association of Lighthouse Authorities, is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1957 to collect and provide naut ...
; in February 1997, the
International Hydrographic Organization
The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is an intergovernmental organisation representing hydrography. , the IHO comprised 98 Member States.
A principal aim of the IHO is to ensure that the world's seas, oceans and navigable waters ...
; and in March 2001, the
World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure
The World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure (PIANC) is an international professional organisation founded in 1885.
PIANC’s mission today is to provide expert guidance and technical advice on technical, economic and environment ...
. On July 1, 2005, Estonia became a signatory of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control.
The Estonian Maritime Administration was merged into the Transport Administration on 1 January 2021.
Pictures
File:Tarmo 1963 IMO 5352886 Tallinn 14 July 2013.JPG, Icebreaker
An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters, and provide safe waterways for other boats and ships. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to sma ...
Tarmo
File:Jakob Prei 2012 Port Side Tallinn 15 July 2012.JPG, Hydrographic research vessel
A research vessel (RV or R/V) is a ship or boat designed, modified, or equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel but others require a dedicated ...
Jakob Prei
File:Sektori fighting against the Oil Pollution in Kopli Bay 24 May 2016.jpg, Sektori clearing oil pollution
File:EVA 316 Port Side Tallinn 12 July 2013.JPG, multipurpose vessel EVA–316
See also
*
Estonian Safety Investigation Bureau
Estonian Safety Investigation Bureau (ESIB; et, Ohutusjuurdluse Keskus or OJK) is the transport safety agency of Estonia, headquartered in Tallinn
Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Eston ...
*
Estonian Civil Aviation Administration
References
External links
Official websiteDiFooII:JAKOB PREI.mpg, Swath-Boot "JAKOB PREI" auf der Weser von Lemwerder nach Talinn, youtube.coml
{{authority control
Maritime Administration Maritime administrations, or flag state administrations, are the executive arms/state bodies of each government responsible for carrying out the shipping responsibilities of the state, and are tasked to administer national shipping and boating issu ...
Maritime Administration Maritime administrations, or flag state administrations, are the executive arms/state bodies of each government responsible for carrying out the shipping responsibilities of the state, and are tasked to administer national shipping and boating issu ...
Maritime safety organizations
Maritime affairs ministries
Transport organizations based in Estonia