BONJOUR L'ESTONIE

Estonian domain name registration gets "ee-sier"

The top level domain for EU member state Estonia is .ee. That country's current registration rules are quite restrictive, allowing just one domain name per Estonian citizen.
This all changes on Monday 5 July, when the only restriction will be that any person or company will be able to register a .ee domain name if he, she or it has a local administrative contact in Estonia with a personal identification number.

Estonian first-quarter budget gap shrinks 34%

Estonia’s budget deficit shrank by a third in the first quarter from a year earlier as the economy recovers from the third-deepest recession in the European Union, reported Bloomberg.

The shortfall, which includes central and local governments and social insurance funds, narrowed 34 percent to 4 billion kroons from 6.1 billion kroons a year earlier, according to Statistics Estonia. The first- quarter deficit amounts to 1.9 percent of the planned gross domestic product, according to Bloomberg calculations based on the Finance Ministry’s 2010 estimate.

Estonia won European Commission backing last month to become the euro area’s 17th country after outperforming the bloc’s members on the Maastricht Treaty fiscal criteria. The government’s expects the deficit to widen to 2.5 percent from 1.7 percent last year when the government ran surpluses in the second half by cutting wages, freezing pension contributions and raising dividend collection from state companies.

"Due to the elections, we do not see any improvement in the cumulative deficit from current levels,” Nordea economist Annika Lindblad in Helsinki said before the report. “Risks are currently rather for a slightly higher than anticipated deficit of 2.5 percent of GDP, although still remaining below 3 percent of GDP.”

The budget deficit after the first four months of the year was 2.39 percent of annual GDP, the country’s Finance Ministry said in an e-mailed statement earlier this month. Elections are due on March 6, 2011.

Toomas Hõbemägi

Estonia needs the “Reward” of the Ailing euro like a Hole in the Head ...!

There are usually disadvantages and various degrees of unpleasantness involved in showing up late to a party. It all depends on how late you arrive. Just an hour or two late, and the appetizers tray is either empty or you have to settle for silm pickin’s.

Several hours late, and you have two choices. You can once again discover how silly inebriated people are, which gets old quick, or you can boost your alcohol intake to catch up with the others.

If you’re very late, the house will probably be in disarray, and many partygoers will have left or nodded off on the sofa. At the table, you’ll find an array of half-empty cocktail glasses with cigarette butts floating in them, along with other detritus.

For the Charles Bukowskis among us, if you show up several days late in one of the worse parts of town here in Tallinn – one with abandoned buildings where the members of our lumpenized caste spend their nights, there is a chance someone will get knifed, because by then, nerves are on edge.

Estonia’s invitation to the euro party has come badly late

On June 7, the finance ministers of the eurozone endorsed Estonia’s bid to adopt the euro, seconded by the finance ministers of the entire EU on June 8. This invitation to adopt the euro as the country’s only legal tender at the beginning of next year and to run the discontinued Estonian kroon through the shredder is being officially touted as something really great for Estonia.

Estonia long-term overdue loans rise on month in May

The amount of loans overdue more than 60 days in Estonia's banking system rose to 7 percent of the total loan portfolio in May, up from 6.7 percent in April, the Estonian central bank said on Friday.

Estonia's banking system is 95 percent controlled by four Nordic financial groups, and concerns over the scale of bad debt in an economy badly hit by the financial crisis have weighed on shares in Swedbank and SEB among others.

The size of total loan and leasing portfolio eased in May to 245 billion kroon from 246 billion kroons at the end of April. Compared to May 2009, the loan and leasing portfolio was 6.6 percent smaller.

"The volume of housing loans issued in May reached 578 million kroons for the first time this year and exceeded the year ago figures," the bank said in a statement.

The Estonian central bank forecasted in early June that the share of loans overdue by more than 60 days will be about 6 percent in 2010.

Estonia is expected to get final approval from European Union finance ministers on July 13 to join the euro zone from Jan 1, 2011.

Almost all loans in Estonia are issued in euros.

Tallinn seeks more active role in Estonia-Russia transit trade

An international conference on Tallinn's role in developing transport ties between Estonia and Russia is being held today in Tallinn. The event will be attended by the mayors of Tallinn and Riga, CEO of Russian railroad monopoly Russian Railways, as well as other officials and businessmen.

The event will be held in Nordic Hotel Forum and start at 10.30.

Vladimir Yakunin, president of Russian Railways, will speak on the topic of opportunities of Russian rail transit trade, strategic priorities and the Baltic region. Mayor of Riga Nils Ushakovs will speak on Riga as the economic powerhouse of the Latvian economy, Ain Kaljurand, chairman of Port of Tallinn will make a presentation on the role of Port of Tallinn in Estonia's development and deputy mayor of Tallinn Taavi Aas will discuss the business climate in Tallinn. Mayor of Tallinn Edgar Savisaar will be speaking on the topic "Tallinn as the engine for Estonian success."

Other speakers include Tiit Vähi (ex-PM and chairman of Estonian Large Business Association), Raivo Vare (CEO of Estonian Cooperation Council) and Indrek Neivelt (chairman of the  supervisory board of St. Petesrburg Bank).

According to organizers, growing freight traffic from Russia could make Estonia face larger load on its ports soon, and Estonia should be ready to provide Russia with all necessary transit services. Good-neighborly relations with Russia raise the load on Estonian ports and railroad capacities, and boost the efficiency of companies employing tens of thousands of people.

Toomas Hõbemägi

Estonia consumer confidence gauge advanced to highest in 34 months in June

Estonian consumer confidence advanced in June to the highest in 34 months on an improving outlook for personal finances.

The confidence index rose to minus 3, the highest since August 2007, from minus 5 in May, the Tallinn-based Konjunktuuriinstituut research institute said on its website in a statement dated June 22. The outlook for personal finances in the next 12 months rose to minus 1 from minus 3, it said.

Consumer sentiment has climbed from a record low in March 2009 as the $17 billion economy emerged from a recession, helped by rising demand in its Nordic export markets. The European Commission last month recommended Estonia join the euro region in January, making it the 17th member of the currency bloc.

Inflationary expectations rose “significantly” from last month, reaching the “pre-crisis level of summer 2008,” the institute said.

Thirty-six percent of surveyed households expect to save money during the next 12 months, 51 percent to make ends meet and 13 percent to live off old savings or are chronically indebted, the office said, citing declining wages and record- high unemployment.

Ott Ummelas

Baltics show how fiscal medicine tastes

As debate rages within the Group of 20 nations over how quickly countries, especially those in Europe, should consolidate their bloated budgets, the Baltic region has emerged as a laboratory for the harsh fiscal medicine being prescribed by deficit-laden governments across the continent.

While the big squeeze is only just beginning in countries such as Greece, Spain and the UK, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are already deep into the age of austerity. Estonia led the way with cuts equivalent to 9.3 per cent of gross domestic product in 2010, followed by Lithuania with 7.3 per cent and Latvia 6 per cent. By comparison, the UK is planning to take five years to make savings worth 8 per cent of GDP.

To fiscal hawks, the Baltic trio is a model for the rest of Europe – a role the region’s policymakers are happy to embrace.

“My advice would be very simple: start fiscal consolidation as soon as possible,” Andrius Kubilius, prime minister of Lithuania, told the Financial Times. “Don’t wait until the situation becomes more difficult.”

Yet, for those who worry that excessive austerity risks undermining recovery, the Baltic experience is a cautionary tale.

Sting returning to Tallinn

TALLINN — That English brahmin of popular music Sting has booked his third appearance in Tallinn, bringing famous conductor Steven Mercurio and the Brits’ Royal Philharmonic Orchestra along for the trip this time around.

Sting’s “Symphonic” tour will stop in Tallinn’s Saku Suurhall on Sept. 11. The concert will differ from previous Sting’s concerts as the songs will be performed with a full orchestra, giving classics like “Roxanne,” “Every Breath You Take,” “Englishman in New York” and “Fields of Gold” a very different tone.

Playing with rock musicians is nothing new for the Royal Philharmonic, who have also worked on orchestral arrangements with Queen, Pink Floyd, George Michael, Oasis, R.E.M., U2, and even ABBA.

Unlike Rod Stewart earlier this month, Sting is only coming to one Baltic states, so Latvian and Lithuanian fans will have to make the trek up north to see the former lead singer of The Police in action.

Tickets are available at www.ticketpro.ee, with prices ranging from 760 krooni (€48.60) to 2,500 krooni (€160). The concert starts at 8 p.m.

Kai Joost

Innovative ideas for how to produce wind energy in the future in Estonia

Two months before this year’s Global Wind Day, the Estonian Wind Power Association announced an imaginative contest with the aim of generating innovative ideas on what a wind turbine might look like in the future.

On the 15 June, when the energy from wind was celebrated all over the world, the winners of the contest were announced and an exhibition showing many great ideas for the future opened.

The idea behind the contest was to bring attention to the fact that wind energy is not only about green energy, which indeed is an important factor, but it also produces long-awaited growth in the energy industry sector and creates new jobs.

This improves the economy, which has been weakened in most places in the world. Martin Kruus, the CEO of Estonian Wind Power Association said at the Global Wind Day event that we should not talk only about wind turbines and where they should be installed but also about the opportunity for a small country like Estonia to become recognised as a major player in the wind energy industry.

“The aim of the Future Wind Turbine contest was to motivate people to brainstorm about wind energy in the future,” explained Kruus. “Our companies have already been active in this field – proven by the latest news about the Estonian Wind Energy Cluster receiving co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund which will enable wind energy related organisations to cooperate more actively.”

Scandinavia and Estonia open up new world for travelers

In the coming year, travelers to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Scandinavia's Baltic neighbor, Estonia, will find fun new innovations that many have come to expect from these creative Nordic countries.

Most of the action is taking place in their capital cities, where new sights and exciting events are sure to keep visitors entertained.

Estonia's capital, Tallinn, is just two hours by boat from Helsinki. Upon arrival, head for the Travelers' Tent, a youthful and creative tourist office that offers lots of helpful information and services, as well as several spirited tours (www.tallinnfreetour.com). Also in Tallinn, the Estonian History Museum in the Great Guild Hall is closed for renovations until 2011; in the meantime, its collection is housed in Maarjamäe Palace, outside of town (and not worth the trip).

Each of these Nordic and Baltic countries is dominated by a capital that offers sightseeing fun and a distinct cultural flavor. They're all well-connected by air, sea or train, making it easy to sample several cities in one trip. Whatever year you decide to visit, remember that Scandinavia is best in summer.

Rick Steves

Germany and Russia move closer

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle will brief French and Polish officials on a joint proposal for Russian-European “cooperation on security,” according to a statement from Westerwelle’s spokesman on Monday. The proposal emerged out of talks between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev earlier in June and is based on a draft Russia drew up in 2008. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will be present at the meeting. Andreas Peschke said, “We want to further elaborate and discuss it within the triangle [i.e., France, Germany and Poland] in the presence of the Russian foreign minister.”

On the surface, the proposal developed by Merkel and Medvedev appears primarily structural. It raises security discussions about specific trouble spots to the ministerial level rather than the ambassadorial level, with a committee being formed consisting of EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Russia’s foreign minister.

All of this seems rather mild until we consider three things. First, proposals for deepening the relationship between Russia and the European Union have been on the table for several years without much progress. Second, the Germans have taken this initiative at a time when German foreign policy is in a state of flux. And third, the decision to take this deal to France and Poland indicates that the Germans are extremely sensitive to the geopolitical issues involved, which are significant and complex.

Tallinn 2011 presents its program in Helsinki

Tallinn 2011 brought different kinds of stories to Senate Square of Helsinki, informed BC.Tallinn 2011 press office.

The Capital of Culture choir performed parts of its popular repertoire including songs from the Youth Song Celebrations program that will take place next summer. A percussion orchestra Trumm-It filled Helsinki town center with its afro reggae rhythms and gave a first introduction into drumming in a workshop.

The puppet theatre festival Tallinn Treff performed a show on stage, helped children make their own puppets in a workshop and sent two four metres tall puppets for a walk around town.

Circus artists from the Circus Tree performed their tricks on stage and gave lessons in juggling and other circus arts in a workshop. Also kids could try generating energy while pedaling on the bikes in the environment-friendly performance project 'MIM Goes Sustainable'. The grand finales of the day were the performances by Estonian pop sensations Iiris and Malcolm Lincoln.

The sunny day of the Capital of Culture Tallinn 2011 on the Senate Square of Helsinki gave the visitors a new taster of the south coast of the bay and hopefully inspired many of them to explore the Capital of Culture in 2011.

Juhan Tere

Use of evidence-based pharmacotherapy after myocardial infarction in Estonia

Mortality from cardiovascular disease in Estonia is among the highest in Europe. The reasons for this have not been clearly explained.

Also, there are no studies available examining outpatient drug utilization patterns in patients who suffered from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Estonia. The objective of the present study was to examine drug utilization in different age and gender groups following AMI in Estonia.

Methods: Patients admitted to hospital with AMI (ICD code I21-I22) during the period of 01.01.2004-31.12.2005 and who survived more than 30 days were followed 365 days from the index episode.

Data about reimbursed prescriptions of beta-blockers (BBs), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers (ACE/ARBs) and statins for these patients was obtained from the database of the Estonian Health Insurance Fund. Data were mainly analysed using frequency tables and, where appropriate, the Pearson's chi2 test, the Mann-Whitney U-test and the t-test were used.

A logistic regression method was used to investigate the relationship between drug allocation and age and gender. We presented drug utilization data as defined daily dosages (DDD) per life day in four age groups and described proportions of different combinations used in men and women.

French Open finalist Stosur loses at Wimbledon

WIMBLEDON — French Open runner-up Samantha Stosur has been upset in the first round at Wimbledon.

The sixth-seeded Stosur lost to 80th-ranked qualifier Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 6-4, 6-4 on Tuesday, the Australian's fourth first-round exit in eight appearances at the All England Club.

Stosur entered Wimbledon with a tour-leading 35 match wins in 2010 and with her career-best ranking. She reached her first Grand Slam final at the French Open this month, beating current No. 1 Serena Williams and former No. 1s Justine Henin and Jelena Jankovic along the way.

The woman Stosur lost to in the final at Roland Garros, Francesca Schiavone, lost her opening match at Wimbledon on Monday.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press

Estonia celebrates Victory Day and Midsummer Day

Estonia is to celebrate the Victory Day of the War of Independence on June 23, reported BC the Government Press Office.

The national holiday is in celebration of the momentous victory of Estonian troops over Landeswehr and liberation of the City of Cesis (Võnnu in Estonian) from the German troops on June 23, 1919.

The national holiday on Thursday is in celebration of the Midsummer Day.

Wednesday and Thursday are also the days for hoisting Estonian flags on all residential, commercial and office buildings.

Estonia sixth poorest EU member state

Estonia's per capita GDP was 62% of the EU average in 2009, making Estonia one of the bottom six and only ahead of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania and Bulgaria.

The highest GDP was recorded in Luxembourg at 268% of the EU average, followed by Ireland (131%), Holland (130%), Austria (124%) and Sweden (120%).

France, Spain, Italy, Cyprus and Greece were near the EU average.

Another Eurostat survey based on 2008 figures, 26 of Latvian residents were living near the poverty line, behind Romania (23%) and Bulgaria (21%). The percentage in Lithuania, Greece and Spain was 20% and in Estonia it was 19%. EU average was 17%.

The list was topped by the Czech Republic (9%), Holland, Slovakkia, Slovenia, Sweden, Austria, Hungary and Denmark.

Eurostat considers that people who earn less than 60% of the country's average wages live near the poverty line.

Toomas Hõbemägi

President Ilves urged prospective students to become teachers

President Toomas Hendrik Ilves recommended to the best pupils invited for a reception to contribute to the Estonian education system so that it could be made into the best one in the world, writes LETA/National Broadcasting.

“If anyone here today (on Monday – ed) still lacks clarity on what they wish to become and wants to hear my advice, I would be best served to say to all of you here – the most exciting and challenging work that will be done in Estonia in the coming decades will be in the education system,” said Ilves when speaking to the most successful pupils graduating from secondary schools this year. “This work will be more and more valued and it requires the best people to do it – it is teaching, teaching of teachers and passing on knowledge in the widest sense of the word,” explained the President.

The head of State urged high-achieving pupils to want, dream and hope that in 25 years, for example, it could be said that the Estonian education would be the best in the world because of the fact that in 2010 there was an abrupt shift in the youth’s career preferences.

Juhan Tere

Estonia proposes customs-free Baltic Sea zone

TALLINN - Sweden would be part of a new customs-free internal market suggested by Estonia's Foreign Minister.

European Union members on the Baltic Sea should drop customs controls among themselves to create a trade-boosting maritime zone, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said Monday.

"EU states located around the Baltic Sea should should have an internal market to abolish time-wasting customs procedures and promote trade and cooperation in the Baltic Sea region," Paet told reporters after meeting visiting Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb.

Besides Estonia and Finland, six other members of the 27-nation EU lie on the Baltic: Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Denmark and Sweden.

Non-EU member Russia also has toehold on the sea, notably its Kaliningrad territory.

Joakim Helenius may become chairman of Estonian Air council

Minister of economic affairs Juhan Parts is offering the job of the chairman of the supervisory councl of the national carrier Estonian Air, to investment banker Joakim Helenius, reports aripaev.ee.

Commenting the news, Helenius said that before there has been an official statement, he could not comment this issue.

Parts himself said that while it was up to the supervisory council to elect the chairman, he would like to see Helenius in this post.

The minister added that he would also like to see Raul Allikivi from the ministry of economy in the supervisory council.

According to newspaper reports, finance minister Jürgen Ligi has proposed businessman Valdo Randpere, member of the Reform Party, and Aare Järvan, financial advisor of prime minister Andrus Ansip, for the council.

Following a deal reached last month with SAS, the state now owns 90% of Estonian Air.

Toomas Hõbemägi

William Thorson wins big in Tallinn

Team PokerStars Pro William Thorson has won the second PokerStars Baltic Festival for more than 1.2 million Estonian Crowns - approximately €80,823. Thorson bested a field of 222 players to take his first major No Limit Hold'em title, writes Mad Harper.

The €1,400 Main Event at the luxurious Swissôtel in Tallinn, Estonia was the richest poker tournament ever held in the Baltic States and attracted players from 21 countries around the world, creating a total prize pool of more than 4.8 million Estonian Crowns - approximately €310,857.

Close to tears, the 27-year-old Swede - who has made four EPT final tables but never won a title - said: "I've been waiting for this so long. I'm so happy you just can't imagine it. This means so much to me.. it's unbelievable. I really wanted this title." Thorson beat Lithuanian pro Dominykas Karmazinas after three hours of heads-up play to take the title when his pocket jacks stayed ahead of Karzaminas' deuces.

Thorson has made well over $2million playing live tournaments around the world and was last season's EPT Omaha Player of the Year after winning two Omaha side events during EPT Season 6. As part of a "last longest" promotion (for wearing the PokerStars logo), Thorson also won a €6,000 package into EPT Tallinn, the debut event of Season 7 of the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour which takes place in the Estonian capital from August 11-16.