State Supervision Needs More Attention
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Tallinn University of Technology, Institute of Law, Lecturer
One of the conditions for achieving contemporary public administration is effective and high-quality supervisory mechanisms.
State supervision is an important part. Estonia’s state supervision is characterized by the deficient theoretical foundation -there is no simple definition of state supervision nor supervisory activity that does not consist of fulfilling administrative assignments. The exact content of the nature of state supervision can be derived from the organization of its legal framework. The main burden is on boards and inspectorates, who along with ministries implement the executive powers. At the same time, a large number of public administration bodies are named along with government institutions; they too can carry out state supervision. Carrying out supervision indirectly through such bodies requires a markedly more flexible approach – following the law and achieving efficiency can be at loggerheads. The writer feels that there is awareness in Estonia that the issue requires more attention, but it is discouraged by fragmentation of state supervision (many fields and bodies that deal with it). There are no universally understood principles that would guarantee a certain unity in carrying out state supervision. Mere legal measures will not suffice in resolving this issue; scientific studies in other fields must be used, along with practice. But without resolving the question of supervision, Estonia will not get contemporary and effective public administration.