Estonia’s parliament has passed a nuclear energy and safety act which creates the Baltic country’s first complete set of rules for producing nuclear energy and for overseeing its safety.

The government approved the draft of the legislation and sent it to parliament in March. If the president proclaims the act within 14 days, it will take effect on 1 January 2027.

The legislation was supported by both coalition and opposition parties. It reflects public support for adopting nuclear energy, which stood at 71% in January.

Parliament’s economic and environmental committee held three public hearings on the legislation. The discussions led to changes in the draft. The main change is that parliament will need to give final approval for a positive pre-assessment of an application to build a nuclear power plant.