Policy Observatory

Estonia is to become the first country to offer e-residency to people around the world, offering state-proven digital identities that give access to services like online banking, education, and healthcare. The issuing of smart ID cards will begin towards the end of the year, with anyone eligible to apply to become an "e-Estonian".

Estonia on Thursday (9 October) became the first former Soviet republic to grant equal rights to same-sex couples. It means that from 2016 gay couples will have the same rights as straight couples in terms of inheritance, access to partners in hospitals, or joint adoption of children.

How about inheriting copyright upon the spouse death? See also the new US Copyright and Marriage Equality Act. Read more here.

Estonia is globally known as a powerhouse of the digital world. It eagerly moves everything into the digital realm and prides itself on being at the forefront of technology. As it now holds the Presidency of the Council of the EU, it is in charge of negotiations on the new Copyright Directive proposal.

Knowing how “digital” and progressive Estonia is, many people are surprised at the rather primitive, backward-looking leaked “compromise” proposal it produced on intermediary liability and upload filtering.

Following the launch of the controversial proposed Copyright Directive in September 2016, the European Parliament and the Member States (gathered in the Council of the European Union) are now developing their positions. The Council is working under its Estonian Presidency, which has produced a new “compromise” proposal.