Co-operation with the Netherlands

On 17 April 1998, a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministries of Agriculture of Estonia and the Netherlands in the fields of agriculture and rural policies was signed in the Hague. There has been good cooperation between the two ministries, which has enabled our experts to be trained and schooled in the Ministry of Agriculture of the Netherlands. In 2002, for example, a training took place in the Netherlands on the topic „Human resource development.“

Several projects have been held in the framework of cooperation between the countries. There was a project on advising the farms, which lasted for almost 8 years. 30 so called exemplar farms were selected and they were advised in the subjects of dairy farming, feedingstuffs, milk quality, accounting and farm management. Seminars were held all over Estonia. On favourable terms, concentrated feed and technology was purchased. Trainings for executives and organic farming specialists were held. Aid from the Netherlands was also received for the development and equipping of Luhamaa border inspection post. Over the years, projects like the Optimization of water management and land use in rural areas (2001), Capacity building for EU integration in the fields of organic farming and agri-environment (2002), Development of official control system in Estonian agricultural sector according to the acquis (2002), Strengthening of Estonian Control Systems in Feedingstuffs Sector in line with EU legislation (2003), Strengthening of Estonian Plant Protection Registration and Control System in accordance with EU legislation (2003), Strengthening of the Estonian plant propagation material (including seed potato) marketing quality standards Control and Training System in accordance with EU legislation (2004), Strengthening of the Estonian fresh fruit and vegetable marketing quality standards Control and Training System in accordance with EU legislation (2004) have been carried out.

By today, there are no ongoing projects but a tight cooperation network has been formed with colleagues from the Netherlands. Bilateral visits between the ministers have been held both in Estonia and the Netherlands.