Estonia to spend over EUR 7 mln on integration this year

Photo: Kristjan Teedema / Postimees

The Estonian government on Thursday approved an integration strategy implementation plan according to which 7.04 million euros, 710,000 euros less than last year, is to be spent on integration activities in 2013.

The report on the fulfillment of the 2012 implementation plan of the integration strategy that was under discussion in the government on Thursday showed that 7.75 million euros was spent on integration measures last year, of which 5.17 million euros was allocated from the budget and 2.58 million euros was external funding including co-financing.

The Ministry of Education and Research provided 2.76 million euros, Ministry of Culture 2,88 million, Unemployment Insurance Fund 1.92 million and public broadcaster ERR 0.19 million euros of the funding. On the whole integration measures were carried out as planned, the governmental press service said.

The planned volume of the integration strategy implementation plan this year is 7.04 million euros including 4.15 million euros in budgetary funding and 2.89 million euros in external funding inclusive of co-financing. Several measures financed in 2013 end in 2014.

Under the 2013 financing plan, 34 percent of the money or 2.38 million euros will be channeled into the field of educational and cultural integration. The field of social and economic integration is to get 1.96 million euros (28 percent), measures to promote legal and political integration 1.47 million euros (21 percent), and management activities of the integration strategy (monitoring, evaluation, international cooperation, etc.) will swallow 1.22 million euros (17 percent).