Summary

Estonia’s railways are an important transit corridor between East and West. For example, in 2002 there was 42.1 million tons of goods transport, of which 69.9% or 29.43 million tons was oil products. As is known, oil products are extremely flammable liquids, which are internationally recognized as class 3 dangerous substances. Whereas, in other countries, the transport of dangerous goods is very strictly regulated, in Estonia there is a lack of coherence in the system of legal acts regarding rail transport, and there are numerous gaps. Although there are single rules that can be found in laws or in ministers’ regulations which refer to each other or which specify some legal relationship, there has been no publication of even the rules and regulations based on which transport is carried out in practice. Such a situation also does not make it possible to carry out state inspections.

The article provides an overview of international and European Union law regulating the rail transport of dangerous goods, and looks at the place Estonia holds within this entire system. In the critical analysis of national law, the deficiencies in the laws regulating the state supervision of this area are highlighted. In conclusion, a starting point is proposed for the improvement of the Estonian legal system.