Asetuse

Asetuse is the Estonian term for a regulation or decree issued as a binding rule by a competent state authority. The form asetuse is the genitive singular of asetus, the core noun meaning regulation, decree, or provision. In practice, asetused are a category of subordinate legislation designed to implement, specify, or detail provisions of higher law such as statutes.

Asetused are typically issued by ministries, agencies, or the government and are published in Riigi Teataja, the official gazette, where they become enforceable on the stated date. They can cover administrative procedures, public administration, trade, environment, health, and other regulated domains. Their content must align with the Constitution and higher legislation, and they can be amended, repealed, or replaced by subsequent asetused or laws.

In English-language contexts, asetus is commonly translated as regulation or decree. The form asetuse appears in Estonian texts to indicate possession or association, e.g., “asetuse kehtestamine” meaning “the enactment of the regulation.” The English translation would adjust for grammar, for example “the regulation's provisions” or “provisions of the regulation.”

Related terms include seadus (law), which is primary legislation enacted by parliament; määrus (order or decree, often by government bodies); and Riigi Teataja, the official publication for legal acts and regulations in Estonia.