The scope of matters that the Estonian Ministry of the Environment has to regulate is ample. It is responsible for regulating the questions concerning the protection of nature and environment, solving the tasks concerning the land-use (with keeping the national land cadastre), including co-ordination of the elaboration of regional plans, managing the use, protection and accounting of the natural resources, as well as surveillance over the use of environmentally hazardous compounds. Through its various programmes, the Ministry of the Environment organises environmental monitoring, meteorological, geological, constructional and geodetic surveys and research in natural history. It arranges the environmental impact assessments of the projects of national importance and co-ordinates international relations in environmental matters. The Ministry of the Environment formulates national policies in its field of activities and prepares the bills of respective legal acts.