The Riigikogu heard the annual report by Minister of Infrastructure

The Minister of Infrastructure opened up on the current state of Rail Baltica, emphasizing that the completion of the construction of the Baltic rail link was a national priority. “To date, construction activities have begun or are about to begin this year on 100 kilometres of the route. The goal is to have work ongoing along the entire main route by the end of 2026. To this end, almost two weeks ago we signed the largest infrastructure contracts in Estonian history, worth almost a billion euro,” Leis said. Leis also addressed the issue of the financing of Rail Baltica, pointing out that it was a phased financing. The total cost of the link is EUR 3.07 billion, of which Estonia’s contribution is around EUR 600 million. “Estonia has used a number of sources, mainly the Connecting Europe Facility as well as CO₂ quota revenue, the recovery instrument, and the structural funds. And we are working to ensure that European funding is also secured for the coming years,” the minister confirmed.

In his speech, Leis also discussed the development of the local road network. According to the Minister of Infrastructure, more investment will be made in roads that advance entrepreneurship and increase safety. To this end, an additional EUR 70 million will be allocated to improving the road network. “We have made a decision to start the construction of 2+2 highway sections in the Tallinn-Pärnu direction this year. Next year we will continue with the Tallinn-Tartu route,” Leis gave some examples. “We will also increase investments in smaller roads, with a focus on improving access to industrial areas and ports and on increasing the carrying capacity of bridges. We will also allocate additional funds to resurface gravel roads. We must ensure that infrastructure supports life and the economy in every corner of Estonia and in every situation. A new investor will not come where there is a gravel road,” the Minister of Infrastructure stated.

According to the Minister of Infrastructure, one of the most important steps in the area of circular economy is the implementation of waste reform. “The goal is to create a functioning and fair system where waste no longer goes to landfill or incinerators, but is transformed into new raw materials and industry,” Leis said. In the area of circular economy, the minister confirmed that there were plans to create a producer responsibility scheme for textile waste, to facilitate the recycling of bio-waste, to support the wider use of reusable containers and to allocate EUR 14 million in support for the development of the recycling industry.

In the field of housing, the minister highlighted the provision of state support for the renovation of apartment buildings and for obtaining home loans as key aspects. “We are facing a huge challenge: to renovate a large part of the building stock built in the last century. Apartment buildings are in the most difficult condition – around 14,000 houses need renovation by 2050,” Leis said. The Minister of Infrastructure said that it had been agreed that stable funding would be ensured for the sector, based on the CO₂ quota revenue system. “We are also negotiating with the European Commission to direct the money from the Social Climate Fund to where it is most needed, that is, to housing for lower-income households.” According to Leis, the national housing loan guarantee will also be increased, and its validity will be extended to various market failure areas to help young families and people outside major centres where purchasing a home is more difficult due to market conditions. According to the Minister, the procedures for building permits and permits for use will also be updated to reduce duplication and to speed up the authorisation of minor changes. The state is also updating building regulations to emphasize energy efficiency, better quality of street space, and accessibility.

In the field of maritime affairs, the Minister of Infrastructure highlighted the issue of security in maritime areas and the functioning of interconnections even in difficult circumstances. “We are working to mitigate the risks arising from the shadow fleet and violations of international law. Shadow vessels are like cars that have not undergone a roadworthiness test and have no insurance – no one knows if they are safe or what damage they can cause.” Leis said that a new multifunctional icebreaker would be built, which, in addition to its ice breaking capabilities, would also have the ability to repair submarine cables. “Perhaps then there will be no repetition of the recent example where the repair of Estlink 2 took more than half a year and nearly EUR 60 million because the repair vessel and crew came from far away,” the minister said.

Kuldar Leis concluded his presentation with the message that change in infrastructure does not happen overnight and that many sectors need to be able to work together. “But we have clear goals, a plan to achieve them is on the table, and several critical decisions have already been made,” Leis confirmed.

Lauri Laats from the Centre Party Group, Mart Maastik from Isamaa Parliamentary Group, Ando Kiviberg from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group, Anti Poolamets from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group and Maido Ruusmann from the Reform Party Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate. Andres Hanimägi made a speech on behalf of the Social Democratic Group.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

The video recording of the sitting will be available to watch later on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.

Following the sitting, a meeting to form the Estonia-Kenya parliamentary friendship group will be held on the initiative of Vadim Belobrovtsev.

Riigikogu Press Service
Maiki Vaikla
+372 631 6456, +372 5666 9508
maiki.vaikla@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: The Riigikogu heard the annual report by Minister of Infrastructure

Source: Parliament of Estonia