Extraordinary session of the Riigikogu ended due to lack of quorum

At today’s extraordinary session, the Riigikogu did not deliberate the Bill on Amendments to the Alcohol, Tobacco, Fuel and Electricity Excise Duty Act that was on the agenda, because there were not enough members of the Riigikogu present at the session.

During extraordinary sessions, the Riigikogu has a quorum if more than one half of the members of the Riigikogu, that is, at least 51 members of the Riigikogu are present. However, only 25 members of the Riigikogu registered their attendance at the beginning of today’s session. Thus, the session ended due to lack of quorum.

According to the agenda, the Bill on Amendments to the Alcohol, Tobacco, Fuel and Electricity Excise Duty Act (548 SE), initiated by Faction Isamaa, was going to be deliberated at the session. Initially, it provided for lowering the rate of excise duty on unleaded petrol to the minimum level of the European Union, that is, to 359 euro per 1000 litres. The lowering of the excise duty was proposed for one year, that is, from 1 May this year to 1 May 2023.

Before the second reading, the Finance Committee had incorporated into the Bill an amendment involving the entire text of the Bill according to which the excise duty rates on unleaded petrol and diesel fuel would be lowered to the minimum level of the EU from 1 August. The excise duty rates on the components of such fuels will also be lowered to the same level. The excise duty rates on fuels comparable to diesel fuel will be adjusted as well. The excise duty on light heating oil will be reduced to a rate equal to the excise duty on diesel fuel, and the excise duty on diesel-like heavy fuel oil and shale-derived fuel oil will fall proportionally to the excise duty on diesel fuel. In addition, according to an amendment, the increases in the excise duty rates for these fuels that have been published but have not entered into force will be cancelled.

President of the Riigikogu Jüri Ratas had convened the extraordinary session at the proposal of 24 members of the Riigikogu.

The extraordinary session ended at 9.10 a.m.

Source: Parliament of Estonia