The Riigikogu passed an Act improving the management of crises

NordenBladet —

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendment to the Energy Sector Organisation Act , the Electricity Market Act and the Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Management System Act (359 SE), initiated by the Government, which lays down a framework to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy.

The Act sets the criteria on what conditions environmental impact assessment can be waived for accelerated establishment of renewable energy projects of overriding public interest. At the same time, a system of mitigation and compensation measures for natural values for renewable energy projects is established.

Energy source projects set out in the National Energy and Climate Plan 2030, such as wind energy, solar energy, heat pumps and biomethane production projects, are considered to be renewable energy projects of overriding public interest. In the case of such projects, it will be possible to make derogations from the Nature Directive, the Bird Directive, and the Water Policy Framework Directive. Overriding public interest will be applicable only in the course of planning projects and in development consent proceedings. Renewable energy projects of overriding public interest will have to be located outside Natura 2000 network and must not harm protected species.

In order to settle the infringement procedure launched by the European Commission, the Act specifies the content of the notice on making an environmental impact assessment programme and report public.

During the debate, Rain Epler from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, Lauri Laats from the Centre Party Group and Urmas Reinsalu from Isamaa Parliamentary Group took the floor.

53 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Act and 22 were against it.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Emergency Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (426 SE), initiated by the Government, which expands the range of essential services and critical entities  and helps improve the readiness of service providers and the whole country to address crises.

The Act transposes into Estonian law the European Union directive aimed at ensuring the resilience of critical entities and the functioning of the country in different kind of crises. A service is deemed to be essential if it has an overriding impact on the functioning of society, the disruption thereof threatens, among other things, human life or health or brings about major environmental damage and it has a significant impact on national economy and national security.

The Acts adds to the list of essential services the operation of airports, air navigation services, public railways and ports, the supply of food and medicines, and the operation of family medical care. While the Ministry of Social Affairs currently organises the ensurance of emergency care, in the future it will be necessary to ensure the wider functioning of health services as an essential service. As a result of the amendments, for example airport, railway and port operators, as well as family physicians, wholesalers of medicinal products and larger food handlers will become critical entities.

In the course of the second reading, the Riigikogu decided to extend the directive to be transposed for Estonia and to also include among essential services the functioning of the media service under public law and the guaranteeing of the functioning of the national broadcasting network necessary therefor. For this, the Estonian Public Broadcasting and the communications company Levira Ltd were included among critical entities.

Critical entities will be required to prepare a business continuity risk assessment and plan, to organise exercises, and to meet other requirements set to ensure resilience, including to identify the posts fulfilling the most critical functions and to carry out background checks on the people performing them, if necessary. According to the amendments, service providers will also have to be ready to undergo an independent audit to assess the resilience of the service.

The Act also creates the bases for setting strategic objectives and for planning measures across critical services nationally. Under the leadership of the Government Office, a nationwide risk analysis and a strategy for the resilience of critical entities will be drawn up in the future, in order to better target and plan the resilience of service providers. As part of the strategy, all municipalities will be required to draw up their own risk analyses and to assess risks, vulnerability, and preparedness for the materialisation of risks.

During the debate, Arvo Aller from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, Urmas Reinsalu from Isamaa Parliamentary Group, Raimond Kaljulaid from the Social Democratic Party Group and Peeter Tali from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor.

63 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act and 10 were against.

In addition, the Riigikogu passed the Resolution of the Riigikogu “Appointment of an Auditor to Supervise the Activities of the National Audit Office in 2024–2025”  (495 OE), submitted by the Finance Committee, which designates Sirius Audit OÜ to audit the activities of the National Audit Office.

The parliament designates an auditor to audit the activities of the National Audit Office in a financial year on the proposal of the Finance Committee. When making the proposal, the committee had taken into account the results of the purchase procedure organised by the National Audit Office.

54 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Resolution and there was one abstention.

A Bill passed the second reading

The Bill on Amendments to the Social Welfare Act and to Other Acts (special welfare services and change of residential address) (421 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the second reading in the Riigikogu. It will continue the implementation of care reform and the reduction of the burden of family caregivers.

The Bill will create a day and week care service for people with intellectual disabilities who need extensive support but have the possibility to live with their close ones in their own home part of the time. The target group of the service will be people with moderate, severe or profound disabilities, as well as people with other intellectual disabilities, both specified and unspecified, who have high care needs. Up to now, this target group has been using a daily living support service, which is however designed for people with low support needs and is more about guiding them towards independence.

Under the Bill, a person will be able to use the day and week care service for a maximum of 23 days per month. For people who need support for less than 10 days a month, a suitable solution will be found among the special care services provided by the local government or among other special care services.

In order to guarantee access to the service, it will be specified that, in the case of support for daily living, the costs relating to the premises used or owned by the service provider will have to be covered by the municipality where the person is residing according to the population register. With regard to the registration of place of residence, the Bill will introduce a derogation for those who are staying in a social welfare institution providing a 24-hour social service and whose registered place of residence is a special care home that has been closed in the course of the reorganisation of special care institutions, or the municipality of its location, or who do not have a valid residential address in the population register following the closure of a special care home. The municipality will be able to register their place of residence to the accuracy of municipality or city district.

The Riigikogu heard the annual report by minister Hartman

The Riigikogu heard the report by Minister of Regional Affairs and Agriculture Piret Hartman on the implementation of the long-term national development strategy “Estonia 2035”.

Hartman expressed her wish to the Riigikogu that no person in Estonia should have to choose their place of residence solely on the basis of where they work or where their children go to school. “If it is possible everywhere in Estonia to get a decent wage for a job and a good education for children and to enjoy a supportive community life in old age, why shouldn’t every other family live in the countryside or in a small town in ten years’ time,” she said in her report. She focused on actions that would help create better paying jobs and homes, strengthen agriculture and ensure food security in Estonia.

The Minister stressed that the opportunity for a good life everywhere in Estonia would not happen by itself. “We must not run our country in the hope that invisible hands will set things right. Whether it’s people’s decent incomes, food security and security of supply, or well-functioning public transport. The cluster crises of recent years have painfully and acutely highlighted the need for a strong and effective regional policy,” she said. She added that regional and agricultural policy was no longer just a matter of well-being and dignity but had become one of the pillars of our independence and security.

According to her, regional policy touches every aspect of life and must become both a way of thinking and a way of acting. “Researcher Mati Heidmets has said that the biggest failure of Estonia’s policy after the restoration of its independence is the ever-deepening regional inequality. It will do Estonia and its people no good if we timidly and unambitiously set our sights on sustainable shrinkage. In order for us to be able to stop or slow down the population and economic concentration trends of the last 30 years, we need the contribution of the Riigikogu, members of the government as well as the rest of the public sector,” Hartman said.

During the debate, Lauri Laats from the Centre Party Group, Ando Kiviberg from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group, Urmas Kruuse from the Reform Party Group, Anti Allas from the Social Democratic Party Group, Arvo Aller from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group and Helir-Valdor Seeder from Isamaa Parliamentary Group took the floor.

Five Bills passed the first reading

The Bill on the Ratification of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention (No. 190) concerning the Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work (469 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the first reading in the Riigikogu. It will ratify the International Labour Organization Convention aiming to reduce the violence and harassment in the world of work. It is the first international instrument setting out specific standards applicable worldwide to prevent work-related harassment and violence, and the measures that countries and other actors are expected to adopt.

The aim of the convention is to recognise the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment and to prevent the physical, psychological, sexual and economic harm to people that violence and harassment in the world of work can cause. By ratifying the Convention, Estonia will commit itself to ensuring that laws and practices continue to comply with international standards and will express support for the fight against violence and harassment in the world of work.

During the debate, Kert Kingo took the floor on behalf of the Estonian Conservative People’s Party and Tanel Kiik on behalf of the Social Democratic Party Group.

The Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group moved to reject the Bill at the first reading, but the plenary did not support the motion. Seven members of the Riigikogu supported rejection of the but 46 voted against.

The Bill on Amendments to the Response to Memoranda and Requests for Explanations and Submission of Collective Proposals Act (475 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the first reading. According to it, public authorities will have to provide responses to the memoranda and requests for explanations by people within 15 days instead of the current 30 days.

The Bill will maintain the principle that a response to a memorandum or request for explanation must be provided without undue delay but will shorten the maximum time within which this must be done. At present, the question of a person must be answered within 30 calendar days after the date of registration thereof, but under the Bill it will be no later than within 15 calendar days. In the case of more complex addresses that require additional time to respond, the possibility remains to extend the term for response to up to two months to ensure thoroughness and quality of the responses. The person who has submitted the memorandum or request for explanation must be informed of extension of the term and of the reason therefor.

The Bill is intended to speed up the response to people’s memoranda and requests for explanation, which concern, for example, the organisation of the work of institutions, the shaping of the development of a field, information related to public life or state governance, as well as legislation and drafts developed by an agency. The amendment mainly concerns state and local government authorities, but a non-profit association, foundation, sole proprietor and company may also be an addressee of a memorandum or request for explanation if the information concerns the use of the budget funds of the state or a local government.

Tarmo Tamm from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.

The Bill on Amendments to the Penal Code and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (misdemeanours relating to sanctions) (441 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the first reading. Its aim is to make the proceedings on violations of sanctions more efficient.

Currently, all violations of sanctions are punishable under the Penal Code and the Estonian Internal Security Service conducts proceedings on such criminal offences. In order to reduce the burden on the Estonian Internal Security Service, under the Bill, some of the violations of sanctions currently punishable as criminal offences will be classified as misdemeanours and the Tax and Customs Board will be in charge of them. According to the Bill, the Tax and Customs Board will start to process violations of the ban on import and export if the value of goods or cash is less than EUR 10,000 and will have the right to confiscate prohibited goods in misdemeanour proceedings. According to the Bill, a misdemeanour relating to a sanction will be punishable by a fine of up to 300 fine units or by detention.

The Bill will also amend the Penal Code so that violation of the ban on the carriage of prohibited strategic goods or provision of services relating to prohibited strategic goods will be considered a more severe criminal offence. This means that while criminal offences relating to sanctions will be punishable by a fine or up to five years’ imprisonment, the Act will provide for a three to 12 years’ imprisonment for the carriage of prohibited strategic goods or provision of services relating to such goods. The Bill will also introduce punishments for carriage of prohibited strategic goods and provision of services relating to prohibited strategic goods through negligence.

During the debate, Peeter Tali from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group and Arvo Aller from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Parliamentary Group took the floor.

The Bill on Amendments to the Land Register Act (467 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the first reading. It will restrict the making of queries in the land register. According to the Bill, it will no longer be possible for an ordinary user to search for data in the electronic land register on the basis of the name and personal identification code of a natural person with an individual query.

In order to increase the protection of private life and at the same time preserve the public nature of the land register, in the future, those who need it due to their work, such as lawyers, notaries and journalists, will be able to make queries on the basis of name or personal identification number. Queries can still be made on the basis of address or cadastral code to contact the owner of the property if necessary.

The Bill on Amendments to the Imprisonment Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (474 SE), initiated by the Government, also passed the first reading. Its purpose is to ensure more effective protection of legal order and prison security, and to contribute to directing prisoners to law-abiding behaviour.

The Bill will specify the right of the prison service to carry out background checks in justified cases and will provide for clearer legal bases for this. It will also specify the provisions concerning the database of prisoners, detained persons, persons in custody and probationers.

A Bill was dropped from the proceedings

The Riigikogu rejected at the first reading the Bill on Amendments to the Act on Amendments to the Income Tax Act and the Military Service Act (432 SE), initiated by Isamaa Parliamentary Group. It was intended to amend the provisions concerning the entry into force of the Act adopted last June and to postpone the elimination of the tapering of the personal allowance until 1 January 2028.

During the debate Andrei Korobeinik from the Centre Party Group and Annely Akkermann from the Reform Party Parliamentary Group took the floor and Jaanus Karilaid made a speech on behalf of Isamaa Parliamentary Group.

50 members of the Riigikogu supported the motion of the Finance Committee to reject the Bill at the first reading and 15 were against it.

The sitting ended at 8.58 p.m.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

Video recording will be available to watch later on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.

Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
+372 631 6356, +372 520 0323
karin.kangro@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: The Riigikogu passed an Act improving the management of crises

Source: Parliament of Estonia