The Riigikogu adopted the Act updating the system of survivor’s pension

An Act was passed

The Act on Amendments to the Family Benefits Act and Other Acts (547 SE), initiated by the Government, creates a new unified benefit system for children who have lost a parent.

From 1 October 2026, the current survivor’s pension will be replaced with the survivor’s benefit, which will guarantee a monthly benefit to children who have lost a parent, regardless of the pension qualifying period or the number of children of the deceased parent. The purpose of the benefit to be established is to compensate for the costs of bringing up a child – partially in the event of the loss of a parent and fully in the event of the loss of both parents.

The amount of the survivor’s benefit will be uniform for children and will take into account the cost of maintaining the child and its real value will be preserved over time through indexation. According to the bill, the new base amount of the benefit will be EUR 272, and according to forecasts, the benefit to be paid out will reach approximately EUR 345 in 2026.

The survivor’s benefit will be paid until the child reaches the age of 19 or, if the child continues their studies, until the age of 21. The circle of educational establishments that will allow receiving the benefit will expand, and it will also be possible to receive the survivor’s benefit at the same time as the work ability allowance.

During the debate, Tanel Kiik took the floor as authorised representative of the Social Democratic Party Parliamentary Group and Riina Solman from Isamaa Parliamentary Group and Mihkel Lees from the Reform Party Parliamentary Group took the floor.

84 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act. There was one abstention.

Four Bills passed the second reading

The Bill on Amendments to the Foreign Relations Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (385 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the second reading. It will simplify the procedure of the preparation and conclusion of treaties.

The largest amendment proposed will concern the submission of the materials of treaties to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the proceedings on amendments to treaties at various levels. Amendments are also planned to the procedure for the enforcement of treaties, for making objections concerning reservations and declarations and for the suspension and the termination of the suspension of treaties.

The Bill will also organise the provisions delegating authority contained in the Foreign Relations Act, including the provisions delegating authority regarding the establishment of databases and will complete data protection reform. The Bill will establish no new databases, nor will it change the functioning of any existing ones, or issues relating to the data processed in them.

In the course of the proceedings, the Foreign Affairs Committee included a motion to amend the Bill that will allow for the establishment of missions of territorial governments and entities in Estonia and missions of Estonia at territorial governments and entities based on a petition in the future.

Urmas Reinsalu from Isamaa Parliamentary Group and Marko Mihkelson from the Reform Party Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.

Isamaa Parliamentary Group moved to suspend the second reading. The motion was not supported. 19 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of it and 50 were against. As a result of the vote, the second reading of the Bill was concluded.

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

The Bill is connected with implementation of European law. The European Union has imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Russia in connection with its military activities in Ukraine, the implementation of which must be resolved domestically. The Bill is also linked to a directive defining violations of sanctions.

Currently, the Estonian Internal Security Service processes all violations of sanctions punishable under the Penal Code. Under the Bill, the task of pre-trial investigation of violations of the ban on import and export of goods will be given to the Tax and Customs Board. According to the explanatory memorandum, violations of trade sanctions are similar to smuggling cases which are processed by the Tax and Customs Board and most of the violations of trade sanctions are detected by the Tax and Customs Board at border crossings.

Kalev Stoicescu from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group and Kert Kingo from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group took the floor during the debate.

Isamaa Parliamentary Group moved to suspend the second reading. The motion was not supported. 19 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of it and 50 were against. The second reading of the Bill was concluded.

The Bill on Amendments to the Building Code, the Administrative Co-operation Act and the Water Act (531 SE), initiated by the Government, also passed the second reading. Its purpose is to reduce bureaucracy and to shorten the time for the application for building permits for certain drilled wells. According to the Bill, in the future, the Environmental Board will only approve the projects of drilled wells and boreholes the construction, remodelling and demolition of which involve greater risks for groundwater. In ordinary circumstances, if a drilled well for a detached house or a geothermal borehole is being constructed, the approval of the municipality will be sufficient.

Before the second reading, the Environment Committee made an amendment in the Bill under which the minister will have the right to also establish requirements for the construction of drilled wells and boreholes and the drilling methods used, in addition to the remodelling and demolition of drilled wells and boreholes.

The amendments proposed by the Bill also concern agglomerations which will be approved by the Director General of the Environmental Board instead of the minister in the future. Under the Bill, the right to organise the evaluation of persons responsible for water sampling will be given from the Ministry of Climate to competent a legal persons in private law under contracts under public law.

Tiit Maran (Social Democratic Party), Andres Metsoja (Isamaa), Igor Taro (Estonia 200) and Jüri Jaanson (Reform Party) took the floor on behalf of their parliamentary groups during the debate. Members of the Riigikogu Igor Taro, Jüri Jaanson and Urmas Reinsalu presented comments at the debate.

Isamaa Parliamentary Group moved to suspend the second reading. The motion was not supported. 14 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of it and 50 were against. The second reading of the Bill was concluded.

The Bill on  Amendments to the Maritime Safety Act and Other Acts (549 SE), initiated by the Government, also passed the second reading. It will update the regulations related to the operation of the Estonian State Fleet which began work in July 2023 (including the pilotage service). Among other things, the Bill will allow the State Fleet to offer new paid services to the private sector.

The Bill will provide for the basis for the establishment of a register of bunker suppliers in the Estonian Maritime Document Exchange and the requirements for the operation thereof. It will also increase the rates of the fines for violation of maritime safety requirements which, according to the explanatory memorandum, have remained unchanged for nearly 20 years.

The Economic Affairs Committee as the lead committee moved to conclude the second reading. The second reading was concluded.

A Bill was dropped from the proceedings

The Bill on Amendments to the Military Service Act (563 SE), initiated by the Member of the Riigikogu Kalle Grünthal, was intended to increase the allowance paid to reservists for participating in reservist trainings in order to increase their will to defend and their motivation. According to the proposal, the current allowance would be multiplied by a coefficient of 1.3.

Vladimir Arhipov from the Centre Party Group, Kalev Stoicescu from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group and Rene Kokk from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.

The National Defence Committee as the lead committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 48 members of the Riigikogu voted for rejection and 11 were against. The Bill was dropped from the legislative proceedings.

The sitting ended at 6.25 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
Maiki Vaikla
+372 631 6456, +372 5666 9508
maiki.vaikla@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: The Riigikogu adopted the Act updating the system of survivor’s pension

Source: Parliament of Estonia