The Riigikogu begins to amend the Act concerning the Financial Intelligence Unit database

The Riigikogu passed again the Act on Amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act (570 UA) which the President had refused to promulgate for a second time. The Riigikogu first adopted the legislative amendments initiated by the Government on 9 April. The Act is intended, among other things, to ensure that, under the guise of freedom of religion and freedom of association guaranteed by the Constitution, the religious organisations operating in Estonia cannot be used to spread hostile influence, disseminate extremist ideologies, or incite violence. According to the explanatory memorandum, Estonia stands up for freedom of religion and everyone has the freedom to choose whether to follow a religion and which religion to follow. However, in addition to respecting freedom of religion, belief, and association, the state must also take into account the challenges that threaten national security and the security of society.

The Act specifies who can serve as a minister of religion or be a member of the management board of a religious association in Estonia. In addition, the requirements for the statutes of a religious association are specified and the possibility is created to leave a church whose activities, statutes, or membership of the management board do not meet the requirements established. For this, the religious associations will have to adopt new statutes and after that it will be possible to enter the amendments complying with the requirements into the register without the approval of the governing body of the church, insofar as obtaining such an approval may not be realistic.

The President did not promulgate the Act on 24 April, considering that the restriction on religious freedom and freedom of association it created was not proportionate. On 14 May, the plenary of the Riigikogu decided that it would not pass the Act again without amendments but would begin to amend it.

In the course of renewed deliberation the Riigikogu made several amendments to the Act. For example, the prohibition on being guided by a person of significant influence located in a foreign country was omitted from the Act and the transitional period for making necessary changes was extended from two months to six months. The Riigikogu passed the amended version of the Act on 18 June.

However, the President again refused to promulgate the Act on 3 July, finding that the Riigikogu had amended the text of the Act somewhat, but not sufficiently. In his opinion, this continues to be contrary to three articles of the Constitution and disproportionately restricts freedom of association and freedom of religion. He made a proposal to the parliament to renew the deliberation on the Act and bring it into conformity with the Constitution.

Vadim Belobrovtsev and Vladimir Arhipov from the Centre Party Group, Madis Timpson from the Reform Party Group, Helir-Valdor Seeder from Isamaa Parliamentary Group and Ando Kiviberg from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate. Andre Hanimägi spoke on behalf of the Social Democratic Party Group and non-attached Members of the Riigikogu Kalle Grünthal and Peeter Ernits also took the floor.

63 members of the Riigikogu supported passing the Act again without amendments and 15 voted against. After the Act has been passed again, the President must either promulgate the Act or turn to the Supreme Court with a proposal to declare it unconstitutional.

The Riigikogu decided to begin to amend another Act that the President of the Republic had refused to promulgate. The Riigikogu first passed the Act on Amendments to the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Prevention Act and the International Sanctions Act (640 UA), initiated by the Government, on 19 June.  The aim of the Act was to improve the data processing functions and supervision of the Financial Intelligence Unit and to strengthen the protection of the financial system.

The Act provided that the strategic analysis capability would be included in the functions of the Financial Intelligence Unit database to process anonymous but, where necessary, reversible data, perform profile analyses and use text and data mining. According to the Act, the Data Protection Inspectorate will exercise supervision over the process, and the Financial Intelligence Unit will submit an overview of the performance of its tasks to the Security Authorities Surveillance Select Committee of the Riigikogu once a year.

The President of the Republic refused to promulgate the Act on 3 July because, in his opinion, it excessively restricted the right to informational self-determination and was therefore not in accordance with the Constitution. He saw it necessary to discuss the Act again in the Riigikogu and to bring it into conformity with the Constitution.

Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart from the Centre Party Group, Urmas Reinsalu from Isamaa Parliamentary Group, Varro Vooglaid and Rain Epler from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group and Riina Sikkut from the Social Democratic Party Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate. Non-attached Members of the Riigikogu Peeter Ernits and Kalle Grünthal also took the floor.

At the vote, no member of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act again without amendments and 70 voted against. As the Riigikogu did not pass the Act again without amendments, a deadline for submission of motions to amend the Act was set and the further proceedings on it will continue pursuant to the general procedure.

Another Act was passed

At today’s sitting, the Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Atmospheric Air Protection Act and Other Acts (partial transposition of to the greenhouse gas emission trading scheme directive) (667 SE), initiated by the Government. It updates the Emissions Trading System, includes maritime transport in the system, eliminates free emission allowances in aviation, and increases funding for the Modernisation and Innovation Funds.

The amendments will create new opportunities to invest in green technologies and reduce emissions. The extension of the system to the maritime sector will increase the administrative and financial burden on companies within its scope of application in relation to the acquisition of emission allowances. The Environmental Board is given new tasks in monitoring and checking emissions.

During the second reading, motions to amend to increase legal clarity and reduce the administrative burden were incorporated and transitional provisions were included in the bill. For example, shipping companies will have to offset their 2024 emissions within three months.

Andres Metsoja from Isamaa Parliamentary Group and Tarmo Tamm from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.

At the final vote, 49 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act and 22 were against it.

A Bill passed the second reading

The Bill on Amendments to the Emergency Act and Other Acts (662 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the second reading in the Riigikogu. It regulates the organization of national danger notification and sheltering of residents in situations of danger. The bill is part of a package of legislative amendments aimed at developing comprehensive national defence, increasing the preparedness of the Estonian people for potential future crises, and protecting people’s lives and health in the event of danger.

The Bill regulates the organization of sheltering, setting out the requirements applicable to shelters and the principles for adapting sheltering locations. The explanatory memorandum notes that, since the security situation has changed due to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the organization of sheltering in Estonia must also be improved and shelters must be built and sheltering locations adapted to better protect people in potential situations of danger.

The bill will establish a requirement under which shelters will have to be built, or existing spaces will have to be adapted as sheltering locations in large buildings where a lot of people move around. From July 1 next year, public shelters will have to be built in new buildings that are visited by crowds or have a closed net area of at least 10,000 square meters.

According to the Bill, a non-public shelter will have to be built when a residential building or another public or special building with a closed net area of at least 1200 square meters is built, or an industrial or warehouse building with a closed net area of at least 1500 square meters is built. Originally, the bill provided for the construction of non-public shelters by 1 July 2028. However, the National Defence Committee made an amendment to the bill for the second reading, bringing the relevant deadline forward by two years. According to the bill, spaces will also have to be adapted as sheltering locations in existing buildings where possible.

According to the bill, along with the building of shelters and sheltering locations in buildings, shelter plans will also have to be drawn up. Activities related to sheltering, including preparations for sheltering, informing the public, and raising awareness, will be organized by the Rescue Board in cooperation with local governments.

The bill also regulates the use of the national emergency notification system EE-ALARM, including the installation and commissioning of siren devices, and the rights and responsibilities related to it.

According to the Bill, all possessors of mass media, electronic communications, information screens in public spaces, and national mobile applications with at least 10,000 end users will have to join the EE-ALARM system so that important information would reach people quickly in the event of a potential threat. The Rescue Board will coordinate the preparation for the transmission of immediate emergency notifications. The Board will also be granted the right to test the national emergency notification system under the Bill.

In addition, the Bill provides for an obligation for all employees of state and local government agencies, as well as agencies providing critical services to undergo civil protection training so that they are able to respond quickly, help people, and keep essential services running in a crisis situation.

Kristo Enn Vaga from the Reform Party Group, Raimond Kaljulaid from the Social Democratic Party Group, Vladimir Arhipov from the Centre Party Group and Peeter Tali from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate. Non-attached Member of the Riigikogu Peeter Ernits also took the floor.

Three bills were dropped from the proceedings

The Riigikogu rejected at the first reading the Bill on Amendments to the Family Benefits Act (659 SE), initiated by the Social Democratic Party Parliamentary Group and Members of the Riigikogu Jaak Aab, Ester Karuse, Tanel Kiik, Andre Hanimägi and Züleyxa Izmailova. It was intended to raise the allowance for the first and second child to EUR 100 euro per month. Currently, the allowance for the first and second child is EUR 80, while an allowance of EUR 100 per month is paid for the third and each subsequent child. The Bill was also intended to raise the single parent’s child allowance from EUR 80 to EUR 100.

According to the initiators, bringing all child benefits to an equal level would show that every child is valuable and deserves equal state support. According to them, raising child benefits would also help improve the economic livelihoods of families with children.

Tanel Kiik took the floor behalf of the Social Democratic Party Group in the debate. Riina Solman from Isamaa Parliamentary Group, Vadim Belobrovtsev from the Centre Party Group and Signe Riisalo from the Reform Party Parliamentary Group also took the floor.

The Social Affairs Committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 43 members of the Riigikogu supported the rejection and 19 were against it.

The Riigikogu rejected at the first reading the Bill on Amendments to the Motor Insurance Act (insurance of personal light electric vehicles)  (631 SE), initiated by the Centre Party Group. It was intended to establish the obligation to insure personal light electric vehicles for all persons who own more than 10 rental personal light electric vehicles used in traffic.

According to the explanatory memorandum, compulsory motor insurance cover is currently required for vehicles with a maximum design speed exceeding 25 kilometres per hour or with a maximum design speed exceeding 14 kilometres per hour and a mass exceeding 25 kilograms, while scooters from some rental companies weigh 24 kilograms and are therefore not subject to the insurance obligation.

According to the initiators, rental vehicles participate in traffic significantly more often than privately owned personal light electric vehicles and therefore carry greater risks. According to them, the amendment would create a level playing field for companies offering rental services and ensure better protection of both consumers and human health.

The Economic Affairs Committee moved to reject the Bill. 36 members of the Riigikogu supported the rejection and 11 voted against.

The Riigikogu also rejected at the first reading the Bill on Amendments to the Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act and the Vocational Educational Institutions Act (620 SE), initiated by the Centre Party Group. It was intended to raise the national minimum rate of school lunch subsidy per student from one euro to two euro per day. In the opinion of initiators, the amendment would help ensure that school meals are high-quality and healthy and available to all students. The state last increased the minimum rate of school meal subsidy in 2018.

The Cultural Affairs Committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 33 members of the Riigikogu voted for rejection and 10 were against it.

The sitting ended at 8.44 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 begins to amend the Act concerning the Financial Intelligence Unit database

Source: Parliament of Estonia