NordenBladet —
The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Vital Statistics Registration Act, the Population Register Act and the State Fees Act (687 SE), initiated by the Government. It makes amendments to streamline population procedures and to resolve bottlenecks.
The Act reduces the number of places where births can be registered and allows healthcare providers to register births without a birth certificate, based on other sufficient evidence, without having to go to court. In the residence registration procedure, the possibility is created to register a child’s residence at the initiative of the local government without the consent of the other parent with legal custody and to form a personal identification code for a citizen of the European Union or Switzerland upon registration of their residence. The registration of the residence of a citizen of the European Union from Estonia to a foreign country is also simplified.
The Act expands the administrative procedural capacity of 15-17-year-olds, allowing them to see their population register data and to restrict its availability, as well as to provide contact details, additional addresses, and statement-based data.
58 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Act and one was against.
A draft Resolution was rejected at the first reading
The first reading of the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Making a proposal to the Government of the Republic to develop an urgent suspension of online voting” (679 OE), submitted by the Estonian Centre Party Group, which had been adjourned due to the end of the working hours of the sitting on 6 November, continued at today’s sitting.
The draft Resolution proposes to suspend the carrying out of online voting in Estonia until the deficiencies in the control systems will have been eliminated. The explanatory memorandum refers to the legal assessment on online voting in Estonia by ODIHR (OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights) in 2025 which acknowledges progress but also points to deficiencies.
During the debate, Aleksandr Tšaplõgin took the floor on behalf of the Centre Party Group, Martin Helme on behalf of the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Parliamentary Group and Mart Maastik on behalf of Isamaa Parliamentary Group.
The Resolution was not passed because 25 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of it and one was against. The support of at least 51 members of the Riigikogu was needed for the Resolution to be passed.
Three interpellations were replied
Prime Minister Kristen Michal replied to the interpellations concerning tax reduction for online casinos (No. 806), concerning the explosion of an attack drone on Estonian territory (No. 810) and concerning the intention to send the Defence Forces to Ukraine (No. 814).
Three interpellations were excluded from the agenda for the day on the motion of the interpellators. They are the interpellation concerning the expansion of the rights of hospital pharmacies (No. 830), submitted to Minister of Social Affairs Karmen Joller, and the interpellations concerning ferry ticket prices (No. 824) and concerning the reduction of fishing rights for coastal fishermen in Pärnu County (No. 843), submitted to Minister of Regional Affairs and Agriculture Hendrik Johannes Terras.
Vladimir Arhipov, Peeter Ernits and Evelin Poolamets took the floor during the open microphone.
The sitting ended at 6.40 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
Gunnar Paal
+372 631 6351, +372 5190 2837
gunnar.paal@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee
Link uudisele: The Riigikogu amended the Vital Statistics Registration Act
Source: Parliament of Estonia