NordenBladet —
Three Acts were passed
The Act on Amendments to the Waste Act (676 SE), initiated by the Government, brings the Act into conformity with the relevant EU Regulation concerning batteries and waste batteries. The Act will help reduce the CO₂ footprint of batteries and accumulators, support the circular economy, and promote sustainable and innovative solutions in energy storage.
Battery and accumulator manufacturers will have to improve the efficiency of their battery and waste collection systems and invest more in outreach work, i.e. promote the return of old batteries and accumulators to collection points. Manufacturers of electric vehicle batteries, rechargeable industrial batteries and light means of transport batteries will be required to join a producer responsibility organisation.
56 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act and 12 voted against it. There was one abstention.
The Act on Amendments to the Chemicals Act (701 SE), initiated by the Government, specifies the requirements for hazardous and major-accident-hazard establishments arising from the EU directive in order to eliminate the shortcomings in the transposition of a directive referred to in European Commission infringement proceedings.
The Act concerns the obligation to inform the public, including neighbouring establishments, and the duties and cooperation of authorities in investigating major accidents. According to the explanatory memorandum, the Act does not add any new requirements, but the Act is made clearer.
In addition, the Act will reduce the administrative burden on hazardous and major-accident-hazard establishments, as in the future all documents required under the Chemicals Act will be submitted electronically in the information system of the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority.
64 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act and eight voted against it.
The Act on the Ratification of the Final Acts Extraordinary Congress of the Universal Postal Union in Riyadh (689 SE), initiated by the Government, ratifies two international agreements adopted by the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in Riyadh in 2023: the fourth additional protocol to the general regulations and the first additional protocol to the postal convention. The amendments specify the role of a governing body of the UPU, raise the budget ceiling, and align postal services better with the needs of e-commerce, particularly in terms of traceability. These are mainly technical and internal organizational changes that will have a minor impact on end users.
63 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act, and one voted against it.
Overview of Estonia’s participation in the European Stability Mechanism
Minister of Finance Jürgen Ligi gave members of the Riigikogu an overview of Estonia’s participation in the European Stability Mechanism (ESM).
According to the Minister of Finance, the ESM has been operating stably in recent years. “At present, it can be said that the 13 years of operation of the European Stability Mechanism have seen several crises, but the overview of the ESM has been very stable, even boring in recent years: currently there is no active assistance programme,” Ligi said.
According to Ligi, ESM clients have started repaying their loans and the stability mechanism is making a profit – as of the end of 2024, EUR 5.3 billion had accumulated in the reserve. Along with the enlargement of the euro area, the membership of the ESM is also expanding, and soon Bulgaria will also join the ESM.
The Minister of Finance emphasized that the ESM had maintained high credit ratings and was ready to support euro area countries, if necessary, especially in the event of banking crises.
Three Bills passed the first reading
The Bill on Amendments to the Maritime Safety Act (756 SE), initiated by the Economic Affairs Committee, passed the first reading. Its aim is to support the continuation of international maritime transport through Estonian ports by reducing fairway dues and to motivate shippers to route their cargo flows through Estonian ports. The Bill will provide that, from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026, the fairway dues payable for ships entering an Estonian port or port roadstead will be reduced by 15 percent.
The Bill on Amendments to § 126 of the Law of Property Act and the Notary Fees Act (691 SE), initiated by the Government, also passed the first reading. Its purpose is to amend the procedure for the relinquishment of immovable property ownership so that the ownership of a relinquished immovable would be transferred not to the state but to the local authority which is more familiar with local conditions and is responsible for the development of the living environment. Exclusions will also be established in the case of which an immovable cannot be relinquished – for example, in the cases where it involves complex obligations. Notaries will have an additional obligation to verify such circumstances and therefore the notary fee for the relevant transaction will also be increased. Financial support will be provided for to local governments for the management of immovable property.
The Bill on Amendments to the Language Act, the State Fees Act and the Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act (740 SE), initiated by the Government, also passed the first reading. It will centralize the organization of language learning into the area of administration of the Ministry of Education and Research in order to end fragmentation between several ministries and ensure more functional solutions for society and the labour market.
The main goal of the amendment of the Act is to improve compliance with the requirements for the use of the Estonian language and to enhance supervision. To this end, supervision of compliance with language requirements will become stricter and non-compliance levies and fines will be increased. According to the Bill, the upper limit of non-compliance levy will increase from EUR 640 to EUR 1,280 for natural persons, and to 9,600 for legal entities. The rates of the fines for legal entities for violating the obligation to use the Estonian language will also be adjusted. An upper fine limit of EUR 10,000 will be provided for, and in certain cases with a wider impact, such as misrepresentation of an audiovisual work, up to EUR 15,000. Currently, non-compliance levies and fines are small, which often means that non-compliance levies and fines are paid, when necessary, but the activity is not corrected.
A broader definition of the language of administration will be introduced into the Act. Estonian-language administration will be required in all bodies providing public sector services, as well as in bodies governed by public law and in local governments. Thus, according to the Bill, administration will be expected to be in Estonian, for example, in universities and municipal councils and committees where discussions will have to be held in Estonian. Exceptions to language requirements remain in place for top specialists and teachers temporarily arriving from abroad in international and foreign-language curricula.
The Bill will establish a state fee of EUR 50 for taking the language exam at the same level for the third or subsequent time so that the exam is not used as a learning tool. Currently, many appeals are filed in the hope that the exam result will improve. The Bill will add the possibility that the result may also fall.
The distribution of grants and scholarships will also be consolidated into a single system in order to reduce administrative burden and improve the targeting of funding.
Anti Allas from the Social Democratic Party Group, Tõnis Lukas from Isamaa Parliamentary Group, Ando Kiviberg from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group, Margit Sutrop from the Reform Party Group and Helle-Moonika Helme from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group took the floor during the debate.
The deliberation of a Bill was adjourned
The first reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Language Act and the Public Transport Act (723 SE), initiated by Isamaa Parliamentary Group, was adjourned due to the end of the working hours of the plenary sitting of the Riigikogu.
The Bill is intended to make amendments to update the legal framework in the field of language. The purpose of the Bill is to strengthen the status of the Estonian language as the official language, as well as the position and visibility of the Estonian language in the service sector. The amendments are intended to ensure that Estonian is the main language of information and communication in society. The most significant amendments concern the establishment of language requirements for platform workers. It is also intended to provide for a requirement for taxi drivers to have the required level of proficiency in the official language as a prerequisite for obtaining a service card.
The sitting ended at 1.58 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
Maiki Vaikla18
+372 631 6456, +372 5666 9508
maiki.vaikla@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee
Link uudisele: The Riigikogu passed three Acts and heard an overview of Estonia’s participation in the European Stability Mechanism
Source: Parliament of Estonia