NordenBladet —
The aim of the Human Genes Research Bill (749 SE), initiated by the Government, is to make the organization of the biobank and genetic research clearer, more up-to-date, and more transparent.
It will update an Act that has been in force for 25 years so that the genetic data contained in the Estonian Biobank can be widely used in research and healthcare. There are 212,000 gene donors in Estonia – the highest proportion per capita in the world.
At present, it is not sufficiently clear to gene donors and data requesters what data is processed by the Estonian Biobank, how it is processed, and how it can be used. In the future, gene donors will be able to make declarations of intent in the health information system regarding whether and how they allow their data to be used in both personalized medicine and research.
Researchers and doctors will be able to supplement health data from state information systems with the permission of the gene donor and thereby it will be possible to eliminate the obligation to store health data twice. As a result, better personalized medical services can be provided, which may lead to earlier detection and prevention of diseases, increased health awareness and reduced risk behaviour, as well as precision treatment and fewer adverse reactions to medicines.
The amendment will place the ethical procedures for data releases from all health databases under the jurisdiction of a single research ethics committee.
During the debate, Irja Lutsar from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group and Margit Sutrop from the Reform Party Parliamentary Group took the floor. Tanel Kiik presented a comment on behalf of the Social Democratic Party Group.
Three other Bills passed the first reading
The Bill on Amendments to the Copyright Act (preparation of a distribution plan for private copying remuneration) (754 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the first reading . It will amend the system for distributing the “private copying remuneration” provided for in the Copyright Act. Its purpose is to ensure fair compensation for rightholders for the loss of revenue resulting from copying for personal use.
The aim of the bill is to make the private copying system more flexible and efficient. To this end, the provisions on the distribution of remuneration will be amended to give the parties concerned greater discretion in deciding for themselves on the distribution of private copying remuneration.
The amendments proposed in the bill will assign the primary role in the process of distributing private copying remuneration to collective management organisations that exercise the rights of persons entitled to receive remuneration.
Stig Rästa from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group presented a comment during the debate.
The Bill on Amendments to the Public Information Act and the Language Act (759 SE), initiated by the Government, also passed the first reading. It will specify the legal basis for e-government personal services in the Public Information Act. When the Act enters into force, a clearer legal basis will be created for the data consent service and the provision of personalized digital services on the state portal ‘eesti.ee’, as well as for the authorization management system, which will simplify the interaction of both people and companies with the state.
Estonia is the first country in the world to create a solution that brings together public and private sector authorizations and data consents in one environment so that individuals and companies can manage them conveniently and securely.
The use of the data consent system will be made mandatory for institutions belonging to the state information system at both the state and local government levels, provided that this is done through the relevant X-Road service. Large databases (such as the population register) will be able to decide for themselves whether, in what respect, and when to interface with the data consent service.
The amendment to the Act will create a data consent system where people will be able to give, manage and withdraw their consents, and an authorization management system where businesses will be able to manage their authorizations (e.g. authorize an accountant to submit an annual report); this will be voluntary for users.
The Estonian open data portal ‘eesti.ee’ will become a central point of contact for providing proactive government service which will be developed to be technology-neutral. The portal will display the entire service process in a personalized form as specific steps – which necessary steps have already been taken and what still needs to be done to receive the service.
A Translation Gateway will be created, where government agencies can manage translation projects they commission in a single environment. This will help to improve the quality of translations and support the vitality of the Estonian language in the digital society, as anonymised translation memories, which will not be subject to access restrictions, will also be shared as open data with the private sector. Starting in 2027, the Translation Gateway would be open to everyone (so-called Estonian Google Translate), allowing both machine translation and the use of anonymized translation memories. The developments will entail development costs of approximately EUR 20.7 million, including approximately EUR 19.2 million from the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility and EUR 1.5 million from the state budget.
Toomas Uibo from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group, Rain Epler from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, Vadim Belobrovtsev from the Centre Party Group and Mart Maastik from Isamaa Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
The Bill on the Ratification of the Convention between the Republic of Estonia and the Principality of Andorra for the Elimination of Double Taxation with respect to Taxes on Income and on Capital and the Prevention of Tax Evasion and Avoidance and its Protocol (765 SE), initiated by the Government, also passed the first reading. According to the Bill, the convention broadly follows the model convention drawn up by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) which aims to promote investment between the contracting states.
The convention provides investors with greater legal certainty regarding the tax system and eliminates possible double taxation.
The obligation to exchange information creates additional opportunities to prevent tax fraud.
According to the tax convention between Estonia and Andorra, both countries may withhold income tax of up to 7% of the gross amount of the dividend from dividend income paid to natural persons. However, the source country does not have the right to withhold income tax in the case of dividends paid to companies. The same principle applies to interest income: a maximum of 7% may be withheld from interest paid to natural persons; interest paid to companies is not taxed in the source country. In the case of royalties, the source country is allowed to withhold a maximum of 5% of the gross amount of the royalties.
Estonia uses an exemption or offset method, depending on the type of income, to eliminate double taxation,
As of November, Estonia has conventions for the avoidance of double taxation in force with 63 countries or jurisdictions. The convention concluded with Andorra will enter into force once both countries have ratified it and notified each other that the procedures have been completed. It will apply from 1 January of the year following its entry into force.
The sitting ended at 1.20 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 Human Genes Research Bill passed the first reading in the Riigikogu
Source: Parliament of Estonia