Estonia: The Riigikogu passed an Act directed at reduction of energy consumption

NordenBladet — Today the Riigikogu passed an Act obligating the state to improve energy efficiency so as to aim to decrease energy consumption regardless of levels of economic growth.

86 members of the Riigikogu voted for the passing of the Act.

The Act on Amendments to the Energy Sector Organisation Act and the Natural Gas Act (202 SE), initiated by the Government, transposes new obligations arising from the relevant European Union directive that will help achieve the European Union’s long-term targets in the reduction of energy use. The directive provides for progress towards the Energy Union, under which energy efficiency is to be treated as an energy source in its own right.

The Act specifies that the national energy efficiency target will be set at Government level together with policy measures supporting it and the energy efficiency obligation distribution plan.

It is intended to regulate the metering of the consumption of heating, cooling and domestic hot water by final users in buildings, and the billing relating thereto. In order to transfer completely to remote reading of heat by 1 January 2027, the energy supplier will need to install only remotely readable heat meters. The installation of apartment-based final users’ heat meters in multi-apartment buildings is necessary where this is cost-effective and technically feasible. Starting from 25 October 2020, final users will have to be given extensive comparative information upon billing for heat with the aim that consumers will be able to change their behaviour.

A Bill passed the first reading:

The Bill on Amendments to the Place Names Act (208 SE), initiated by Members of the Riigikogu Eerik-Niiles Kross, Tarmo Kruusimäe, Üllar Saaremäe, Urmas Kruuse and Kaja Kallas, will specify the establishment of place names.

Under the Bill, it will not be permitted to use as place names the names of persons whose activities have been incompatible with the history and culture of Estonia. At the same time, the Bill will specify the role of the Place Names Board and the relevant minister in the establishment of conformity of place names, and will set the time limits for bringing Estonian place names into conformity with the law.

The explanatory memorandum notes that the Place Names Act in force in Estonia does not allow place names that are incompatible with the history and culture of Estonia. At present, however there is no intelligible mechanism to identify such incompatibility and to bring place names into conformity with the Place Names Act.

Katri Raik (Social Democratic Party) took the floor during the debate.