During the spring session, the Riigikogu held 71 regular sittings and adopted 60 legal acts. Together with 18 Question Times, the working time of the plenary totalled 324 hours and 37 minutes. At the sittings, the Riigikogu passed 54 Acts and five Resolutions, and adopted one Statement.
The Finance Committee of the Riigikogu, which was the lead committee for ten Bills, had the biggest workload among the Riigikogu committees. Both the Economic Affairs Committee and the Social Affairs Committee were lead committees of nine Bills, and the Constitutional Committee was the lead committee of six Bills.
Altogether, the 15th Riigikogu, which was elected in March 2023, has adopted 260 legal acts.
During the spring session, 70 interpellations of the members of the Riigikogu got a reply, and ten collective proposals with at least one thousand signatures of support were submitted for parliamentary proceedings.
According to the law, regular sessions of the Riigikogu are held from the second Monday in January to the third Thursday in June, and from the second Monday in September to the third Thursday in December. The Riigikogu will convene again for regular sittings on 8 September.
In the meantime, the committees of the Riigikogu will continue their work and the members of the Riigikogu perform their other functions. If necessary, extraordinary sessions may be held between the regular sessions. Extraordinary sessions can be convened by the President of the Riigikogu on the proposal of the President of the Republic, the Government of the Republic or at least 21 members of the Riigikogu.
Hussar said that the main topic of the meeting of the Speakers of NATO countries would be rapid increasing of the defence spending of the Allies, as well as the strengthening of defence industries and the organisation of large-scale joint procurements to meet NATO’s defence plans and capability goals. He noted that Estonia supported the setting of a common five per cent target for defence spending in the Alliance, and would proceed from this in its plans for the coming years.
“It is also very important to keep the need to support Ukraine in focus, and to highlight the threat posed to the security of the entire Alliance by Russia, which continues a war of aggression in Ukraine,” Hussar said, and added that Ukraine’s accession to NATO would be the best security guarantee both for Ukraine and for all Allies.
The meeting of the Speakers is convened by the NATO Parliamentary Assembly ahead of the NATO Summit, which will take place on 24 and 25 June in The Hague, the Netherlands. Prime Minister Kristen Michal will represent Estonia at the NATO Summit.
100 years ago today, the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) passed an Act that established the emblem and the visual name of the Republic of Estonia – the national coat of arms. The national coat of arms is a symbol of the state, the use of which is a sign of the functioning of the state and indicates the validity of the constitutional order.
Vice-President of the Riigikogu Arvo Aller said at the presentation of the stamp block that unfortunately the displaying of our national flag and our coat of arms adorned with three lions had been discontinued during the soviet occupation. “However, the symbols of the state were in our hearts and the coat of arms continued to be used in exile. Since 1990, the national coat of arms, which appears on every law passed in the Riigikogu, once again ensures the credibility of the Republic of Estonia in its relations with citizens,” said Arvo Aller.
Aller thanked the post company Omniva for creating the beautiful stamp block, which reminds us all of the importance of the national coat of arms and commemorates its anniversary with dignity.
At the presentation, Gert Uiboaed, Adviser on Insignia at the Government Office, spoke about the choosing of the national coat of arms in the early years of the Republic of Estonia. Artist Jaan Saar, who is the author of both the jubilee stamp presented today and the standard stamp of the national coat of arms of Estonia, gave an overview of the process of designing the stamp depicting the coat of arms.
One of the stamps in the stamp block shows a historical design that was submitted to the competition for the coat of arms, and was not chosen. The second stamp is the new stamp with the coat of arms, designed by Jaan Saar. The third stamp in the block is a larger stamp that depicts all the previously issued stamps with the national coat of arms from 1928, 1991 and 1999.
“Today is a good day to remind ourselves that there are thousands of nations in the world that do not have their own state and therefore do not have the opportunity to present their culture, symbols and story to the world through postage stamps. We are among the few who have this honour,” Omniva’s Philately Manager Hannes Nagel said at the presentation of the stamp block at Toompea. According Nagel, this year Omniva will issue 30 different postage stamps that are dedicated to important topics and significant events for the country and society.
In the course of renewed deliberation, the Riigikogu made amendments to the Act on Amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act (570 UA), initiated by the Government, which the President refused to promulgate. The Riigikogu removed the prohibition on being guided by a person of significant influence located in a foreign country from the text of the Act, as that wording could be interpreted too widely in the President’s opinion. The transitional period was also extended from two months to six months to allow for the necessary changes to be made.
On the basis of a proposal of the lead committee, the Parliament amended the wording of the Act to the effect that a church, congregation, association of congregations or monastery may not be linked on the basis of its statute or any other document that is the basis for its activities, or economically, to a spiritual centre, governing body, religious association or spiritual leader located in a foreign country who poses a threat to the security or the constitutional or public order of the Estonian state.
The Riigikogu also specified what a potential threat meant. According to the amended wording, a threat to the security or the constitutional or public order of the Estonian state may occur, among other things, when a spiritual centre, governing body, religious association or spiritual leader incites, supports or finances activities aimed at violently changing the independence, territorial integrity or constitutional order of Estonia, supports or has supported military aggression or has called for war, a terrorist crime or otherwise unlawful use of armed force or violence. The phrase “incites, supports or finances activities aimed at violently changing the independence, territorial integrity or constitutional order of the Republic of Estonia” was added.
The Riigikogu adopted the Act on 9 April. The aim of the Act is to ensure, among other things, 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 for spreading hostile influence, the dissemination of extremist ideologies or incitement to violence. According to the explanatory memorandum, Estonia stands 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 also specifies who can serve as a minister of religion or be a member of the management board of a religious association in Estonia. A person who is not allowed to reside or stay in Estonia cannot be a minister of religion or a member of the management board of a religious association. 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. In his opinion, it was necessary that the Riigikogu discussed the Act again and to brought it into conformity with the Constitution. 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 amendments to the Act and passed the amended Act at today’s sitting. 68 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Act and 17 were against it.
The Bill on Amendments to the Consumer Protection Act (624 SE), initiated by the Government, will update the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act to reduce the number of printed purchase documents and paper invoices sent by mail. The current legal provisions are not flexible enough, although technological developments increasingly allow documents to be transmitted electronically and also stored electronically. As a result, substantial amounts of paper continue to be consumed which increases both the environmental footprint and administrative costs for traders.
The aim of the amendments is to encourage environmentally sustainable and modern solutions and to give traders the option to transmit documents digitally. In the future, the consumer will be able to receive the invoice notification as a text message or store the purchase document in the trader’s mobile application. The needs of consumers in need of greater protection, in particular the elderly, have also been taken into account in the drafting of the Bill. They will continue to have the option of receiving documents in paper format.
The bill originally provided that the amendments made to the Consumer Protection Act would enter into force on 1 January 2026 but during discussions it was understood that the amendments made by the bill could enter into force earlier, on 1 September 2025. The entry into force of the amendments on 1 September will ensure that traders and the supervisory authority (the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority) have time to inform consumers before traders can implement the changes.
The Bill on Amendments to the Accounting Act (600 SE), initiated by Isamaa Parliamentary Group, is intended to postpone by two years the obligation to submit sustainability reports for companies that would have to do so for the first time in 2026 or 2027. According to the initiators, the European Commission has also made a similar proposal.
According to the explanatory memorandum, Estonian business representative organizations have criticized the obligation to submit sustainability reports and have proposed to postpone meeting the obligation. According to the initiators, the extensive and costly reporting obligation would affect approximately 350 companies.
Mart Maastik from Isamaa Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
Two Bills passed the first reading
The main aim of the Bill on Amendments to the Waste Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (657 SE), initiated by the Government, is to increase the use of secondary raw materials contained in municipal waste. This will create the conditions for timely achievement of the recycling targets established in the European Union.
A specific performance indicator will be set for all municipalities, namely a target for separate collection of municipal waste. The organisation of contracting organized waste transport and the waste handling service will be changed. The bill will combine the collection of paper and cardboard packaging waste with the collection of paper and cardboard waste. With the conditions set for the collection of waste and on the contracting of its recovery and disposal, municipalities will contribute to the achievement of the recycling target for municipal waste at national level.
The Bill will specify the principles for the formation of the waste transport fee and make them clearer to ensure transparent and stable financing of the sector. To this end, the possibility will be provided for the municipality itself to collect a waste transport fee which includes a share paid to cover waste management costs to the extent and volume clearly defined in the law. Compared to the current general wording, which the Chancellor of Justice also considers to be too general, the collection and use of waste transport fee will become transparent and will be strictly linked only to the development and organisation of waste management.
The gradual increase in the amount of separately collected and recycled waste will enable the development of the recycling industry in Estonia, as ensuring high-quality waste streams and stable separate collection is an important prerequisite for making investments and developing the recycling industry.
During the debate, Lauri Laats took the floor on behalf of the Centre Party Group, Arvo Aller on behalf of the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, Aivar Kokk on behalf of Isamaa Parliamentary Group, Ando Kiviberg on behalf of Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group and Yoko Alender on behalf of the Reform Party Parliamentary Group.
The Estonian Centre Party Group and Isamaa Parliamentary Group moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. The motion was not supported because 16 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of it and 49 were against. The first reading of the Bill was concluded.
The Bill on Amendments to the Emergency Act and Other Acts (662 SE), initiated by the Government, will establish clearer rules and obligations for both state agencies and private companies so that in crisis situations information reaches people as quickly as possible and people know what to do. A number of definitions will be included in the Act, such as immediate danger notification, shelter, sheltering, and national danger notification system EE-ALARM.
According to the new procedure, 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. This will ensure that, in the event of a potential threat, vital information reaches people quickly.
Certain institutions and persons will be entitled to use EE-ALARM. The Emergency Response Centre will be tasked with relaying danger notifications to all transmitters via EE-ALARM. In addition, it will be determined in more detail who will have the right to decide on the activation of sirens.
In large buildings where a lot of people move around, there will be an obligation to establish a shelter or at least to adapt existing spaces as shelters. Public shelters will have to be established in new buildings with a closed area of at least 10,000 m². According to the bill, this requirement will come into effect from 1 July 2026.
From 1 July 2028, a non-public shelter will have to be established when a residential building, accommodation or catering building, office building, commercial or service building, or entertainment, educational, healthcare or other public or special building with a closed net area of at least 1,200 m2, or an industrial and warehouse building with a closed net area of at least 1,500 m2, is built.
Even in existing buildings, spaces will have to be adapted as shelters if possible.
The Rescue Board will be tasked with organizing activities related to sheltering, including informing people and raising awareness.
State and local government agencies will have to ensure that their employees, as well as critical entities, undergo relevant civil protection training. This will help ensure that, during a crisis, all public sector workers are able to respond quickly, help people, and keep essential services running.
During the debate, Vladimir Arhipov took the floor on behalf of the Estonian Centre Party Group and Peeter Tali on behalf of Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group.
The reply to an interpellation was heard
Minister of the Interior Igor Taro replied to the interpellation concerning the provision of misleading information to the public (No. 765).
The interpellation concerning the problems at Uikala landfill (No. 776), submitted to Minister of Infrastructure Kuldar Leis, was excluded from the agenda on the motion of interpellators.
Madis Kallas and Vladimir Arhipov took the floor during the open microphone.
Video recordings of the sittings of the Riigikogu can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/riigikogu.
(Please note that the recording will be uploaded with a delay.)
At the beginning of today’s plenary sitting, Szymon Hołownia, Marshal of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, delivered a speech to the members of the Riigikogu.
The next item on the agenda was a motion to express no confidence in Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs, Liisa Pakosta, submitted by 42 members of the Riigikogu.
29 members of the Riigikogu supported the motion of no confidence in Pakosta. No member of the Riigikogu was against it. At least 51 votes in favour were required for the motion of no confidence in the minister to pass.
Martin Helme, who represented the initiators of the motion of no confidence, said during the sitting that, through her actions, Minister Pakosta had undermined Estonia’s constitutional order and had to take the responsibility for both the actions and the inaction of the Prosecutor’s Office. In his speech, Helme stated that the Office of the Prosecutor General had failed to initiate criminal proceedings in the cases concerning the Pihlakodu nursing home, Johanna Maria Lehtme, and the procurement of COVID-19 tests.
Helme also criticised the Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs for her plan to rent prison places in Tartu Prison to Sweden. “We plan – and have already agreed in principle – to bring the worst criminals from Sweden to Estonia: murderers, rapists, terrorists, drug traders, and paedophiles,” said Helme. According to Helme, Pakosta had provided inaccurate information to both the public and parliament regarding the project’s purpose, process, and current status.
In her speech at the sitting, Minister Liisa Pakosta said that she was being accused of actions she had not committed and that contradicted her own values.
In response to the accusations contained in the motion of no confidence, Pakosta stated that the delay in transposing the competition directive had not been caused by her. “The competition law directive, the transposition of which we are discussing, was adopted on 11 December 2018. At the time when this directive was due to be transposed into Estonian law, the very individuals who have now submitted the motion of no confidence were the ones responsible in the government and acting as Minister of Justice”, said Pakosta. The Minister indicated that during her term in office, she had managed to submit the directive to the Riigikogu, and it had successfully passed its second reading.
In response to the claim that, as a minister, she had not taken responsibility for the issues relating to the work of the Prosecutor’s Office, Pakosta said that she was actually being accused of not breaking the law. She stressed that the law prohibited the Minister of Justice from interfering with criminal proceedings. In her speech, Pakosta stated that in a free state governed by the rule of law, politicians should not interfere in criminal proceedings. “It is not up to politicians to point fingers and tell people, ‘Start this or stop that,’” Pakosta said.
Commenting on the Pihlakodu nursing home case, Pakosta said that the moral assessment of rape could only be entirely condemnatory. “And I have used every legal tool available to me. On April 11, I contacted the Bar Association because the state-appointed defence counsel had failed to file a claim for damages on behalf of the victims. Why did they fail to file it, even though the state financed their activities? This is a matter for the Bar Association’s court of honour to address,” said Pakosta.
Regarding the Tartu Prison rental project, the minister responded that she had acted transparently and had fully involved all the relevant parties. Various security issues had been discussed: “Our country has excellent police officers, highly competent internal security officers, and world-class prison staff. These people have done everything possible to minimise the risks, and this is reflected in numerous provisions of the draft agreement,” the minister confirmed. According to Pakosta, only low-risk prisoners would be transferred to Tartu Prison from Sweden. “These are individuals who are not connected to networks, are not radicals, are not involved in terrorism or gang-related crime, have not been radicalised, and do not hold extremist religious views, and so on,” Pakosta enumerated.
“I also share the concern that people in Estonia should feel completely safe and that we should continue to have open and transparent discussions about all threats, the ways to address them, and the specific measures to take. In fact, it is essential to discuss this here in the Riigikogu’s hall. We have already done so several times, and I am, of course, ready to do it again and again,” Pakosta said.
Tõnis Lukas from Isamaa Parliamentary Group, Mart Helme from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, Lauri Laats from the Centre Party Group, Lauri Läänemets from the Social Democratic Party Group, Madis Timpson from the Reform Party Group and Irja Lutsar from the Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
Due to the end of the working hours of the plenary sitting, the reports by the Governor of the Bank of Estonia Madis Müller and the Chairman of the Management Board of the Financial Supervision Authority Kilvar Kessler were cancelled.
Hussar said that Estonia and Poland have never enjoyed better relations than now. “We have a lot in common, we have common goals, and we know how to move towards these,” he said.
In the current complicated security situation where Russia continues its war of aggression not only against Ukraine but the whole free world, Hussar sees great value in close cooperation in the fields of defence and security. Estonia and Poland have already significantly increased their defence spending, setting the goal of reaching 5% of the GDP in the near future; we now have to convince our allies to do the same.
Speaking about our common goals, Hussar stressed the need to give strong support to Ukraine until a just and lasting peace is achieved at Ukraine’s terms. “We also need to concentrate on transatlantic relations because USA remains our strongest ally,” he said.
Hussar confirmed Estonia’s wish to continue developing not only defence and security cooperation with Poland but also economic and cultural cooperation. He praised the close cooperation between Estonia and Poland but also with other national parliaments of countries that share a border with Russia.
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson, Chairman of the National Defence Committee Kalev Stoicescu, and Chairman of the Estonia–Poland parliamentary group Ants Frosch also took part in the meeting of the two speakers.
In addition to Lauri Hussar, the Marshal of the Sejm also met with President Alar Karis and Prime Minister Kristen Michal, and delivered a speech to the plenary assembly of the Riigikogu at the beginning of the sitting. In the afternoon, Hołownia will visit Estonia’s cyber innovation centre Foundation CR14 and lay a wreath at the submarine ORP Orzeł commemorative plaque.
Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)
The Marshal began his speech with a thought from General Johan Laidoner which he quoted in Estonian: “I am a state figure of independent Estonia.” Hołownia felt that these words reflected one of the most important things in our lives. “It is not important whether we are politicians or normal citizens. I am talking about pride. I am talking about a deep value that springs from the feeling that we are part of a community, that we are together, because as human beings, we are not created to be alone,” he said.
“General Laidoner who was the commander of your armed forces during very difficult times was also a visionary. He knew that our geopolitical position is what it is and will not change for the next generations. We are still here,” Hołownia said but admitted that this was both a legacy and a big challenge. “We are hit by aggressive policies from the east, from Russia every day. We see it daily on our eastern border in Poland. Migration pressure, hybrid war, Lukashenka and Putin are trying to carry this out in a very vulnerable part of Europe.”
Hołownia has seen at elections in Poland and other European countries that the people are exhausted because they have had to survive five huge crises over the past ten years. “Right now, in our societies there is no division between the right and the left, it seems that there is more of a division between the elite and the common people. This is what populists are using to their advantage. Because they are talking to people who are exhausted by crises,” he said.
The Marshal stressed that he was working on convincing his colleagues that they should not try to sell fear to people. “Do not try to be the best seller of fear. Try to be the seller of help, the seller of hope because hope sells. Populists tell us that only fear sells because afterwards they can console people and these come running into their arms. But what should we do? We should show people that there is hope, there are responsible leaders, there are leaders who you can count on when you want to resolve your problems and the world is crumbling down around us,” he advised.
Hołownia also stressed the importance of continuing close parliamentary cooperation. “Let’s build something together. Poland does not want to be only a powerhouse in Eastern Europe, we want to belong to your club. We want to be a Baltic state, we want to be a Nordic country. So when we come to knock on your door and ask you to let us in, please let us in because we are very experienced. I think that although Putin’s policy is to try to split us up, we need to stand against this and remain united,” he declared.
The Marshal of the Sejm of Poland Szymon Hołownia is currently on a visit to Estonia and will meet President Alar Karis, President of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar, and Prime Minister Kristen Michal. Hołownia will also visit Estonia’s cyber innovation centre Foundation CR14 and lay a wreath at the submarine ORP Orzeł commemorative plaque.
Mihkelson said the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu was closely following the developments in the Middle East, and considered frank exchange of information and debate to be of vital importance. “We are working to achieve a just and lasting peace in Europe, but we also want to see it in the Middle East one day,” he said.
He noted that Estonia had consistently supported the two-state solution and the implementation of international law. Unfortunately, the terrorist attack against Israel on 7 October 2023 has made finding a solution much more difficult than before. “It was a dramatic escalation that has led to a tragic situation in Gaza, where many innocent people have perished,” he said.
Mihkelson also pointed out that the events in the Middle East were not isolated from the rest of the world, but were a part of the global security situation. “If not directly, then indirectly, the full-scale war that Russia has started in Europe with the aim of destroying the current rules-based world order has paved the way for these developments,” he said, and added, “If Russia is not defeated in this war, we will not see peace in the Middle East either.”
Mihkelson was accompanied at the meeting by members of the Foreign Affairs Committee Henn Põlluaas and Juku-Kalle Raid.
Photos (Merje Meisalu / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)
Prime Minister Kristen Michal replied to the interpellation concerning the automatic number plate recognition camera network and the related database (No. 756), submitted by Members of the Riigikogu Martin Helme, Varro Vooglaid, Rene Kokk, Anti Poolamets, Evelin Poolamets, Mart Helme and Rain Epler.
The interpellators wanted to know by whose decision and on whose order such a system had been established. They also asked whether there were any other massive systems for collecting information about citizens.
Prime Minister explained that a regulation of the Minister of the Interior of 13 November 2009 had established the statutes on the maintenance of the police database, or the database ‘Information System POLIS’, which for the first time regulated the issues relating to cameras. The regulation had been established on the basis of the Police and Border Guard Act. The draft regulation was prepared by the Ministry of the Interior in 2009. This regulation has been amended 17 times by several Ministers of the Interior over time. This regulation can be found in the Riigi Teataja database and is available to everyone.
“It is also true that the perception of the protection of data has changed over time. At that time, there was probably a great desire for security in society, to stop all kinds of car thieves, other thieves,” Michal said. He explained that the statutes on the maintenance of the database ‘Information System POLIS’ were a regulation of the Minister of the Interior, not a government legal act.
Michal noted that, according to the review of by the Director General of the Police and Border Guard Board, the technology of the number plate recognition cameras used in the system worked by detecting the vehicle’s number plate and taking a photo of it. Depending on the camera, the vehicle, and circumstances, people in the vehicle may also be captured in the photo but they are generally not identifiable due to the external environment, weather, or daylight, because the camera focuses on the registration plate. “The photos taken by number plate recognition cameras are not personalised and are not automatically linked to the owner or user of the car. This means that the police will only link a person with a vehicle if a specific case is being investigated or a crime is being solved. Data processing has been purposeful, data is stored for a short period of time, and internal mechanisms for data deletion are in place,” Prime Minister saif.
Michal explained that the Police and Border Guard Board’s internal audit of the use of number plate recognition cameras had confirmed that the Police and Border Guard Board had used the data for its intended purpose, and the possibility of follow-up checks, and timely deletion of the data were guaranteed. The inspection has established that the Police and Border Guard Board has observed the Police and Border Guard Act, the Law Enforcement Act, and the POLIS statutes approved by the Minister of the Interior when using automatic number plate recognition. The conformity of the practice with legal principles has also been confirmed by case law, which has not questioned the legality of the use of number plate recognition cameras or the use of the data they collect as evidence.
Prime Minister stated that there was no consensus among legal experts on the existence of a legal basis. Minister of the Interior Igor Taro has suspended the further use of number plate recognition cameras by the Police and Border Guard Board by a decision of 14 May this year, pending legal clarity. The Legal Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu discussed the issue at its session on 3 June and found that the Ministry of the Interior was to present more precise regulations on the use of number plate recognition cameras. As of today, the relevant bill has been initiated in the Riigikogu, and as far as I know, the first reading should take place as early as next week. The committee has promised to thoroughly process the bill and to hear the positions of both the Office of the Chancellor of Justice and the Data Protection Inspectorate. “I believe that this debate is thorough and will continue in the Riigikogu in the autumn,” Michal noted.
The Prime Minister said that, according to the information received from the Ministry of the Interior, no covert data collection systems collecting personal data on a massive scale had been established or were under construction in Estonia. “All existing information systems are regulated by legislation and their use is based on the principles of proportionality, purposefulness and transparency,” the Prime Minister confirmed. “All existing data systems, including the POLIS information system, are used only by those officials who need it due to their official duties,” Michal noted.
Prime Minister also replied to interpellations concerning the spread of poverty in Estonia (No. 757), the decrease of population (No. 758) and the economic sustainability of wind energy and international experience in shaping Estonia’s energy policy (No. 763) submitted by members of the Riigikogu.
Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur replied to interpellations concerning the impact of the wind turbine industry on Estonia’s defence capability and security(No. 747) and the problems with the Defence Forces cemetery (No. 752). Minister of Social Affairs Karmen Joller replied to the interpellations concerning the severance pay paid to an adviser (No. 753) and the sustainability and accessibility of the healthcare system (No. 759).
A Bill passed the first reading
The Bill on the Termination of the Convention between the Republic of Estonia and the Republic of Belarus for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income (666 SE), initiated by the Government, will terminate the Convention with Belarus for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on Income which has been in force since 1998. The aim of the convention is to encourage investments between the two countries, but Belarus has unilaterally violated the convention by partially suspending the application of the convention to Estonian residents.
Lauri Laats and Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart took the floor during the open microphone.
Video recordings of the sittings of the Riigikogu can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/riigikogu.
(Please note that the recording will be uploaded with a delay.)
