The inter-parliamentary conference is held in Warsaw, Poland, and its aim is to discuss strengthening the defence and security in Europe in the context of Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine and the external hybrid threats destabilising Europe. The priorities of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy of the EU, developing a new security framework for the EU, and the future of transatlantic relations will be the key topics analysed at the conference.
The Conference is one of the most important events of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which lasts from 1 January until the end of June. The main focus of the Polish Presidency is European security and how to strengthen it.
“Our priority should be to strengthen Ukraine’s position—both at peace negotiations and in ensuring long-term security. For this, we need to increase military support to Ukraine,” Kivimägi emphasised. He highlighted the fact that Estonia is directing 0.25 percent of its GDP into military aid to Ukraine until 2027 and invited other countries to follow this lead.
The Vice-President of the Riigikogu stressed the need to increase defence spending. “Yes, this means less roads and sports facilities but more security. Ukraine’s experience makes it clear that security must be the priority number one for every European country,” he said. Kivimägi told the participants of the Conference that Estonia had decided to raise its defence spending to over 5 percent of the GDP from next year.
He called on countries to use Russia’s frozen assets for the benefit of Ukraine. “The Register of Damage for Ukraine, created by the Council of Europe, is a key tool here,” he said. Kivimägi confirmed Estonia’s continued commitment to creating a special tribunal, in order to prosecute Russia’s leadership for the crime of aggression.
In his speech, Kivimägi emphasised that we needed to increase voter turnout and encourage the introduction of innovative voting methods to strengthen our democracy. He shared Estonia’s online voting experiences from the past 20 years, which has increased the turnout among younger voters, and added that Estonia planned to implement mobile voting this year.
Other main topics of the Conference of PACE Speakers are ensuring freedom of speech and violence against politicians.
The Conference, which concludes on Friday, brings together speakers and heads of parliamentary delegations from the member states of the Council of Europe and its partner and observer countries.
Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee Peeter Tali said that the European Union wished to reduce the use of fossil fuels in road transport and buildings, but transposition of the Directive would entail huge administrative burden and uncertainty. “After a long and heated political debate, the Committee came to the conclusion that it is reasonable to repeal the transposition of the system or, if this is not possible in any way, to postpone it,” Tali added.
“First, Estonia has to find allies in Europe. If it is not possible to find the support needed for repeal, we can join Czechia’s and Poland’s proposals to postpone the Directive, which would require a qualified majority to be adopted. If the implementation of the system is postponed, it would be wise to use the time gained to think carefully how to implement the system in a way that is not too burdensome for Estonia and other Member States.”
The approved position sets out that if no agreement is reached to postpone or repeal the implementation of the Directive, the Ministry of Climate will have to start negotiations to launch the emissions trading system in the sectors covered by the Directive not earlier than 2028, regardless of energy prices, or to narrow the scope of the Directive by excluding road transport, in order to minimise the impact on Estonia’s economy and people’s livelihoods.
It was pointed out at the sitting that several countries had already implemented the directive. This will have dual benefits: the money from the emissions trading system that is to be allocated for reducing emissions, and the European Social Climate Fund whose resources are to be used for investments to support those most affected by the implementation of the system.
In 2021, the European Commission presented a package of climate and energy legislation, known as Fit for 55. It proposed to amend the EU Emissions Trading Directive and to extend the emissions trading system to buildings and road transport. The Directive does not regulate stove heating.
The revised positions of the Government regarding the Directive of the European Parliament and the Council on a second EU emissions trading system for buildings and road transport fuels were presented by Deputy Secretary General for Green Transition at the Ministry of Climate Kristi Klaas.
The European Union Affairs Committee decided to approve the positions of the Government as amended, partially taking into account the amendments proposed by the Environment Committee and the opinion of the Economic Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu.
The Act on Amendments to the Family Benefits Act and Other Acts (547 SE), initiated by the Government, creates a new unified benefit system for children who have lost a parent.
From 1 October 2026, the current survivor’s pension will be replaced with the survivor’s benefit, which will guarantee a monthly benefit to children who have lost a parent, regardless of the pension qualifying period or the number of children of the deceased parent. The purpose of the benefit to be established is to compensate for the costs of bringing up a child – partially in the event of the loss of a parent and fully in the event of the loss of both parents.
The amount of the survivor’s benefit will be uniform for children and will take into account the cost of maintaining the child and its real value will be preserved over time through indexation. According to the bill, the new base amount of the benefit will be EUR 272, and according to forecasts, the benefit to be paid out will reach approximately EUR 345 in 2026.
The survivor’s benefit will be paid until the child reaches the age of 19 or, if the child continues their studies, until the age of 21. The circle of educational establishments that will allow receiving the benefit will expand, and it will also be possible to receive the survivor’s benefit at the same time as the work ability allowance.
During the debate, Tanel Kiik took the floor as authorised representative of the Social Democratic Party Parliamentary Group and Riina Solman from Isamaa Parliamentary Group and Mihkel Lees from the Reform Party Parliamentary Group took the floor.
84 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act. There was one abstention.
Four Bills passed the second reading
The Bill on Amendments to the Foreign Relations Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (385 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the second reading. It will simplify the procedure of the preparation and conclusion of treaties.
The largest amendment proposed will concern the submission of the materials of treaties to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the proceedings on amendments to treaties at various levels. Amendments are also planned to the procedure for the enforcement of treaties, for making objections concerning reservations and declarations and for the suspension and the termination of the suspension of treaties.
The Bill will also organise the provisions delegating authority contained in the Foreign Relations Act, including the provisions delegating authority regarding the establishment of databases and will complete data protection reform. The Bill will establish no new databases, nor will it change the functioning of any existing ones, or issues relating to the data processed in them.
In the course of the proceedings, the Foreign Affairs Committee included a motion to amend the Bill that will allow for the establishment of missions of territorial governments and entities in Estonia and missions of Estonia at territorial governments and entities based on a petition in the future.
Urmas Reinsalu from Isamaa Parliamentary Group and Marko Mihkelson from the Reform Party Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
Isamaa Parliamentary Group moved to suspend the second reading. The motion was not supported. 19 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of it and 50 were against. As a result of the vote, the second reading of the Bill was concluded.
The Bill on Amendments to the Penal Code and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (violations of sanctions) (441 SE), initiated by the Government, also passed the second reading. Its aim is to make the proceedings on violations of sanctions more efficient.
The Bill is connected with implementation of European law. The European Union has imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Russia in connection with its military activities in Ukraine, the implementation of which must be resolved domestically. The Bill is also linked to a directive defining violations of sanctions.
Currently, the Estonian Internal Security Service processes all violations of sanctions punishable under the Penal Code. Under the Bill, the task of pre-trial investigation of violations of the ban on import and export of goods will be given to the Tax and Customs Board. According to the explanatory memorandum, violations of trade sanctions are similar to smuggling cases which are processed by the Tax and Customs Board and most of the violations of trade sanctions are detected by the Tax and Customs Board at border crossings.
Kalev Stoicescu from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group and Kert Kingo from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group took the floor during the debate.
Isamaa Parliamentary Group moved to suspend the second reading. The motion was not supported. 19 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of it and 50 were against. The second reading of the Bill was concluded.
The Bill on Amendments to the Building Code, the Administrative Co-operation Act and the Water Act (531 SE), initiated by the Government, also passed the second reading. Its purpose is to reduce bureaucracy and to shorten the time for the application for building permits for certain drilled wells. According to the Bill, in the future, the Environmental Board will only approve the projects of drilled wells and boreholes the construction, remodelling and demolition of which involve greater risks for groundwater. In ordinary circumstances, if a drilled well for a detached house or a geothermal borehole is being constructed, the approval of the municipality will be sufficient.
Before the second reading, the Environment Committee made an amendment in the Bill under which the minister will have the right to also establish requirements for the construction of drilled wells and boreholes and the drilling methods used, in addition to the remodelling and demolition of drilled wells and boreholes.
The amendments proposed by the Bill also concern agglomerations which will be approved by the Director General of the Environmental Board instead of the minister in the future. Under the Bill, the right to organise the evaluation of persons responsible for water sampling will be given from the Ministry of Climate to competent a legal persons in private law under contracts under public law.
Tiit Maran (Social Democratic Party), Andres Metsoja (Isamaa), Igor Taro (Estonia 200) and Jüri Jaanson (Reform Party) took the floor on behalf of their parliamentary groups during the debate. Members of the Riigikogu Igor Taro, Jüri Jaanson and Urmas Reinsalu presented comments at the debate.
Isamaa Parliamentary Group moved to suspend the second reading. The motion was not supported. 14 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of it and 50 were against. The second reading of the Bill was concluded.
The Bill on Amendments to the Maritime Safety Act and Other Acts (549 SE), initiated by the Government, also passed the second reading. It will update the regulations related to the operation of the Estonian State Fleet which began work in July 2023 (including the pilotage service). Among other things, the Bill will allow the State Fleet to offer new paid services to the private sector.
The Bill will provide for the basis for the establishment of a register of bunker suppliers in the Estonian Maritime Document Exchange and the requirements for the operation thereof. It will also increase the rates of the fines for violation of maritime safety requirements which, according to the explanatory memorandum, have remained unchanged for nearly 20 years.
The Economic Affairs Committee as the lead committee moved to conclude the second reading. The second reading was concluded.
A Bill was dropped from the proceedings
The Bill on Amendments to the Military Service Act (563 SE), initiated by the Member of the Riigikogu Kalle Grünthal, was intended to increase the allowance paid to reservists for participating in reservist trainings in order to increase their will to defend and their motivation. According to the proposal, the current allowance would be multiplied by a coefficient of 1.3.
Vladimir Arhipov from the Centre Party Group, Kalev Stoicescu from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group and Rene Kokk from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
The National Defence Committee as the lead committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 48 members of the Riigikogu voted for rejection and 11 were against. The Bill was dropped from the legislative proceedings.
Kivimägi will speak in a panel dedicated to defending democracy. “The biggest threat to democracy is war. War in Europe, Russia’s continuing aggression against Ukraine,” he said.
“The outcome of this war bears existential significance for Europe. Among other things, it will determine whether Europe, USA, and the rest of the free and democratic world accept in silence the use of force in carrying out expansionist ambitions, or not. Both Ukraine and Europe need fair and lasting peace based on international law, territorial integrity, and sovereignty,” Kivimägi emphasised.
The Vice-President of the Riigikogu urges countries to increase aid to Ukraine and use Russia’s frozen assets to benefit Ukraine. Kivimägi affirmed that Estonia continued to be committed to establishing a special tribunal in the framework of the Council of Europe, to prosecute Russia’s leadership for the crime of aggression.
The President of the National Assembly of France Yaël Braun-Pivet, Speaker of the Riksdag of Sweden Andreas Norlén, and Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk will speak at the discussion.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Conference. It first took place in 1975.
Speakers and presidents of parliament from the member states of the Council of Europe and its partner and observer countries, as well as the heads of parliamentary delegations participate in the Conference.
Chairman of the Constitutional Committee Hendrik Johannes Terras said that the Committee had moved to send the Bill to the third reading in the plenary on 26 March. “As a second decision, we made a proposal to the plenary to amend the Constitution as a matter of urgency,” he added.
Members of the Riigikogu submitted two motions to amend to the Bill on Amendments to the Constitution by deadline, and the Committee decided to support both. According to Terras, this means that the plenary of the Riigikogu will have to choose between the motions to amend.
The Bill on Amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia (536 SE), initiated by 61 Members of the Riigikogu, originally provided that Estonian citizens and stateless residents as well as citizens of European Union and NATO countries would be allowed to participate in municipal council elections. At present, in addition to Estonian and EU citizens, the right to participate in local elections extends to aliens who reside in Estonia on the basis of a long-term residence permit or the permanent right of residence, who have attained 16 years of age by the election day and whose permanent place of residence is located in the corresponding rural municipality or city.
According to one motion to amend, which was submitted by 55 members of the Riigikogu, the right to vote in local elections would be revoked for third-country nationals residing in Estonia and, from the next elections onwards, stateless persons would not be allowed to vote in local elections as well. Stateless persons would be allowed to vote at this year’s local elections. The presenters of this proposal said that it would give stateless persons sufficient time to apply for Estonian citizenship if they so wish and to participate in the next local elections as Estonian citizens.
According to the second motion to amend, which was submitted by 26 members of the Riigikogu, the right to vote would be revoked from this year’s local elections for both the third-country nationals residing in Estonia and for stateless persons. As a result of the amendment, only the citizens of Estonia and the EU countries would be able to participate in local elections.
At the third reading of the Bill to amend the Constitution in the plenary of the Riigikogu, a representative of the Constitutional Committee will deliver a report, and after the questions and answers session, a debate will be held where the representatives of parliamentary groups can take the floor. Then, the submitted motions to amend will be reviewed, and the method of amending the Constitution will be decided. In order to adopt the resolution to consider the Bill to amend the Constitution as a matter of urgency, a four-fifths majority of the Riigikogu is required. This means that at least four times as many members of the Riigikogu must vote in favour of amending the Constitution as a matter of urgency than against it.
If the method of amending the Constitution receives the required majority of votes, the Riigikogu will decide to pass the Bill as an Act. A two-thirds majority of the votes of the members of the Riigikogu, that is, at least 68 votes, will be needed for the Bill to amend the Constitution to be passed.
If none of the two votes – on the method of amending the Constitution, or passing the Bill – receives the required majority of votes, the Bill on Amendments to the Constitution is deemed to have been rejected, and it will be dropped from the proceedings.
The next municipal council elections will take place in Estonia on 19 October this year.
The interpellators pointed out that, for three years in a row, record few children had been born in Estonia. In a five-year comparison, the number of births has decreased by a third, and according to forecasts, the birth rate will fall further. They noted that, while 25,000 children were born in 1988, and 15,000 children were born in 2015, now less than 10,000 children are born per year. The interpellators wanted to know if Estonia was in a birth rate crisis and what the government was doing to improve the situation.
When replying to the interpellation, Prime Minister said that that was a serious problem. “The whole of Western society is facing similar complex challenges,” Michal said. He pointed out that, in our region, there was a similar problem in Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. “The Ministry of Social Affairs has been tasked with preparing a comprehensive analysis and, as a result, policy recommendations that experts believe could increase the number of births. The deadline for submitting the comprehensive analysis to the government is June of this year.”
“The monitoring and analysis of population processes is an ongoing activity in Estonia and covers a significantly broader range of topics than just the issue of birth rate,” Michal said. He pointed out that, at government level, a broad-based government commission on population policy had been set up, chaired by the Minister for Social Protection, and researchers from various universities, members of the government, and sectoral heads in ministries as well as experts were involved in the work of the committee.
Michal noted that the governance budget of the Ministry of Social Affairs’ administration would support children and families with about €1 billion, which was about 2.2% of Estonia’s GDP, putting it at the top of the European Union. “The billion to support children and families will be distributed as follows: circa 424 million for family allowances, 364 million for parental benefit, circa 100 million to ensure pension and health insurance cover for parents and circa 13 million for maintenance allowance.”
Riina Solman from Isamaa Parliamentary Group took part in the debate on behalf of the interpellators. In addition, Tanel Kiik took the floor on behalf of the Social Democratic Party Group, Vadim Belobrovtsev on behalf of the Estonian Centre Party Group and Evelin Poolamets on behalf of the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Parliamentary Group. Prime Minister Kristen Michal also took the floor.
Prime Minister also replied to interpellations concerning the impact of the car tax on families with children (No. 705) and the funding of the Russian-language news website Delfi and television channel ETV+ (No. 715). Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas replied to interpellations concerning Maarjamaa School (No. 710), and the shrinking of the area of use of the Estonian language (No. 711) and the area of use of the Estonian language as an academic language (No. 716).
Interpellators Mart Maastik, Helir-Valdor Seeder, Riina Solman, Priit Sibul and Aivar Kokk withdrew the interpellation concerning telecommunications services (No. 712), submitted to Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa Pakosta, scheduled for the agenda, and therefore it was not deliberated.
Aleksandr Tšaplõgin, Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart and Helmen Kütt took the floor during the open microphone.
Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Formation of the Riigikogu committee of investigation to assess the risks related to COVID-19 modified mRNA vaccines” (557 OE), submitted by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, was related to an address calling for the stopping of the use of modified mRNA vaccines for COVID-19, for the initiation of their recall and for the provision of scientific evidence indicating that the use of such vaccines entails no risk of human DNA damage. According to the draft Resolution, the use of COVID-19 modified mRNA vaccines in Estonia would be suspended for the time of work of the committee of investigation to be established.
Martin Helme from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group and Irja Lutsar from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
The Constitutional Committee as the lead committee moved to reject the draft Resolution. 40 members of the Riigikogu supported the rejection of the draft Resolution and 10 voted against. Thus, the draft Resolution was dropped from the legislative proceedings.
“According to President Niinistö’s report, the security situation of the European Union has steadily deteriorated in recent years, the world has become more dangerous and increasingly crisis-prone. That is why we, as Europeans, need to prepare ourselves in order to cope in the new reality, to keep our comfortable and free way of life and to survive,” Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Peeter Tali underlined.
Tali said that the European Union Affairs Committee had studied Niinistö’s report in February, when they had approved Estonia’s positions on strengthening Europe’s civil and military readiness. “It is a detailed report, and it is useful for everybody to know about its conclusions because on the basis of this report, the European Commission will prepare the White Paper on security.”
Deputy Chairman of the National Defence Committee of the Riigikogu Leo Kunnas pointed out that in the current unpredictable security situation and in the context of deepening confrontation between democracies and totalitarian states, Europe’s defence capability needed to be dramatically strengthened.
“In order to fill the gap caused by the underdevelopment of the defence capabilities of European countries over the past 30 years, during the next decade, European countries should invest at least 800 billion to trillion euros more than previously planned in strengthening military defence and improving crisis preparedness,” he said.
The European Union Affairs Committee discussed the positions of the Government on strengthening Europe’s civilian and military readiness that are based on Niinistö’s report at its 14 February sitting, and approved the positions with its amendments that underline the key role of completing the construction of Rail Baltic and Via Baltica.
President Sauli Niinistö will also meet with President of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar and President of the Republic Alar Karis today. Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee Peeter Tali and Ambassador of Finland to Estonia Vesa Vasara will participate in the meeting with the President of the Riigikogu. Later today, Niinistö will visit the International Centre for Defence and Security.
The public sitting will be held in the Conference Hall of the Riigikogu, starting at 11 a.m., and it can be followed online on theRiigikogu web page. Video recording will be available on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.
Photos (author: Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)
According to the Bill on Amendments to the Family Benefits Act and Other Act (547 SE), initiated by the Government, from 1 October 2026, the survivor’s pension will be replaced with the survivor’s benefit, which will guarantee a monthly benefit to children who have lost a parent, regardless of the pension qualifying period or the number of children of the deceased parent. The purpose of the benefit to be established is to compensate for the costs of bringing up a child – partially in the event of the loss of a parent and fully in the event of the loss of both parents.
The amount of the survivor’s benefit will be uniform for children and will take into account the cost of maintaining the child and its real value will be preserved over time through indexation. According to the bill, the new base amount of the benefit will be EUR 272, and according to forecasts, the benefit to be paid out will reach approximately EUR 345 in 2026.
The survivor’s benefit will be paid until the child reaches the age of 19 or, if the child continues their studies, until the age of 21. Under the Bill, the circle of educational establishments that will allow receiving the benefit will be wider than for the survivor’s pension, and it will also be possible to receive the survivor’s benefit at the same time as the work ability allowance.
An Act was passed
The Riigikogu adopted the Act on Amendments to the Farm Animals Breeding Act (551 SE), initiated by the Government. It re-transposes the relevant European Union directive and establishes a regulation for horse competitions which was mistakenly omitted from the Act when the updated version was adopted.
According to the amendment, the conditions for competitions for equidae and the requirements for prior notification of the organisation of competitions are established. The conditions for competitions may not discriminate between equidae which are registered in Estonia and originate in Estonia and equidae of another Member State. The requirement does not apply at competitions organised for improving the breed and at historic and traditional events.
71 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act and there was one abstention.
A Bill was dropped from the proceedings
The Riigikogu rejected at the first reading the Bill on Amendments to the Riigikogu Rules of Procedure and Internal Rules Act (552 SE), initiated by Members of the Riigikogu Rain Epler, Kert Kingo and Arvo Aller. It was intended to lay down more clearly the rules for meeting the obligations of members of the Government and other persons to appear before committees of the Riigikogu and to present documents.
Mart Helme from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group and Lauri Laats from the Centre Party Group took the floor during the debate.
The Constitutional Committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 45 members of the Riigikogu supported the rejection of the Bill and 15 voted against.
