The Chairman of the EUAC Peeter Tali has witnessed the relations between Estonia and Montenegro become closer over the years, especially thanks to the ambition to join the EU, cooperation in the digital industry, and shared commitment to support Ukraine.
“Estonia supports Montenegro’s accession to the European Union,” Tali said. “The fact that Montenegro has arrived closer to joining to EU during the talks than any other candidate country speaks volumes. Montenegro’s accession in the near future is completely feasible. I believe that in 2028, Montenegro will be the 28th Member State of the EU.”
Today, the delegation has meetings in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro. They will meet with members of the European Integration Committee, Montenegro-Estonia parliamentary group, Foreign Affairs Committee, and Defence Committee of the Montenegro parliament, as well as the Honorary Consul of Estonia Tomislav Čelebić. Tomorrow, the delegation will meet the European Union’s Ambassador to Montenegro Johann Sattler and the Chief Negotiator of Montenegro with the European Union Predrag Zenović.
On the agenda are EU enlargement, accession process, accession readiness and the necessary reforms, development of the legal system, and the role of parliaments in the accession process. Other key topics include support to Ukraine and bilateral relations, including cyber and digital cooperation.
The delegation of the EUAC is made up of the Chairman of the Committee Peeter Tali, Deputy Chairman Vladimir Arhipov, and members Arvo Aller, Kadri Tali, and Tarmo Tamm.
Head of the Estonian delegation to the OSCE PA Mati Raidma said that this year’s Annual Session would focus on Ukraine, but there would also be debates on critical infrastructure and nuclear safety, water scarcity and migration, artificial intelligence and misuse of technology, youth radicalisation and violent extremism, energy security, child trafficking and sexual exploitation, and OSCE institutional co-operation.
The Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) is represented at the OSCE PA Annual Session by Head of the Estonian delegation Mati Raidma and member of the delegation Heljo Pikhof. At the Session, Raidma will give an overview of his activities as the Special Rapporteur of the OSCE PA Parliamentary Support Team for Ukraine, focusing on veterans’ policy and youth. All three committees of the OSCE PA will also meet during the Annual Session. Raidma is a member of the General Committee on Political Affairs and Security, and Pikhof belongs to the General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions.
The Annual Session will be opened with speeches by OSCE PA President Pia Kauma, President of the Assembly of the Republic of Portugal José Pedro Aguiar-Branco and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal Paulo Rangel. President of the Portuguese Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Secretary General of the United Nations António Guterres will address the delegates by remote intervention. Hundreds of parliamentarians from North America, Europe and Central Asia are taking part in the Assembly.
This Annual Session will be held under the theme “Commemorating 50 Years of the Helsinki Final Act: Responding to a New Reality in the OSCE”. The Helsinki Final Act was adopted in 1975 and established the predecessor of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. It is planned to adopt the Porto Declaration containing recommendations to national governments, parliaments and the international community in the fields of security, human rights, and economic and environmental concerns. The Assembly will also elect its leadership for the coming year, including a new President.
The aim of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is to increase the involvement of its participating states in resolving European political and security issues, to enhance civilian control over military affairs, and to strengthen the responsibility and influence of members of parliament.
The Annual Session will livestream at the web page of the OSCE PA www.oscepa.org.
Hussar’s welcome address will be carried by the awareness that Estonianism will not end. “The Estonian Centre is being built in Toronto, and in Estonia, ESTO will also be held in Tallinn and Narva. We will sing and dance, we will do it here today, and in a week’s time, we will do it in Tallinn at a big festival, because this is our language, our way and our strength,” Hussar pointed out. He added that the ship of Estonia was sailing across a stormy sea, but its home port – Estonia – was always waiting for it. Forever. The Estonian spirit is alive. ESTO is alive. Estonia is alive.
“For decades, ESTO has brought Estonians from all over the world together. ESTO demonstrates our people’s strong sense of togetherness and their will to preserve our national identity and rich cultural heritage,” Hussar said.
ESTO 2025 will be opened with an opening concert, which this time is entitled “Windows of Time”. In addition to folk dancers and choirs, professional musicians and gymnasts will also be taking part. In total, there will be around 400 choir singers, 200 folk dancers and gymnasts on stage. Estonian choirs from Australia, Canada and the USA, who are on their way to the Song Festival, are also expected to participate.
The Global Estonian Cultural Days “As One – Üheskoos” will take place in Stockholm, Narva and Tallinn from 25 June to 3 July. ESTO 2025 will begin with a song and dance festival in Stockholm on 26 June, will then continue with the concert “ESTO Song Festival” in Narva culminate in Tallinn with the 28th Song and 21st Dance Celebration “Iseoma” (“Kinship”).
The Global Estonian Cultural Days or ESTO is a festival where Estonians from around the world come together to celebrate. The first ESTO was held in 1972. In the beginning, the main purpose of ESTO was the fight for freedom, but since Estonia regained its independence, the focus has been on reunion.
Photos (Erik Peinar, Chancellery of the Riigikogu)
Please note that photos will be uploaded with a delay during the event.
During the meetings of the National Defence Committee of the Riigikogu and the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu, it was pointed out that according to the proposal of the United States, the new baseline for defence spending should be five percent of GDP, and that one of the main objectives of the NATO Summit would be to agree on a new target level.
Chairman of the National Defence Committee Kalev Stoicescu said that rapid increasing of defence expenditure in the allied countries was important for Estonia and we could ourselves set an example here. “At the NATO summit, it will be discussed by which year the higher level of spending should be achieved, and we can say that we will do it already next year. It is vital that all Allies should consider national defence important.”
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson underlined that it was critical to achieve a significant leap in defence spending. He noted that if NATO decided to increase defence spending, this would also encourage the European Union to invest more in defence. “Attention must also be paid to Ukraine’s accession to NATO, and the long-term support of the Allies to Ukraine must continue.”
Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Peeter Tali pointed out that it was important to increase pressure on Russia and expressed hope that it would be possible to approve the 18th package of sanctions at the European Council. “It is also important to extend previous sanctions and the freezing of Russia’s assets, to continue to support Ukraine, and to discuss with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy what is a just and lasting peace in Ukraine from Ukraine’s perspective.”
It was pointed out at the joint sitting of the European Union Affairs Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee that the discussions in the European Council would also cover the enlargement of the EU, the increase of Europe’s defence readiness and defence spending, hybrid threats, stopping the import of Russian gas, and the shadow fleet.
Prime Minister Kristen Michal gave the committees an overview of Estonia’s main positions for the European Council and the NATO Summit.
The Foreign Affairs Committee and the National Defence Committee approved Estonia’s positions for the NATO Summit, which will take place on 24–25 June in The Hague, and the European Union Affairs Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee approved the positions for the European Council, which will be held in Brussels on 26–27 June.
Hussar said in his speech to his colleagues that Russia’s actions were not a threat to only the Eastern flank but also elsewhere. “Russia’s militant groups are being formed in Sahel, it strives for strategic goals in the Arctic and its shadow fleet navigates through our waters untouched. Therefore, we are counting on the NATO Summit to make bold decisions that will ensure the long-term security of our transatlantic unity,” Hussar said.
The President of the Riigikogu highlighted Estonia’s commitment to raise its defence spending to 5.4% between 2026 and 2029. “We support the proposed NATO 5% target, and we think it should be reached by 2030.”
Hussar also stressed the need for NATO to continue its long-term political and military support for Ukraine and its open door policy. “Ukraine’s accession to NATO is the most reliable security guarantee for both Ukraine and the entire alliance,” Hussar declared.
The main topic at the NATO Parliamentary Summit is the rapid increase of 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.
This 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.
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.)