NordenBladet —Today, Prime Minister Jüri Ratas cancelled his visit to Ida-Viru County because he was informed that on Wednesday, he had had a work-related meeting with a person who learned today that they have tested positive for COVID-19.
After this, the Prime Minister communicated with the Health Board, which confirmed that he has been in close contact with an infected person. The Prime Minister will follow all the guidelines provided by the Health Board.
“I am immediately cancelling my visit to Ida-Viru County and am heading to get tested, to make sure that my meetings today were not infectious for other people. After that, I will remain in self-isolation and will adhere to all further guidelines from the Health Board. Naturally, I wore a mask today throughout the visit, and kept a distance,” said Prime Minister Jüri Ratas.
NordenBladet —Today, the Prime Minister met with business leaders, experts and economists who provided advice to the Government on the topic of reviving the economy, in order to discuss the reflection of offered recommendations in State measures and provide estimates for the future. The steps taken by the Government found the approval of the Experts’ Forum.
In mid-August, the Experts’ Forum – created in June alongside the Economic Development Committee of the Government – provided strategic goals and priorities which should be taken as a point of reference in exiting the crisis. These are primarily safeguarding jobs and creating new jobs, and accelerating structural changes in the economy through innovation, digitalisation and environmental sustainability. It was emphasised that a stable business environment and boosting the efficiency of the public sector would support overcoming the crisis. The experts also recommended not to compensate decreased state budget revenues with cuts, but to take out a loan to cover deficiencies, and only then go back to the state budget rules coordinated in the European Union. Ensuring the free movement of people and goods, maintaining critical infrastructure and services, and considering regional development needs in shaping economic measures were considered important.
‘A large portion of the offered measures found application in next year’s state budget, and will also be taken into account in planning the allocation of European Union funds’, said Prime Minister Jüri Ratas. ‘We have accelerated investments that support the recovery of the economy. This way, the volume of government sector investments will grow by 28% to about EUR 1.9 billion next year. Substantial investments have been planned in the field of healthcare, but also in improving the living conditions of people in every corner of Estonia, including sparsely populated areas, and in road construction’, he noted, providing some examples about the decisions made within the budget.
‘Financing of research activities will increase next year to the long-awaited 1% of GDP. Growth in the volume of research and development, digital development and the green revolution of companies are the priorities in planning investments’, Ratas underscored. The addition of a new generation of young scientists and their heading to work in entrepreneurship and the public sector, in addition to the academic sector, are important.
The current situation, in which the spread of the coronavirus continues to grow, was also discussed. The Prime Minister introduced future plans related to vaccination to the Experts’ Forum, and emphasised that it remains very important to strive towards striking a balance that allows us to avoid overburdening the healthcare system without damaging the economy and people’s livelihoods too severely. Participants in the discussion emphasised that even though uncertainty is still high, and there is no uniform estimate regarding the extent of the effectiveness of the vaccine, the State, companies, and society must prepare to continue to live life as normally as possible in the long-term under the new circumstances. The importance of Internet connections and flexible retraining opportunities, the need for adopting user-friendly digital solutions in the education system, as well as increasing the reliability of Estonia as a tourist destination and the need for the fast implementation of already decided measures were all emphasised. The parties also found that the cooperation of the Government and the Experts’ Forum on anti-crisis measures must continue. The next meeting is planned to be held in February 2021.
NordenBladet —Today, the Government approved further measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, which will restrict the opening times of entertainment establishments, locations for holding public events, and catering establishments, and will reduce the number of persons allowed to simultaneously visit stores and service locations. The restrictions will enter into force on Saturday, 5 December.
“The spread of the virus remains high in Estonia, despite the restrictions established so far. Also, increasingly more people who have fallen ill with COVID-19 require hospital treatment, and the death rate caused by the illness has risen. The higher burden on the healthcare system caused by the coronavirus already significantly affects access to health care in case of other health concerns,” said Prime Minister Jüri Ratas. “Since the virus is widely spreading in public areas in Estonia, from where, people carry it to their homes and families, the Government had to further restrict crowded opportunities of spending free time. The almost daily reports of people losing their lives to the coronavirus are not just mere statistics. These are Estonian people, who are our mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, daughters and sons, our loved ones and people close to us. We are obligated to do make every effort to protect them and to hinder and control the spread of this virus that has such serious consequences.”
The restrictions that will become effective on 5 December:
Up to 50% capacity in sales areas and public areas of stores and service areas of service providers
There may be no more people than the 50% capacity of a given space in indoor sales areas and public spaces of stores and service areas of service providers. At that, people must also adhere to the 2+2 rule, i.e., only up to two people may travel together, and they must keep a two-metre distance from other people.
Restriction on visiting catering and entertainment establishments and locations for holding public events between 22:00 to 6:00
Catering and entertainment establishments and locations for holding public events where a stationary seat is not ensured to event visitors, must keep their doors closed to visitors from 22:00 to 6:00. Selling food for customers to take away or enabling a courier or transport service for purchasing food will still be allowed for catering establishments. Organising private parties is also forbidden in all these locations. Requirements on public events and sporting and recreational sports events will also be harmonised.
As at 3 December, there were 218 COVID-19 patients requiring hospital treatment. Already as at 30 November, bed occupancy was critically high in three hospitals: Ida-Viru Central Hospital, West Tallinn Central Hospital and Narva Hospital. The number of patients over the age of 60 is also growing constantly. The average age of hospitalised people is 68.5 years; the proportion of people aged 60 or older in hospitals is 73.3%. Also, in the Ida Viru County welfare system, more infected people have been added from the nursing home outbreaks; for example, as at 2 December 2020, there are 15 customers in the Kohtla-Järve nursing home who have a higher likelihood of requiring hospital treatment. In addition, the average length of stay in hospitals has increased on the account of the more severely ill.
The Government Communication Unit is publishing the order and its explanatory memorandum on the kriis.ee website
NordenBladet —Today, the Economic Development Committee of the government discussed opportunities as to how the State could more extensively than before support investments that have a major positive impact on the Estonian economy and labour market.
‘During the coronavirus pandemic, several countries, such as Germany, for example, have begun to actively support those companies that create high added value, provide high-paying jobs, and create wider clusters around them that develop the specific industry’, said Prime Minister Jüri Ratas. ‘For such companies to operate in Estonia as well, we also need to find new solutions how to better support their activity, doing this transparently and relying on clear principles’, said Prime Minister Jüri Ratas.
The Committee found that research-intensive, high added value business projects, that create jobs with a competitive salary for Estonian people and contribute to regional development in the area where production takes place, are especially important for the State.
The Minister of Foreign Trade and Information Technology was tasked with developing specific principles for supporting major investments and presenting these to the Government cabinet on 3 December 2020.
Background:
The objective of the Economic Development Committee of the government, formed under the 13 April 2017 Order of the Government of the Republic, is to promote the economic development of Estonia, and to improve the State’s competitiveness. The committee is chaired by the Prime Minister. The members of the Committee are: the Minister of Foreign Trade and Information Technology, the Minister of Education and Research, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Social Affairs, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Other ministers participate in the Committee meeting when summoned by the Prime Minister, if the topic area covered requires the presence of another minister. The work of the Committee is organised by the Government Office.
NordenBladet —Minister of Culture Tõnis Lukas designated a century-old landing site for fishing boats, and the watermill on Simmu Farm in the village of Möldri as cultural monuments. The landing site is still in use and the mill is unique because it has been rebuilt into a watermill.
‘There are slightly more than 5,000 building monuments in Estonia, only a small portion of which are related to farm or village architecture. The Saaremaa landing site and watermill enrich the list of monuments from the point of view of local history, by demonstrating what the life and coastal culture of Saaremaa was like a century ago,’ said Minister of Culture Tõnis Lukas.
A landing site is a structure by the sea that is partially underwater and used to launch and land fishing boats. Landing sites were very common on the Estonian shore. However, today most of them are poorly preserved. They have been damaged by ice or rebuilt into piers or harbours. The best-preserved landing sites are located on the western shore of Saaremaa. The protected landing site can continue to be used for setting out to sea.
The watermill on Simmu Farm is exceptional, as the original Dutch-style windmill was brought to Saaremaa in 1932 and rebuilt into a watermill. This conversion from a windmill to a watermill is the only known example in Estonia. The uniqueness of the mill has also been emphasised by the International Molinological Society. Saaremaa has been the county with the most windmills in Estonia. In the late 19th century, there were over 1,200 windmills in Saaremaa, but there were many times fewer today. Together with the watermill on Simmu Farm, only three watermills have survived in Saaremaa. It is noteworthy that the operating equipment of the mill has also been preserved.
The proposal to declare the landing site a cultural monument was made by the National Heritage Board on the basis of a report titled “Documentation of Saaremaa Landing Sites”. The owner of the Simmu Farm watermill wished for it to be declared a monument and made a joint application with the leadership of the Chamber of Windmill Masters in 2018.
NordenBladet —Today, Prime Minister Jüri Ratas held a video meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal, during which an agreement on technical and financial cooperation between Estonia and Ukraine was signed. This ensures tax exemption for Estonian-Ukrainian technical cooperation projects in Ukraine.
“The visit of the Prime Minister of Ukraine to Estonia was to take place in November, but was postponed due to the spread of the coronavirus. However, our relations still need to be developed during a pandemic,” said Prime Minister Jüri Ratas. “Estonia conducts nearly 40 cooperation projects with Ukraine a year, the main focus of which is on strengthening democracy, including through the development of e-government, supporting the business environment, and raising the quality of education. In connection with the spread of the coronavirus, we are also paying more attention to the field of health care.”
In the first project, we will start managing border queues at two Ukrainian border checkpoints. This provides an opportunity to apply Estonia’s experience in Ukraine in dealing with similar problems and promotes both cross-border movement and trade.
The leaders of the Estonian and Ukrainian governments discussed bilateral relations and common challenges in the fight against the coronavirus. During the pandemic, Estonia has helped Ukraine with masks, disinfectants, blankets, and other items that help protect people from the virus and speed up the recovery of the sick. Both countries are trying to strike a balance between health care and economic needs and are preparing for the moment when it will be possible to start vaccinating the population, especially those at risk. The European Union has pledged 500 million euros to support the international risk mitigation mechanism COVAX, which helps ensure access to vaccines in low- and middle-income countries, including Ukraine.
Ratas assured Shmyhal that Estonia strongly supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. “As an elected member of the UN Security Council, we keep the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine and the illegal annexation of Crimea under constant attention of the international community.” According to Ratas, Estonia is always ready to share its experiences with Ukraine, which will help Ukraine move forward with reforms and support the country’s aspirations towards the European Union.
On international issues, the prime ministers discussed the Three Seas Initiative and the transition to renewable energy.
NordenBladet —The Government approved the proposal of the Minister of Culture Tõnis Lukas to allow a specification for the organisation of group games of the European Basketball Championship qualification tournament in Tallinn. By way of the specification, the other members of the delegation that have been in close contact with a person who has given a positive test result for having the coronavirus, may continue to train and compete after additional testing and having been tested negative for the coronavirus.
According to Prime Minister Jüri Ratas, the organisers of the European Basketball Championship have made great efforts to conduct the sporting event in a way that ensures safety from infection. “The Government’s objective is to keep life in Estonia as open as possible so that, despite the spread of the coronavirus, we are able to continue living as normal lives as possible,” he said. “The holding of the European Championship in Estonia is an event that affects the future of our sport. Organising sport events at a top level for Europe will help Estonia in obtaining the rights to organise high-level international sports competitions later on. Thinking about the future of Estonian sports and trusting the professionalism of the organisers and them cooperating with the Health Board, the Government decided today to allow the specification.”
“Organising the tournament will give our national team the advantage of playing on its home court and will thus, perhaps, also give an opportunity to reach the final tournament of the European Championship in 2022. Of course this will depend on whether the team plays good basketball,” said Minister of Culture Tõnis Lukas. “This change has been made so that the accidental illness of one athlete will not cause the entire tournament to end. The current procedure would necessitate this, because the entire team would then automatically need to leave Tallinn,” he noted. Lukas added that the tournament will also have a wider impact – due to the spread of COVID-19, several international competitions have been cancelled in Estonia since March; for this reason, every international competition that can be organised in Estonia is a positive for the country’s economy.
The qualifying tournament of the European Championship will see the men’s teams of Estonia, Russia, North Macedonia and Italy taking part. The games will be held on 28 and 30 November in Saku Suurhall. The teams will be Estonia from 24 November to 1 December, during which time, regular testing and supervision of the teams will be ensured. During the organisation of the tournament, the COVID-19 protocol established by the International Basketball Federation and the restrictions on the spread of the virus established in Estonia will be adhered to. The event will be held without spectators; tickets already sold will be bought back.
The Estonian Basketball Association, Saku Suurhall, Sportity, Piletikeskus, G4S Estonia, Estonian Police, Tallinn Airport, Hilton Tallinn Park, Hansabuss, SYNLAB, Confido, Sportomedica, Kotka Health Centre, Health Board, Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry of Social Affairs are involved in organising the tournament.
The Government Communication Office is publishing the order and its explanatory memorandum on the kriis.ee website.
NordenBladet — At its today’s sitting, the European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) elected its Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson. The Committee will be chaired by Mailis Reps, and Riina Sikkut will continue as Deputy Chair.
The extraordinary elections were held because former Chair of the European Union Affairs Committee Anneli Ott was appointed the Minister of Public Administration. Former Minister of Public Administration Jaak Aab became the Minister of Education and Research. Former Minister of Education and Research Mailis Reps, who resigned from office, returned to the Riigikogu and became a member of the National Defence Committee and the European Union Affairs Committee.
Other members of the European Union Affairs Committee are Kalle Grünthal, Heiki Hepner, Ruuben Kaalep, Kalev Kallo, Tarmo Kruusimäe, Oudekki Loone, Lauri Läänemets, Tõnis Mölder, Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, Taavi Rõivas, Aivar Sõerd, Urve Tiidus, Jaak Valge and Mart Võrklaev.
The European Union Affairs Committee is a standing committee of the Riigikogu that has a deciding and coordinating role in the issues relating to the European Union in the Riigikogu. The Committee gives the mandate to the positions of the Government of the Republic on proposed European Union legislation and to Estonia’s positions for the meetings of the Council of Ministers of the European Union and the European Council. The positions of the European Union Affairs Committee are mandatory for the Government, and the Government proceeds from them in the discussions held in Europe.
NordenBladet — Today, President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Henn Põlluaas participated in a video conference with the Speakers of the Baltic and Nordic parliaments. On the initiative of Finland, prevention of extremism, and cyber security, threats to democracy and rule of law in the region and in Europe, as well as the situation in Belarus were discussed.
Põlluaas said that Russia was the greatest threat to the security and stability of the Baltic Sea region, and this applied also to Belarus. “It is important to coordinate common policy with the partners with whom we share similar threat assessment regarding the security of our region,” he added.
Põlluaas thinks that it is important to improve the security of ports, including rapid and effective identification of the people boarding the ships, in the cooperation between the Baltic States and the Nordic Countries. “It is urgently necessary to use identification systems that could identify persons on the basis of biometric data,” Põlluaas said.
Speaking of cyber security, Põlluaas emphasised the excellent regional cooperation in cyber sector. “I am happy to admit that a common opinion of cyber stability prevails in our region,” Põlluaas said. “The activities in cyber space are becoming increasingly relevant, we are concerned about the spread of violent extremism and disinformation, and therefore it is important to understand that international law has to apply also in the cyber sector.”
Regarding the threats to rule of law, Põlluaas pointed out that as members of the European Union, we had to listen to each other and to reach agreements through discussions, and not punish our allies because this would bring along more problems than solutions.
The participants also condemned the situation in Belarus and the challenges it caused to further activities of states in supporting the development of democracy and civil society in Belarus. It was found that real steps should be taken, not just express moral support in words.
Põlluaas said that the situation in Belarus showed no signs of improvement and therefore he considered it necessary to impose additional sanctions on the leading figures of Belarus and to keep the issue constantly on the agenda of international organisations.
The Speakers of the Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Danish, Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian parliaments also gave an overview of the current political situation in their countries, most important legislative issues, and the changes in the organisation of work and restrictions in force in their countries due to the coronavirus. All speakers of national parliaments underlined that the restrictions implemented to prevent the spread of the coronavirus had to be taken seriously in order to prevent the total lockdown of countries
Minister of Rural Affairs Arvo Aller said that agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, foodstuff industry and food culture were fields including the whole population and territory of Estonia that had played and were playing an important role in the historical identity of the rural and coastal people in Estonia and in shaping the well-being and living environment of the people, including Estonian landscapes.
The minister pointed out that the drafting of the development plan had taken more than three years. It links together more than 30 separate development documents. Over 500 experts in their fields and over 150 representative organisations have participated in the drafting of the plan.
“The vision formulated in the co-creation of the agricultural development plan is the following: Estonian food is valued and it is good to live in the country. It is a vision of the future we are striving for, integrating the connections between sustainable food production and functioning rural life. There is not one without the other,” Aller said. “According to the vision, in 2030, Estonian food will have a good reputation and will be in high demand both in domestic and foreign markets. This will ensure all supply chain participants sufficient income to for the produce and food they produce and the services they provide. Good rural life is characterised by an attractive living and business environment where well-paid and varied jobs are available and unified and active communities are thriving. Therefore, in 2030 life in country will be valued, well developed and wealthy. There will be space for both large and small businesses who will contribute to the development of rural economy,” the Minister of Rural Affairs said.
In the minister’s words, an overall measurable goal of the development plan is that Estonian food is preferred, the environment and biodiversity are maintained, food sector companies are successful and rural and coastal communities are viable. “In order to achieve the overall goal, the produce of the agriculture and fisheries sector and food industry will have to be of very high quality, innovative and produced in an environmentally-friendly way,” Aller said. He added that, for this, more cooperation both within sectors and between different sectors was needed, and the latest research results and the best technologies needed to be applied.
The minister underlined that the current crisis had shown again that the domestic agriculture, fisheries and food industry sector was a very important strategic sector for every country.
In his report, Deputy Chairman of the Rural Affairs Committee Urmas Kruuse presented the discussion of the development plan in the Rural Affairs Committee. He pointed out that the discussions of the development plan had begun this March and the development plan had been discussed by sectors in the meetings. When speaking of the issues that had arisen in the committee, Kruuse highlighted labour issues and the financial capability needed to implement the objectives set.
During the debate, Ivari Padar (Social Democratic Party), Merry Aart (Estonian Conservative People’s Party), Tarmo Tamm (Centre Party), Andres Metsoja (Isamaa), Heiki Hepner (Isamaa), Jevgeni Ossinovski (Social Democratic Party), Urmas Kruuse (Reform Party) and Peeter Ernits (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) took the floor.
The Riigikogu passed an Act
The Act on the Ratification of the Investment Protection Agreement between the European Union and Its Member States, of the one part, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, of the other part (246 SE), initiated by the Government, aims to improve investment conditions between the European Union and Vietnam. The agreement will benefit European investors, ensuring the protection of high-level investments in Vietnam, at the same time reserving the parties the right to regulate the sector and to establish legal provisions. An investment tribunal system will be established, which has been developed to ensure the protection of the rights of citizens through transparent and independent resolution of investment disputes.
Estonia signed the agreement in on 25 June 2019.
78 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the passage of the Act.
One Bill passed the second reading
The Bill on Amendments to the Notaries Act and Other Acts (200 SE), initiated by the Government, will amend the procedure for the assumption of the office of notary. In the future, a person to fill an office of a notary will always need to pass an examination, and he or she will no longer be able to run as a candidate on the basis of the result of an examination taken previously. The amendments will also amend the Notaries Act by including an obligation of refresher training for notaries, notary candidates and substitute notaries.
As an important amendment, the maximum rates of fines provided for notaries and bailiffs for disciplinary offences will be harmonised with the rates of the fines imposed on lawyers and patent attorneys. The upper limit of a fine will be raised from 6,400 euro to 16,000 euro.
The Bill will extend the conditions under which an assistant bailiff may substitute a bailiff. At the same time, the Ministry of Justice will be given the central role in the administration and development of the information system of state legal aid. When the amendments enter into force, in the future, the Minister of Justice will establish the statutes of the information system of state legal aid.
Three Bills passed the first reading
The Bill on Amendments to the Food Act (228 SE), initiated by the Government, is due to the need to reduce the administrative burden for food handlers, to use an opportunity to establish more flexible requirements for the buildings and premises of businesses and to enable marketing of food of animal origin on the basis of notification obligation.
The aim of the Bill is to provide more flexible hygiene requirements for handling food of animal origin for small businesses in order to reduce bureaucracy and to promote business development. According to the Bill, the authorisation obligation will be replaced by notification obligation. This means that, in the future, businesses who are not subject to authorisation under the European Union hygiene regulations will not have to apply for authorisation. It will be sufficient that they notify of their activities by submitting a notice of economic activities.
According to the Bill, starting handling of food will become simpler but all requirements relating to food safety will remain in place. Food placed on the market must be safe for human health. The handler is responsible for the conformity of the food handled and the handling, and the handler is required to use all opportunities to ensure this. Before starting activity and submitting a notice of economic activities, a business will still have to meet the requirements for premises, employees as well as documents, and it will have to have a self-check plan, etc.
The Bill on Amendments to the European Union Common Agricultural Policy Implementation Act (227 SE), initiated by the Government.
The Bill will specify in the part concerning the implementation of the aid in the apiculture sector the content of the activity report drawn up for the apiculture year, and the source documents for eligible costs necessary for obtaining aid in the apiculture sector. It will be provided that the activity report drawn up for the apiculture year will have to contain the results of the apiculture programme, in addition to a description of the activities. This will enhance the implementation of the apiculture programme because, starting from 2018, the participating Member States are required to notify to the European Commission a report based on the performance indicators for the apiculture year.
According to the Bill, the eligible costs of implementing the apiculture programme will be compensated on the basis of the payment claim and cost receipts submitted electronically to the Estonian Agricultural Registers and Information Board via the electronic e-service environment of the Estonian Agricultural Registers and Information Board. Compared to the current procedure, compensation will no longer be based on the activity report approved by the evaluation committee. The aim of the activity report is to evaluate the qualitative implementation of the programme and the report is not needed to evaluate the eligibility of the activities carried out. A payment claim and the documents proving the expenditure incurred will be sufficient for this.
In addition, the Act will be brought into conformity with European Union law by including two measures in the Rural Development Plan, support for restoring agricultural potential and support for agricultural insurance, in the case of which applications will no longer need to be evaluated. This will enable to have application rounds open all year round.
The Bill on Amendments to the European Union Common Agricultural Policy Implementation Act (245 SE), initiated by the Government.
The Bill will clarify the application for an import licence for hemp seeds. The amendments concern the licences for hemp seeds other than for sowing, for example, those used as feedingstuff or for pressing oil. In order that the requirements in place would be unambiguously and clearly understandable to holders of licences in the future, the obligation to submit documents on the use of hemp seeds, the arrangements for authorisation and the carrying out of checks will be provided for by law.
The Bill provides that, before a person will acquire an import licence, he or she will have to obtain authorisation from the Estonian Agricultural Registers and Information Board. He or she will have to submit documents on the use of hemp seeds to the Estonian Agricultural Registers and Information Board within 12 months. The Estonian Agricultural Registers and Information Board will be given the competence to carry out checks on compliance with the requirements for the use of hemp seeds.
Practice has shown that operators fail to meet their obligations assumed under a licence. The obligation to submit documents derives from EU law under which, in the case of release for free circulation of hemp seeds other than for sowing, the import licence shall be issued only where the authorised importer undertakes that the authorities competent for checks concerning the relevant operations in the Member State where the importer is authorised will be provided, within the time limits and under the conditions set by the Member State, with documents. The same Regulation sets out the obligation of the Member State to approve the importer and to carry out checks. Thus, an authorisation by the Estonian Agricultural Registers and Information Board will be a precondition for obtaining a licence, and submission of the documents within 12 months as of the issue of the licence will be a side-condition.
The deliberation of three Bills was transferred to tomorrow’s agenda
Due to the end of the working hours of the sitting, the Bill on Amendments to the Unemployment Insurance Act (250 SE), initiated by the Social Democratic Party Faction and member of the Riigikogu Raimond Kaljulaid, will be deliberated at tomorrow’s plenary sitting.
The purpose of the Bill is to extend the range of persons receiving unemployment insurance benefit to employees and officials who terminate their contract of employment or service relationship on their own initiative or by agreement of the parties and to increase the unemployment insurance benefit. The purpose of the Bill is to improve the economic subsistence of the unemployed for the time when they are looking for a job, enabling them to attend trainings so they can find a job that matches their skills and expectations.
The Bill on Amendments to the State Budget Act (increasing the transparency of the state budget) (251 SE), initiated by the Estonian Reform Party Faction, aims to ensure better transparency and understandability of the state budget and to improve the reporting on the implementation of the budget. This would enhance the role of the Riigikogu in the legislative proceedings on and the implementation of the state budget, and would ensure a timely response to possible deviations from an approved state budget.
The Bill on Amendments to the Funded Pensions Act and Amendments to Other Associated Act (287 SE), initiated by the Finance Committee, is related to the reform of the second pillar pension scheme. The Bill will make the necessary improvements particularly to the regulation concerning the pension investment account and will correct reference errors and inaccuracies. The Bill is essentially of a technical nature. The Bill will make no amendments concerning the dates relating to the implementation of the reform of the second pension pillar or any other fundamental changes.
In relation to the investment account, specifications will be made in the movement of the money and data relating to the account. For example, the procedure for the entry into a pension contract will be specified, where it will be recommended to use the money on the pension investment account to pay insurance premiums. The Bill will also specify the procedure for making the lump-sum payment made to the pensioners in the second pension pillar scheme and the partial lump-sum payment due to be added on 1 January 2022 under the reform Act where the payment will also include the money on the pension investment account.
The Bill will also make some simplifications to the processes of the payment of money from the second pension pillar. If a person retires from the second pension pillar scheme and uses all his or her money contributed to the pillar to do so, under the Bill, the registrar of the pension register will be allowed to simply pay the person the money accrued on the person’s pension account later or to transfer such money to his or her pension agreement, depending on which payment option he or she has used.
The Investment Funds Act prohibits charging a fee for the redemption of the units of a pension fund from unit-holders who have attained the old-age pension age or who are going to attain such age in no more than five years. The Bill will extend the prohibition to unit-holders who are assessed as having no ability to work and who are already equal to pensioners in the second pillar pension scheme anyway under the reform of the second pillar pension scheme. In the Guarantee Fund Act, the regulation of the compensation for any loss caused to unit-holders of the second pension pillar will be amended by including references to the pension investment account to which the amount of compensation should be transferred once the person no longer makes contributions to the pension fund but uses a pension investment account instead.