NordenBladet — This week, the Riigikogu Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) participates in the winter session of the Assembly in Strasbourg, where extending the credentials of Russia’s delegation and the functioning of democratic institutions in Poland will be discussed.

At the winter session, the Estonian delegation to the PACE is headed by Member of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Raivo Tamm. In his opinion, it is extremely important how the members of the Assembly behave in the situation where all member states are once again at the table and try to hold a political dialogue. “PACE should increase it focus on the fundamental values of the organisation: human rights, democracy and principles of the rule of law,” Tamm said.

Member of the Estonian delegation Eerik-Niiles Kross thinks that the crisis of confidence in the PACE, which started with the return of the delegation of the Russian Federation, will continue also during this session. “There are many discussions on relatively unimportant issues and few discussions on the most important issues,” Kross stated. “It is the duty of the Estonian delegation to contribute to upholding substantial and honest debate without any double standards in the PACE. We plan to do it also this time.”

On Wednesday, Kross will participate in the side event where politically motivated imprisonment in Russia and ways in which the Council of Europe can respond to it will be spoken about.

The main topics of the debates on the agenda of the PACE session include a complementary joint procedure between the Committee of Ministers and the Assembly in response to a serious violation by a member State of its statutory obligations, the functioning of democratic institutions in Poland, and reported cases of political prisoners in Azerbaijan.

MPs will also discuss threats to media freedom and journalists’ security, and a report on “Democracy hacked? How to respond?” The Presidents of Georgia and Moldova, as well as the Foreign Minister of Georgia and President of the Committee of Ministers and the newly-elected Secretary General of the Council of Europe will address PACE. There may also be debates on the recent developments in Libya and in the Middle East, and also on ongoing violation of the rule of law, human rights and democracy in Turkey.

Source: Parliament of Estonia

NordenBladet — At today’s plenary sitting, the Riigikogu passed the Act that harmonises the conditions for control of the acquisition and possession of weapons in the European Union.

The Act on Amendments to the Weapons Act, the State Fees Act and the Strategic Goods Act (transposition of the Firearms Directive) (62 SE), initiated by the Government, transposes the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council which updates the requirements for the free movement of firearms and their essential components within the European Union. Compared to the regulation that was in force before, the requirements for travelling with weapons and deactivated weapons in the European Union territory will change.

In the future, for example, it will not be possible to travel with category B hunting weapons on the basis of a firearms pass. This will be subject to a prior authorisation from the destination country each time, and a one-off authorisation from the Police and Border Guard Board will be needed to take a weapon out of Estonia. The majority of hunting weapons registered in Estonia are in category C, and they can still be conveyed on the basis of a firearms pass within the European Union. Persons who wish to travel with deactivated weapons will also be required to apply for a relevant consent of a public authority. The procedure for conveying ammunition within the European Union will also change.

The Act establishes heightened requirements for owning and possessing semi-automatic firearms with large-capacity magazines using centre-fire cartridges. Persons applying for acquisition of firearms with such magazines need to provide proof that they are actively practising for or participating in shooting competitions. A person who has been a member of a shooting sports club for at least 12 months can acquire a weapon. Acquisition of such semi-automatic firearms for the purpose of self-protection and protection of property is prohibited by law.

The requirements for the collection of weapons also change. Collections may be established for historical, cultural, research, technological, educational and cultural heritage purposes on the basis of a collection permit for weapons and cartridges issued by the Police and Border Guard Board in the cases when the ownership of the weapon does not endanger national security or public order. The period of validity of a collection permit is reduced from ten to five years, and limits are set on firearms which are capable of firing and ammunition that are collected.

In the course of the proceedings on the Bill, the definition of museum was included in the Weapons Act. The adoption of the new term is necessary in order to make a distinction between authorities that maintain weapons collections under the Museums Act, and persons who collect weapons under the Weapons Act. According to the definition, museums may acquire, preserve, research and exhibit weapons, essential components of firearms, magazines in restricted commerce, and ammunition for historical, cultural, research, technological, educational, cultural heritage or entertainment purposes. Military weapons and deactivated or demilitarised weapons may also belong to weapons collections of museums, besides weapons in restricted commerce. Private museums that own weapons will also be able to join the database of museums. The Act is intended to preclude situations where persons who own weapons for the purpose of preserving history are not under state supervision.

In addition, the Act was amended by adding the definition of person participating in national defence, who may be active serviceman within the meaning of the Military Service Act. It also includes active members of the Estonian Defence League and members of national defence representative organisations when they are appointed to wartime positions. Such persons are the first to be called up for military service in a crisis situation or a situation of war. Therefore they are also allowed to engage in shooting training more efficiently with their personal weapons with larger magazines, and to train themselves voluntarily for participation in military national defence.

84 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the passage of the Act and one was against.

Source: Parliament of Estonia

NordenBladet — The Bill giving minors who are capable of judgement the right to receive psychiatric treatment with their consent passed the first reading in the Riigikogu today.

Source: Parliament of Estonia

NordenBladet — The Riigikogu approved its agenda, according to which six Bills will be at the first reading and one Bill will be at the third reading this working week.

There is no deliberation of Bills or replying to interpellations at Monday’s sitting.

At Tuesday’s sitting, the Bill on Amendments to § 3 of the Mental Health Act (115 SE) will be at the first reading.

At Wednesday’s sitting, five Bills will be at the third reading. They are the following: the National Defence Bill (112 SE); the Bill on Amendments to the Penal Code (offences against national defence) (113 SE); the Bill on Amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure, the Code of Administrative Court Procedure and the Penal Code and Other Acts (specifications of criminal, misdemeanour and judicial proceedings during state of emergency and state of war) (114 SE); the Bill on Amendments to the 2014‒2020 Structural Assistance Act and the Foreign Relations Act (129 SE); and the Bill on Amendments to the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Prevention Act and Other Acts (130 SE).

At Wednesday’s sitting, the Bill on Amendments to the Weapons Act, the State Fees Act and the Strategic Goods Act (transposition of the Firearms Directive) (62 SE) will be at the third reading.

During the open microphone, Siret Kotka and Marko Šorin took the floor.

Source: Parliament of Estonia

NordenBladet —

Source: Parliament of Estonia

NordenBladet — The investment protection agreement between the European Union and Singapore, passed in the Riigikogu today, aims to improve the investment climate between the EU and Singapore.

According to the explanatory memorandum, the agreement benefits European investors, ensuring the protection of high-level investments in Singapore, at the same time reserving the parties the right to regulate the sector and to establish legal provisions. The agreement establishes an investment tribunal system of two instances which aims to ensure better legal protection to investors and to consider their disputes more quickly and transparently. The agreement also ensures the protection of Singaporean investors in Europe.

The draft agreement was approved at the sitting of the Government on 4 October 2018. Estonia signed the agreement in Luxembourg on 15 October 2018. The EU and Singapore signed the agreement at the Asia-Europe Meeting Summit in Brussels on 19 October 2018. The agreement enters into force after all countries have ratified the agreement according to their national procedures.

According to the data of the Bank of Estonia, Singapore’s direct investments in Estonia totalled 136.2 million euro as at June last year. That accounted for 0.6% of direct investments in Estonia. Investments have mainly been made in processing industry, and they make up 83% of the investments. Estonia’s direct investments in Singapore totalled 2.5 million euro. Investments have been made in processing industry, wholesale and retail trade, the information and communications sector, financial and insurance activities, real estate, and vocational, research and technology activities.

In 2018, Estonian exports to Singapore totalled 47 million euro, and Estonian imports from Singapore totalled 5 million euro. More than 10,000 EU companies have been established in Singapore, and they service the whole Pacific region from there. In 2016, the volume of mutual investments amounted to 256 billion euro.

80 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the passage of the Act on the Ratification of the Investment Protection Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Singapore, of the other part (104 SE).

Source: Parliament of Estonia

NordenBladet — A Bill passed the second reading in the Riigikogu. It will create the possibility to apply for citizenship under a simplified procedure for minors who were born in Estonia and whose parents or grandparents have resided here before the restoration of the independence of the Republic of Estonia.

Source: Parliament of Estonia

NordenBladet — At its today’s sitting, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) heard the overview on foreign relations by the President of the Riigikogu, and recommended him to keep his personal opinion and his party’s position apart from representing the Parliament in his statements on the Estonian-Russian border agreement.

President of the Riigikogu Henn Põlluaas explained the Foreign Affairs Committee his positions on the Estonian-Russian border treaty and the Tartu Peace Treaty. He said that his remarks had been based on his own clear views and the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia.

Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Enn Eesmaa said that the Committee heard the explanations of the President of the Riigikogu, and wished to clarify Põlluaas’s recent statements on the Estonian-Russian border issues, which Russia had interpreted as the position of the Estonian Parliament. “Today’s debate was really necessary, we specified our positions and recommended the President of the Riigikogu to underline when he is expressing his personal opinions in his statements,” Eesmaa added.

Eesmaa also said that legal continuity was very important, and that all earlier resolutions of the Riigikogu and the Government on the Estonian-Russian border treaty were valid, as they had not been amended. “Although the present composition of the Riigikogu has not adopted any resolutions in this issue, this does not mean that the resolutions of the previous composition are not in force,” Eesmaa emphasised.

Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson said that the Parliament had to proceed from the law, and pursuant to the Foreign Relations Act, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu coordinated the foreign relations of the Riigikogu. “The rules of procedure say that the President of the Riigikogu represents the Riigikogu, and the good practice in democratic parliamentary countries is that the principles and the positions that have been formulated at the debates in the Parliament must be adhered to,” Mihkelson pointed out.

According to him, it is unacceptable that the President of the Riigikogu does not proceed from the earlier resolutions of the Parliament and presents his personal and his political party’s opinions in his statements and interviews in such a way that they may be interpreted as the Parliament’s position.

Mihkelson emphasised that nobody was attacking the personal positions of Henn Põlluaas, but it was necessary to clarify which resolutions of the Riigikogu were the basis for the statements Põlluaas as the President of the Riigikogu had expressed in the media on the issues regarding the border treaty.

Riigikogu Press Service
Epp-Mare Kukemelk
+372 631 6356, +372 515 3903
epp-mare.kukemelk@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Source: Parliament of Estonia