NordenBladet — In their Joint Statement, the Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Parliaments of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland call on the Belarusian authorities to release all political prisoners as well as those illegitimately detained in recent days, and to initiate a social dialogue for the much-expected changes.
“We follow with regret the events in Belarus and the repressions against the citizens and media there during the presidential elections,” Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Enn Eesmaa said. “By depriving the citizens of the right to free elections, the general standards of democracy and human rights are ignored. With colleagues, we condemn such activities and underline that we are consistently ready to support the well-being of Belarusian society as well as the sovereignty of the Belarusian state,” Eesmaa said.
The Joint Statement of the Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees points out that the right of free election is a fundamental value of democracy, and freedom of speech and assembly are among the fundamental human rights. “The activities that we are observing do not fit within the democratic standards,” the Statement says.
“We are convinced that following the path of dialogue and reforms will contribute to the development of Belarus, further deepening of good-neighbourly relations between Belarus and the countries of our region, as well as the revival of fruitful relations with the European Union. We are ready to support these efforts by seeking constructive solutions for our common future,” the Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees emphasise in their Joint Statement.
Full text of the Statement of the Chairmen of the Foreign Affairs Committees.
NordenBladet —The COVID-19 pandemic, which is re-emerging, is causing concern for cultural and sports organisers. The experience in the spring, when the value chains of many sectors simultaneously ceased to function overnight, is still very fresh in our minds. And the recovery has yet to be completed, even under the restrictions that continue to apply.
The crisis package provided by the Ministry of Culture to ensure that cultural and sports institutions could continue their work and hold events totalled €25 million. With the supplementary budget, we tried to ensure the sustainability of cultural organisations, and to cover their essential costs. We needed to support unemployed freelance creative people, coaches and leaders of folk culture groups.
There has been a great deal of discussion and argumentation regarding whom the aid package should definitely reach. At the same time, the cultural organisers had to keep their heads above water, look for new innovative solutions for reaching their audience, in order to survive. After all, the state budget cannot pay for one’s entire future. And in the digital age, these new approaches have been well received by the public. New innovative ways of working have been introduced and entire new online environments have been developed.
From the outset, it was clear to the Ministry of Culture that the criterion for the distribution of crisis aid, for example, in the case of institutions, could not be based only their form of ownership or administrative jurisdiction. Culture is created everywhere. The impact of some smaller events on a community or on the economic life of a region as a whole can be extremely significant. And yet, choices had to be made, since those in need included both cultural organisations set up by the state, and at the other end of the scale, freelance creative people, such as musicians, actors, artists composer and writers. The former received around €20 million in support, the latter €5 million, with the government increasing its budget for creative people several times after the true scale of the crisis became apparent.
I would hereby like to thank our creative associations for their extremely fast action and smooth cooperation in processing the creative grants and delivering them to the applicants. I would also like to thank the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, whose endowments responded quickly and also allocated their own activity-scholarships.
The crisis package grants have now been disbursed. The preparation of these kinds of measures was a first for Estonia. Despite intense and sometimes pointed exchange of views with the representatives of different areas of activity, all the needs could still not be foreseen. Sensing the budgetary limits, we had to start rather conservatively. Thus, in some areas a surplus developed, which could partially be expected.
This money – and we are talking about €2.5 million – will not be lost to culture and sport. In the near future, the Ministry of Culture will announce additional funding rounds. One of them will definitely deal with the field of folk culture. Excluded from the initial appropriation were the makers and preservers of national handicrafts, as well as our community centres, i.e. the gathering places of community cultural life. In addition, we want to provide additional support to the organisers of large musical events, for whom financial uncertainty is particularly high due to the cancelled events. We can provide even stronger support for our film industry, the different sectors of which employ people from all walks of life, and not to mention the importance of the international dimension of filmmaking. The exact terms of the new funding rounds will be worked out and the applicants will be informed in a timely manner.
In addition to the aforementioned €25 million, the state also supported the home delivery of publications, and especially county newspapers, as well as helped sports clubs pay for the maintenance of sports infrastructure. The VAT on publications, as well as digital books, was reduced from 20% to 9%. The Ministry of Culture will initiate a similar tax reduction on concert tickets, in order to help safeguard Estonian concert activity, which is in strong competition with Riga and Helsinki.
The crisis had been kind of a paradoxical. And although the lockdown was so complete in the spring, that at times it seemed that even the birds were not flying, these weeks and months have been exceptionally intensive for both cultural institutions and organisers, as well as the ministry. Uncertainty will certainly continue for some time and even now planning for the future is still impacted by a feeling in the back of one’s mind that everything can change again. At the same time, everyone must be commended for their good and accurate actions under these special conditions because, despite the fact that public cultural life became very active and diverse during the summer, no infections were recorded so far at these concerts, theatre performances and even festivals. Thank you for a safe Estonia!
What should we learn from the current crisis? After all, there must be some hope. Perhaps the fact that the crisis has helped to clarify what we are doing, why we are doing it, and who benefits from it. In all fields of activity. Of course, the crisis also tested the relationships between the state and the creators, carriers and preservers of culture, as well as everyone with each other. But we managed and we have proven that we are all standing together for the good of the entire field of culture and its continuity. Estonian cultural life will emerge from this crisis at least as strong as when it entered it.
NordenBladet —Chairs of ten Foreign Affairs Committees of the European Union made a joint statement to express their concern and disappointment at the People’s Republic of China’s recent decision to impose the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region without the consent of the people of Hong Kong.
Enn Eesmaa, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu, said that, since the law had been adopted by Beijing and not by Hong Kong, it constituted a direct breach of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration lodged with the United Nations. “The Declaration set out that Hong Kong would retain its autonomous executive, legislative and independent judicial power until at least 2047. China’s recent step however disregarded the agreement, and my colleagues from other parliaments and I can in no way agree to such a breach. Quite the contrary – we condemn it,” Eesmaa stated.
The Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees note that the law raises significant concern that judicial independence is being undermined by empowering Hong Kong’s Chief Executive rather than its Chief Justice is to appoint judges to hear national security cases. The signatories find that this threatens civil rights and the commercial stability.
“Allowing China jurisdiction further violates the Joint Declaration as well as the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The legislation also goes against China’s own Basic Law for Hong Kong which states that Hong Kong is to bring forward its own national security legislation”, the statement reads.
The statement also says that Hong Kong’s autonomy and independent judiciary have guaranteed the personal rights and freedoms of its people for decades and have made the territory an important keystone in the international trading system. “Given their rights and the importance of Hong Kong, this cannot be seen as a purely domestic affair. In breaching a legally binding agreement and undermining the rule of law, this also undermines the good faith among nations who enter into international agreements.”
The Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees say that article 38 causes further concern as it seeks to violate the sovereignty of other nations. “In claiming extraterritorial jurisdiction it infringes freedom of speech in countries like ours that place a high value on civil rights. It is hard to see how an extradition treaty with either Hong Kong or China could be agreed when the demands of Beijing infringe so directly on basic human rights in our nations,” it is stated.
“We urge the People’s Republic of China to rethink its decision to impose this law, and to uphold its commitments to the people of Hong Kong as well as the international community,” the signatories say to conclude their joint statement.
The joint statement has been signed by the Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the parliaments of Belgium, Estonia, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Latvia, Norway, Germany, Denmark and the United Kingdom, and the European Parliament.
NordenBladet —Today we commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Sumner Welles Declaration, which condemned the forced occupation and annexation of the Baltic States into the Soviet Union, and served as the foundation of the United States’ five-decade long non-recognition policy of Soviet occupation of the Baltic States.
Enn Eesmaa, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu, emphasised that the declaration, issued by acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles on July 23, 1940, was an exceptional sign of our shared commitment to freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. “From 1940 until the full restoration of Baltic countries’ independence half a century later, the flags of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania continued to fly in Washington, just as our peoples continued to believe in a future in which liberty would be returned and sovereignty – restored,” Eesmaa said.
In Eesmaa’s words, the Welles Declaration set out an international framework for the existence of the Baltic States de jure throughout the entire period of Soviet occupation and for the restoration of statehood of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania that followed later.
Eesmaa affirmed that, today, too, the Declaration is a stark, inspiring and an important reminder of the need to uphold the principles of international law and to oppose, as was stated in the declaration, “predatory activities, whether they are carried out by the use of force or by the threat of force”. “As we move deeper into the 21st century, our shared commitment to democratic values, secure borders, and the territorial integrity of sovereign states remains as unwavering as ever,” Eesmaa said.
Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee recalled that the United States’ Crimea Declaration on July 25, 2018, reaffirmed the same principles as in the Welles Declaration, emphasising its policy of refusal to recognise illegal annexation of territory seized by force, and this stance is welcomed and fully supported by the Baltic States.
“On this important anniversary, we celebrate independence, pay tribute to those who suffered and sacrificed to ensure it. We recognise the importance of the United States’ significant contributions both historically and on this day, thus playing an irreplaceable part in ensuring security in the Baltics and Europe. Estonia is proud to be among those NATO member states that commit at least 2% of their GDP for defense, so that, along with our partners, we can fulfill the shared vision of a Europe peaceful, united and free,” Enn Eesmaa said.
NordenBladet —At its extraordinary session, the Riigikogu discussed the Bill on Amendments to the Aliens Act (mitigation of the labour crisis) (192 SE), initiated by the Estonian Reform Party Faction. The Bill provided that the work permits of the foreign employees who were employed in Estonia as at 17 March were to be extended until 31 December 2020. The Riigikogu rejected the Bill at the first reading.
The aim of the Bill was to keep the foreign labour already employed in Estonia so that it would help fill the gaps in demand that could not be filled with Estonian residents upon suspension of the free movement of labour. The situation is the worst with seasonal jobs in agriculture, but the loss of foreign labour is also irreparable in the construction sector, industry, social welfare and elsewhere.
During the debate, the representatives of factions Ivari Padar (Social Democratic Party), Kersti Sarapuu (Centre Party), Helir-Valdor Seeder (Isamaa), Jaak Valge (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) and Kaja Kallas (Reform Party) took the floor.
Padar said that the expulsion of foreign labour on 31 July would obviously be an ill-considered political caprice. Therefore the Social Democratic Party Faction would support the proceedings on the Bill. Sarapuu commended the Government’s decision that morning on the resolution of the foreign labour problems. In her opinion, the Bill was not sustainable in terms of the resolution of the situation. Seeder explained the decision made at today’s Government sitting, according to which the pre-coronavirus situation in the use of foreign labour would be restored if the use of foreign labour complied with the medical examination requirements. Valge said that the Estonian Conservative People’s Party could not vote for the Bill because the import of cheap labour enhanced the facilitation of the settlement of people of Slavic background in Estonia. In his opinion, the use of cheap labour keeps our overall remuneration low, while at the same time Estonia is haunted by unemployment that should be resolved at the expense of internal reserves. Kallas expressed her delight that the opposition’s pressure had borne fruit and the Government had been forced to propose their solution that day. The decision proposed by the Government today is a solution to a problem they themselves have created. The greatest concern is that, with its activities, the Government will turn the country into an enclosed province. If the Bill were to be rejected from the legislative proceedings, a situation might arise where a large number of cows would remain unmilked.
The Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. The result of voting: 52 votes in favour and 42 against. The Bill was dropped from the proceedings.
NordenBladet —In their Joint Statement, the Chairmen of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Parliaments of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland call on the State Duma and the authorities of the Russian Federation to withdraw from proceeding the proposal to revoke and invalidate the resolution condemning the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and its secret protocol.
In 1989, the Congress of People’s Deputies of the USSR adopted the resolution that condemned the 1939 Soviet-German Non-Aggression Treaty. Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Enn Eesmaa said that the bill on revoking and invalidating that resolution, which was currently being proceeded in the State Duma, was a regrettable attempt to rewrite history. “World War II that caused the death of tens of millions of people, occupation of the Baltic States, and the partition of Poland between two totalitarian powers were the direct results of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and its secret protocol. The proposed law is an attempt to distort those events and to justify the use of military force against smaller neighbours, and this is done at the expense of the memory of the victims of the World War,” he emphasised.
The Joint Statement of the Chairmen of the Foreign Affairs Committees underlines that the proposal on revoking the 1989 resolution will not have any impact on the unequivocal condemnation of the Pact and its secret protocol as an illegal act under the international law. Likewise, it will not affect its assessment by historians.
The Joint Statement points out that the rehabilitation of the totalitarian imperialism in the proceeded bill is an attempt to justify the rejection of the equal protection of sovereign states under international law. “It is particularly dangerous since it justifies, in fact affirms the current policy of the Russian Federation towards Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, and opens the path for further potential violations of the international law at the expense of independence and sovereignty of the neighbouring countries,” the Chairmen of the Foreign Affairs Committees write.
“We call on the State Duma and the authorities of the Russian Federation to make all possible efforts to base the relations with their neighbours on the international law, the respect of their sovereignty and territorial integrity, the restoration of trust in international relations and reestablishment of good neighbourly relations in our part of Europe. In such efforts the first necessary step will be the withdrawal from proceeding the proposal,” the Joint Statement says.
Full text of the Statement of the Chairmen of the Foreign Affairs Committees
NordenBladet —Today morning, the ceremony of raising the national flag and lighting the ancient fire on the occasion of the Victory Day was held in the Governor’s Garden at Toompea in Tallinn. President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Henn Põlluaas said in his speech that the Estonians had many reasons to be proud of the achievements of their nation.
“We won the War of independence and founded our state. We have passed a complicated path of history. It is necessary to know this, and tell about this to the young people,” Põlluaas said in his speech. “If we do not know our history, if we do not have national self-awareness and pride, we will lose our roots. And a tree that has no roots perishes.”
Põlluaas expressed assurance that we would overcome all hardships also in the future, because the Estonian values were rooted deep in our hearts. “In a fight with no matter how powerful or strong enemy, those who uphold the principles of morality, and defend their family, their country and their people will always win in the end. It is important to have will – will for freedom, will to defend your fatherland, will to be and to remain masters of one’s homeland. We have this will,” he emphasised.
Põlluaas said that it was our duty to hold and protect this wonderfully beautiful country, and to pass it on as even better and more beautiful, so that the fires of freedom would burn brightly in the hands of our children and all coming generations.
The events of the Victory Day started today at 7 a.m., when the members of the Women’s Voluntary Defence Organisation and the Defence League raised the flag of Estonia in all county centres. In Tallinn, the flag was raised at the Tall Hermann Tower. In the Governor’s Garden next to the Riigikogu Building, the Young Eagles (members of the youth organisation of the Defence League) lit the ancient fire without using matches or lighters. This fire will be taken to the Presidential Palace in Kadriorg, and at 11 o’clock, it will be united with the memory fire lit in Tori. After that, the President of the Republic will send victory fires to all counties.
The Victory Day commemorates the victory of Estonia over the Baltic Landeswehr in the Battle of Võnnu on 23 June 1919.
NordenBladet —At its today’s sitting, the European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) discussed the positions formulated by the Government of the Republic on the Communication of the European Commission “The European Green Deal” and the proposal for a European Climate Law. When formulating Estonia’s position, the Committee also considered the opinion of the Economic Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu and the additional motions to amend by the Environment Committee of the Riigikogu.
Chairperson of the Committee Anneli Ott pointed out that climate neutrality was important and the steps to achieve it should be taken as quickly and resolutely as possible. “In implementing the Green Deal and achieving a climate neutral European Union by 2050, it is important that increasing the EU’s 2030 climate target would be preceded by a thorough analysis of Member States and sectors. At today’s sitting, we approved Estonia’s position and complemented it with the recommendation to support local transport. Besides rapid implementation of the Single European Sky concept, the European Union has to increase funding for the development of local train and tram transport,” she said.
Ott stated that one of the amendments added to Estonia’s position was the recommendation to channel additional investments into increasing the energy efficiency of private houses and apartment buildings, and the possibilities for monitoring the actual observance of energy performance certificate through smart solutions.
Member of the European Affairs Committee Mart Võrklaev also underlined the need for increasing the European Union funding for the development of local train and tram traffic. “Transport causes one fourth of the greenhouse gas emissions in the EU, and in order to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, the emissions from transport will have to be reduced by 90 per cent,” he explained.
As regards the smart solutions used to monitor energy performance certificates, Võrklaev said that Estonia could lead the way here thanks to its strong digital competencies. “At present, the energy class is assigned when buildings are designed, but the conformity of real energy consumption to it is not checked afterwards.”
Võrklaev expressed his regret that the Government had not thought it necessary to underline the importance of Rail Baltic in Estonia’s positions.
The European Green Deal is a policy strategy with the aim of transforming Europe into a society with resource efficient and competitive economy where climate neutrality is achieved by 2050.
Estonia supports setting the EU’s 2050 long-term climate-neutrality objective in legislation. At the same time, the states should be allowed flexibility in deciding on sectoral objectives and choosing the ways that suit them for achieving their targets. The proposal for increasing the European Union’s climate and energy goals for 2030 should be preceded by a thorough analysis of Member States and sectors, conducted by the European Commission. Estonia also considers it important that tax policy should support the achievement of the climate targets.
NordenBladet —Today, the Riigikogu concluded amending the Family Benefits Act. Among other things, in the future the special protection period of parental benefit in the case of successive births of children will be extended from 2.5 years to 3 years.
The Bill on Amendments to the Family Benefits Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (185 SE), initiated by the Government, will specify the payment of child benefit for children under 16. Pursuant to the Bill, the payment of parental benefit can be suspended and continued according to a parent’s choosing on the basis of calendar months until the child attains three years of age. The Bill also specifies that parental benefit can be suspended and continued only after the child attains 70 days of age. The amendments will ensure legal clarity so that mothers who are not entitled to maternity benefit could use their individual right to a benefit during the first 70 days of life of the child, and this right would not be transferable to the father later with a suspension of the parental benefit.
The Bill would also extend the period of successive births, during which the new parental benefit is calculated on the basis of earlier income, to three years. The amendment is necessary in order to ensure the livelihood of families upon successive birth of children, to prevent the postponement of desired births and to bring the provision on the same bases as the length of parental leave.
Besides that, the regulation regarding the payment of maintenance allowance during the enforcement procedure would be amended. The Bill would create the possibility to start paying maintenance allowance three months sooner. This would improve the livelihood of parents raising their children alone and enable them to ensure the growing environment necessary for the child.
The Bill also specifies the payment of child benefit for children under 16. Under the current Family Benefits Act, a child who is enrolled in a basic school or upper secondary school, or a child without secondary education enrolled in formal vocational education has the right to receive child allowance until he or she attains 19 years of age. The child benefit is paid retroactively for summer months in the case when the young person continues his or her studies in the same year after graduation from a basic school. Currently, there is no direct legal basis for paying family allowances for summer months in the case of young people who have completed a year at a secondary school or their formal vocational education and wish to study at another school or another specialty. There were rules for that in an earlier version of the Act, but they had been omitted by mistake in the course of the amendment of the Act, although the legislature has not wished to essentially change the relevant practice. The purpose of the amendments proposed by the Bill is to restore the earlier procedure and to ensure payment of child allowance for such children in summer months, too.
Jaak Valge (Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction) took the floor during the debate.
The Bill on Amendments to the Labour Market Services and Benefits Act and the Unemployment Insurance Act (206 SE), initiated by the Government, will increase flexibility in the unemployment insurance benefit system, and will provide people greater social protection in the event of unemployment. The Bill provides for the possibility of temporary working, or doing gigs or small jobs, while registered as unemployed.
Pursuant to the Bill, it will be possible in the future to work temporarily for up to eight days a month while registered as unemployed. The Bill provides that while registered as unemployed, a person may temporarily work during 12 calendar months in a 24-month period, and the remuneration paid for each period of temporary work in a specific calendar month must not exceed 40 per cent of the minimum wage in that year. This year, the minimum wage is 584 euro and 40 per cent of it is 233 euro.
Besides allowing gigs or small jobs, the Bill also specifies calculation of unemployment insurance benefit in a situation where the insured person worked in Estonia before becoming unemployed, and before that outside Estonia. The Bill would change the amount of unemployment benefit in the context of both the unemployment insurance benefit and the unemployment allowance, and also the conditions for receiving the unemployment insurance benefit in order to facilitate the seasonal working of the unemployed.
The Bill will specify the calculation of the unemployment insurance benefit in a situation where the insured person has been working in Estonia before he or she loses his or her job and, before that, outside Estonia in another contracting state of the European Economic Area or in the Swiss Confederation.
The replacement rates of unemployment benefits will also change: in the first hundred days of unemployment, the unemployment insurance benefit will be 60 per cent of previous income, instead of the current 50 per cent, and the unemployment allowance will be 50 per cent of the minimum wage in the previous year, instead of the current 35 per cent.
To facilitate seasonal employment of the unemployed, the Bill will amend the conditions for receiving the unemployment insurance benefit so that if a person loses their job again after the end of seasonal work, the payment of the benefit will continue if the benefit has not been paid for all days of the previous period of the payment of the benefit and no more than 12 months have passed since the person took up employment.
The Bill provides for the entry into force of the Act on 1 September 2020 when the provisions on temporary employment will enter into force. The increase in the replaced rate of the unemployment insurance benefit will enter into force on 1 August 2020. The changes to the replaced rates will thus concern the benefits calculated from 1 August, and they will have no retroactive effect.
During the debate, Signe Riisalo (Reform Party), Heljo Pikhof (Social Democratic Party) and Urmas Espenberg (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) took the floor.
Due to the end of working hours of the sitting, the first reading of one Bill was adjourned in the Riigikogu:
The Bill on Amendments to the Bankruptcy Act and Other Acts (195 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic, will increase the efficiency of bankruptcy proceedings and thereby improve the functioning of the business environment. Among other things, the Bill will provide for establishing an insolvency service, changing the system of remuneration of trustees, extending the obligation to file bankruptcy petition, speeding up of determining the number of votes of creditors, and specialisation of courts.
The procedure for defending and acceptance of claims will also be reorganised. Currently, the defending of claims takes place at a meeting of creditors for the defence of claims, and disputes concerning claims are solved in separate and time-consuming proceedings. According to the Bill, in the future defending of claims would be conducted in writing and acceptance of claims would take place in court in one procedure. Substantiation of objection will be mandatory, and the list of claims to be accepted without defence will be amended, which will result in reduction of disputes over claims.
The Bill also provides for greater specialisation of courts on insolvency matters, as a result of which the judges will adjudicate the cases faster and in a more uniform manner. Adjudication of insolvency matters of legal persons will take place in Tallinn and Tartu County Courts. In the case of natural persons, the jurisdiction will remain the same.
The system of remuneration of trustee in bankruptcy will also be made more transparent and predictable. Pursuant to the Act currently in force, the remuneration of a trustee is calculated on the basis of the size of the bankruptcy estate, and the trustee does not have to keep working time records and prepare an expected action plan. The Bill will propose that in all proceedings, a trustee should plan their expenses and possible remuneration at the beginning of proceedings and keep records of working time. This will make the proceedings more transparent and enable the courts and the creditors to better estimate the formation of the remuneration of trustee.
In the bankruptcy proceedings of natural persons, that are simpler by their nature, it will be possible to pay the remuneration as a one-time fixed operation fee. When the trustee decides to accept operation fee, they do not have to keep records of working time.
The remuneration of trustee will also cover the trustee’s general costs, like the office expenses. In connection with that, the minimum and maximum amounts of remuneration of trustee will be increased by 21 per cent, which is the average rate of general expenses.
Obligation to file bankruptcy petition will be extended. Pursuant to the Act currently in force, it is possible that in the absence of members of management board, nobody has the obligation to file bankruptcy petition. The amendment will extend the obligation to file bankruptcy petition to persons who have the duty to ensure the existence of management board. For example, in the case of a private limited company, such persons are the members of governing council or the shareholders. They will not be held responsible if there is a management board.
In connection with the unexpected and abrupt change of economic situation as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Bill temporarily enables to make changes to reorganisation plan and debt restructuring plan more flexibly. The Act which is currently in force does allow changing reorganisation plan. Such a possibility is temporary and relevant applications can be submitted up to the end of 2020.
The first reading of the Bill will continue on Wednesday.
As replying to interpellations was adjourned due to the end of the working hours of the Riigikogu on Monday, discussion of two interpellations was added to the agenda of Tuesday’s sitting, and the debates continued at the beginning of today’s sitting.
Prime Minister Jüri Ratas continued replying to the interpellation concerning the monitoring of the budget expenditure (No. 35) that had been submitted to him. During the debate, Maris Lauri (Reform Party), Aivar Sõerd (Reform Party), Taavi Rõivas (Reform Party) and Jürgen Ligi (Reform Party) took the floor on behalf of the interpellators.
The reply to the interpellation concerning the Road Management Plan for 2020–2030 (No. 25) by the Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Taavi Aas was also postponed to the agenda for today’s sitting. At the debate, Aivar Sõerd (Reform Party), Urmas Kruuse (Reform Party), Jüri Jaanson (Reform Party) and Helmen Kütt (Social Democratic Party) took the floor on behalf of the interpellators. At the open microphone session, Jürgen Ligi (Reform Party) took the floor.
NordenBladet —Riigikogu passed five Acts at the last sitting of the spring session
87 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the Act on Amendments to the Family Benefits Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (185 SE), initiated by the Government.
Under the Act, the payment of parental benefit can be suspended and continued on a parent’s request, on the basis of calendar months, until the child attains three years of age. The Act also specifies that parental benefit can be suspended and continued only after the child attains 70 days of age. The amendments ensures legal clarity so that mothers who are not entitled to maternity benefit could use their individual right to a benefit during the first 70 days of the life of the child, and this right would not be transferable to the father later with a suspension of the parental benefit.
The Act also extends the period of successive births to three years, during which the new parental benefit is calculated on the basis of earlier income. The amendment is necessary in order to ensure income to families upon successive birth of children, to avoid postponing desired births, and to bring the provision onto the same bases as the length of parental leave.
The regulation regarding the payment of maintenance allowance during the enforcement procedure is also amended. The Act creates the possibility to start paying maintenance allowance three months sooner. This would improve the means of parents who are raising their children alone to ensure the growing environment necessary for the child.
The Act also specifies the payment of child benefit for children under 16. Under the current Family Benefits Act, a child who is enrolled in a basic school or upper secondary school, or a child without secondary education enrolled in formal vocational education, has the right to receive child allowance until he or she attains 19 years of age. The child benefit is paid retroactively for summer months in cases where the young person continues his or her studies in the same year after graduation from the basic school. Currently, there is no direct legal basis for paying family allowances for summer months in the case of young people who have completed a year at a secondary school or formal vocational education and wish to study at another school or another specialty. An earlier version of the Act included relevant provisions but these had been omitted by mistake in the course of amending the Act, although the legislature has not wished to introduce fundamental changes into the relevant practice. The purpose of the amendments proposed by the Act is to restore the earlier procedure and to ensure the payment of child allowance for such children in summer months as well.
Priit Sibul (Isamaa) and Helmen Kütt (Social Democratic Party) took the floor during the debate.
The Act on Amendments to the Labour Market Services and Benefits Act and the Unemployment Insurance Act (206 SE), initiated by the Government, increase the flexibility of the unemployment insurance benefit system, and provides greater social protection in the event of unemployment. The Act provides for the possibility of temporary work, or gig work, while registered as unemployed.
Under the Act, it will be possible to work temporarily for up to eight days a month while registered as unemployed. The Act provides that while registered as unemployed, a person may do temporary work for no more than 12 calendar months during a 24-month period, and the remuneration paid for each period of temporary work in a specific calendar month must not exceed 40 per cent of the minimum wage in that year. This year, the minimum wage is EUR 584, and 40 per cent of it is EUR 233.
Besides allowing gig work, the Act also specifies the calculation of unemployment insurance benefit in a situation where the insured person worked in Estonia before becoming unemployed, and abroad prior to that. The Act changes the amount of unemployment benefit in the context of both the unemployment insurance benefit and the unemployment allowance, as well as the conditions for receiving the unemployment insurance benefit, in order to encourage seasonal work among the unemployed.
The Act specifies the calculation of the unemployment insurance benefit in a situation where the insured person has been working in Estonia before he or she loses his or her job and, before that, outside Estonia in another contracting state of the European Economic Area or in the Swiss Confederation.
The replacement rates of unemployment benefits also change: during the first one hundred days of unemployment, the unemployment insurance benefit is 60 per cent of the prior income, instead of the current 50 per cent, and the unemployment allowance is 50 per cent of the minimum wage of the previous year, instead of the current 35 per cent.
To facilitate seasonal employment of the unemployed, the Act amends the conditions for receiving the unemployment insurance benefit to the effect that if a person again becomes unemployed after the end of seasonal work, the payment of the benefit will continue if the benefit has not been paid for all the days of the previous payment period, and no more than 12 months have passed since the person took up employment.
The Act will enter into force on 1 September 2020 when the provisions on temporary employment will enter into force. The increase in the replacement rate of the unemployment insurance benefit will enter into force on 1 August 2020. The changes to the replacement rates will thus concern the benefits calculated from 1 August, and will have no retroactive effect.
Signe Riisalo (Reform Party), Priit Sibul (Isamaa) and Lauri Läänemets (Social Democratic Party) took the floor during the debate.
82 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the passage of the Act.
According to the Act on the Ratification of the Protocol amending the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data (143 SE), initiated by the Government, the purpose of the Convention is to protect the inviolability of private life in the automatic processing of personal data. The Convention was opened for signature in 1981. The technological development and the globalisation of information has brought about new challenges in the field of personal data protection, and consequently the Convention has also needed updating.
The Protocol establishes a legal framework to facilitate the cross-border movement of data as well as to ensure the effective protection of personal data when it is processed. The regulations of the EU General Data Protection Regulation have also been taken into account in the drafting of the Protocol.
73 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the passage of the Act.