NordenBladet — At its meeting today, the National Defence Committee heard about the plan of the consortium of Estonia’s defence companies to take part in an Estonian, Finnish, and Latvian joint procurement of armoured vehicles, as well as to start producing these vehicles if possible.

The Chairman of the Committee Andres Metsoja said that the companies outlined their plans to the Committee, and the Committee decided to support the project. “This is a step in the right direction,” Metsoja said. “This is a large scale project, and international cooperation with Latvia and Finland would have an extensive impact.”

Metsoja believes that Estonia’s defence companies would create completely new capabilities. “It is clear to us that all this should be carried out with the support of the government and the parliament,” Metsoja explained. “At the same time, we must critically review the needs of Estonia’s national defence in light of the decrease in economic indicators and the consequent possible reduction in the defence budget.”

Member of the Committee Alar Laneman recommends further efforts in developing defence industry as part of Estonia’s defence capabilities, and using the synergy thus generated. “The Committee consensually supported Estonian defence companies because the value of the consortium project surpasses the proposed armoured vehicle. The project would increase our knowledge, skills, employment, and indirectly – our economy and industry,” Laneman said.

The defence industry consortium project was presented to the Committee by the Estonian Defence Industry Union Chief Executive Tarmo Ränisoo, Director of the Centre for Defence Investments Kusti Salm, and representatives of AS Milrem and Milrem Robotics, AS Cybernetica and Baltic Marine Group AS.

The Committee was told that there have been discussions on the possibility of acquiring the licence of the Finnish defence company Patria for producing armoured vehicles in Estonia, managing the supply chain along with designing the necessary modifications, and ensuring their life cycle. However, it is also an option for the Estonian consortium to develop its own 6×6 armoured vehicle based on the needs of our Defence Forces. In both cases, the project would have a clear positive impact on Estonia’s economy and defence capabilities.

Source: Parliament of Estonia

NordenBladet — Today, the Riigikogu passed an Act which enables the payment of a higher allowance to foster parents, and creates the possibility to pay the social benefit for a child with a disability for children with orphan diseases.

The major amendments proposed in the Act on Amendments to the Social Welfare Act, the Social Benefits for Disabled Persons Act and the Labour Market Services and Benefits Act (146 SE), initiated by the Government, concern the social rehabilitation service, the alternative care service and foster parent allowances, the payment of allowances to children with orphan diseases, the identification of disabilities and the degree of severity of disabilities, and mitigation of the coping difficulties arising from emergency situation.

The Act creates flexibility that will enable to increase the number of children reared in a foster family and in a family of a family home or substitute home, in the interests of children. This is possible in the case when children of one family need to be placed or there is another situation where an opportunity for children to be reared together needs to be ensured. Flexibility in terms of the number of children may also be important in the current emergency situation. The Act also amends the minimum amount in which local governments are required to support foster families upon caring for one child. The minimum allowance or fee for foster parents is doubled compared to the current rates.

The Act creates the possibility for the Social Insurance Board to begin to pay the social benefit for a child with a disability for children with orphan diseases, to compensate for additional costs related to the disease, also in the case when they do not have a developed disability. The aim is to provide for a state allowance for children with orphan diseases who do not have the characteristics of a developed disability but who need financial support in order to prevent a disability.

With the amendments to the Social Benefits for Disabled Persons Act, medical experts of the Social Insurance Board are given the possibility to identify a person’s disability and the degree of severity of the disability in persons of working age on the basis of their health data. At present, applicants need to describe the restrictions they are experiencing by spheres of activities in order for the degree of severity of their disability to be identified. In addition, in the case of a child with a severe or profound disability whose condition is constant and unchanging or progressive, the duration of the degree of severity of the disability can be identified for until he or she attains working age. At present, the degree of severity of disability is determined for one to three years.

The amendment to the Labour Market Services and Benefits Act will enable the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund to use counselling of the unemployed by telephone or through the information system of the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund, instead of inviting them to face-to-face counselling, in justified cases. In addition, the Act provides for the implementation of financial measures in extraordinary situations to mitigate the coping difficulties arising from the emergency situation in the case of specifically vulnerable target groups.

49 members of the Riigikogu voted for the passing of the Act.

Source: Parliament of Estonia

NordenBladet — The Bill that would give the Defence Forces additional rights in performing background checks and implementing authorisation for use of human intelligence sources passed the first reading in the Riigikogu today.

The Bill on Amendments to the Estonian Defence Forces Organisation Act and the Chancellor of Justice Act (152 SE), initiated by the Security Authorities Surveillance Select Committee, provides for increasing the right of the Defence Forces to conduct background checks to the extent that would ensure meeting the initial objective of the check, i.e. verifying a person’s suitability to serve or be employed in the Defence Forces or to cooperate with the Defence Forces. Pursuant to the planned amendments, the Defence Forces will be able to perform acts that go beyond the current verification against registers in order to obtain the information needed for background check. The Defence Forces will be given the right to use covert measures for collecting information for circumstances assessed within the framework of background checks, ensuring that the collection of information is concealed.

The Bill will give the Defence Forces a new task: collection and processing of information to protect the restricted military area of the Defence Forces and prevent threats. For that, it is provided that in the case of persons posing a direct threat to the restricted military area of the Defence Forces, the Defence Forces can verify personal data, and do it covertly, use shadow information and covert measures as well as monitor the person secretly. The Bill establishes more specific and effective guarantees for interfering with the fundamental rights of a person that ensure the observance of notification obligation.

The Bill also amends the Chancellor of Justice Act. At least every two years, the Chancellor of Justice will perform a surveillance of the legitimacy of failure to notify persons of the activities pursuant to the Defence Forces Organisation Act.

The Supreme Court declared the Act on Amendments to the Estonian Defence Forces Organisation Act, passed by the Riigikogu on 29 May 2019, to be in conflict with the Constitution.

One Bill was dropped from the proceedings of the Riigikogu.

The Bill on Amendments to the Health Insurance Act (162 SE), initiated by the Social Democratic Party Faction, provided for amending the Health Insurance Act in order to ensure sickness benefit from the first day of sick leave in the case of suspicion of communicable disease.

The explanatory memorandum to the Bill notes that the Health Insurance Act currently in force does not enable to pay sickness benefit for staying at home because of suspicion of communicable disease. The current Act provides that no sickness benefit is paid for the first three days of sick leave; from the fourth day to the eighth day the benefit is paid by the employer in the amount of 70% of the average salary of the employee, and from the ninth day, the sickness benefit is paid by the Estonian Health Insurance Fund in the amount of 70% of the average salary of the previous calendar year on the basis of the daily income of the employee.

The lead committee moved to reject the draft Resolution at the first reading. 53 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and five voted against. Thus, the Bill was rejected and it was dropped from the proceedings.

Source: Parliament of Estonia

NordenBladet — Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Reinsalu will give the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) an updated overview of the emergency situation and its impact on foreign policy at the public sitting of the Committee today.

“In recent weeks, we have been in contact with the Foreign Minister and the Ambassadors of Estonia in various foreign countries via a video bridge at the sittings of the Committee. Such a frequent and operational exchange of information is invaluable in the current situation,” Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Enn Eesmaa said.

Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson noted that the Committee hoped that, at the sitting, the Minister would provide them with the latest information about the ongoing situation, returning home of the citizens of Estonia, and the international policy decisions of recent times. “The Minister’s overviews of the emergency situation and the latest international developments make an excellent basis for discussion and finding answers to questions that are necessary for shaping the foreign policy of Estonia in the present complicated situation,” he added.

At the sitting of the Committee, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will also present Estonia’s positions at the video conference of the European Union foreign affairs ministers (development) that will be held on 8 April.

Public sitting of the Foreign Affairs Committee starts at 11 a.m. and it will be streamed online.

Video recording of the sitting can also be viewed later on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.

Source: Parliament of Estonia

NordenBladet —

Source: Parliament of Estonia

NordenBladet —

Source: Parliament of Estonia

NordenBladet — Henn Põlluaas was elected as the President of the Riigikogu, and Helir-Valdor Seeder and Siim Kallas were elected as Vice-Presidents.

Chairman of the Social Democratic Party Faction Indrek Saar nominated Ivari Padar as a candidate for the President of the Riigikogu, and Deputy Chairman of the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction Alar Laneman nominated Henn Põlluaas.

93 members of the Riigikogu took part in the secret ballot. 50 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of Henn Põlluaas, who was elected the President of the Riigikogu, and 41 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of Ivari Padar. Two ballot papers were invalid.

Chairman of the Faction Isamaa Priit Sibul nominated Helir-Valdor Seeder as a candidate for a Vice-President, and Deputy Chairman of the Estonian Reform Party Faction Taavi Rõivas nominated Siim Kallas.

93 members of the Riigikogu took part in the secret ballot. 51 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of Helir-Valdor Seeder, and 40 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of Siim Kallas. Two ballot papers were invalid. Thus, Helir-Valdor Seeder was elected the First Vice-President of the Riigikogu and Siim Kallas was elected the Second Vice-President.

Source: Parliament of Estonia

NordenBladet — The Riigikogu approved its agenda for this working week and decided to change its working schedule so that sittings will be held on Monday and Wednesday, and Question Time will take place on Wednesday.

Under the Riigikogu Rules of Procedure and Internal Rules Act, the election of the Board of the Riigikogu is due to be held at the last sitting of this sitting week. Thus, the election of the Board will be held on Wednesday, 25 March.

One Bill passed the first reading in the Riigikogu:

The amendments proposed in the Bill on Amendments to the Rescue Act and the Weapons Act (128 SE), initiated by the Government, are linked to the launch of the crisis information service, the involvement of volunteer rescuers, and the tasks of the Rescue Board.

The Bill values the role of volunteer rescuers. According to the proposal, the social guarantees in place for volunteer rescuers engaged in rescue work will also be extended to volunteer rescuers engaged in prevention work.

In addition, the five-year validity period of the medical certificate of rescuer will be eliminated. In the future, family physicians will be able to determine the validity period on the basis of the person’s health indicators. This amendment will significantly reduce the frequency of the need to pass a medical examination. In the future, a medical certificate of a driver of a power-driven vehicle will be accepted as a certificate of medical examination. Moreover, in the future, an amendment will also allow volunteer rescuers to certify the absence of health disorders with other permitted medical certificates, e.g. a medical certificate of assistant police officer or police officer, a medical certificate obtained upon application for a weapons permit, etc.

The amendment will create a legal basis for the Rescue Board to process the causes of fires, and legal clarity about the content and activities of prevention work. In addition, the requirements for marking the locations for blasting explosives upon explosive ordnance disposal will be provided for, and the supply of food and drinking water to all people engaged in rescue work will be ensured. As explosive ordnance specialists of the Explosive Ordnance Centre of the Rescue Board will be granted the right to carry and use firearms for self-defence, the Weapons Act will also be amended.

The Bill will also amend the tasks of the Emergency Response Centre. The processing of help and information notifications, which also means provision of the crisis information service, is mentioned as a task of the Emergency Response Centre. The Emergency Response Centre may involve volunteers in the provision of the crisis information service.

Source: Parliament of Estonia

NordenBladet — Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Enn Eesmaa sent an appeal on behalf of the Committee to the foreign affairs committees of the national parliaments of the European Union member states, calling on solidarity, support and operational information exchange.

The Chairman of the Committee pointed out that, due to the spread of the coronavirus, many citizens of the EU, including the citizens of the Republic of Estonia, were encountering difficulties when returning home through the territories of member states. “We are asking our colleagues from the foreign affairs committees of the EU national parliaments to remind their governments of the need to ensure the preservation of the fundamental freedoms of the European Union to the highest possible extent, and to enable the transit of citizens of other member states in the spirit of mutual solidarity,” Eesmaa said.

The appeal underlines that, as soon as possible, the European Union should agree upon all-European crisis area measures focusing on the defence of the external borders of the Union, on safe movement of internal transit, persons and goods, including personal protective equipment, and on coordinated activities in combating the crisis. Also, the colleagues in the national parliaments will be informed of the organisation of work of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu during the crisis, and of the sittings of the Committee in which the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Estonian ambassadors in other countries constantly participate via electronic means.

Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson emphasised that in a crisis situation it was necessary to support each other and to learn from experience. “In these complicated times, we should ensure operational exchange of information and ideas between the national parliaments of the European Union. By exchanging experience and informing our colleagues of each other’s organisation of work and life, the member states are not left alone in their search for solutions, and the crisis will be resolved in cooperation,” he said.

Source: Parliament of Estonia