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.

NordenBladet — This morning, the Chairperson and the Deputy Chairperson of the European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) participate in the video conference Meeting of the Chairpersons of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC). The main topic of the meeting is the plan for restarting the EU and the Multiannual Financial Framework of the EU for 2021–2027.

Chairperson of the European Union Affairs Committee Anneli Ott said that the meeting should have taken place in May in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, but it had been cancelled due to the pandemic. “However, it was decided to hold the meeting a little later than originally planned, and for the first time in the video conference format. One can only agree to this decision, because six months have already passed from the last meeting of the European colleagues. In that time, many things have changed and completely new topics have emerged,” she said.

Ott stated that the main topic of the meeting would be the recovery plan for the European Union and the long-term budget of the European Union for 2021–2027. “Discussions on this topic are currently relevant also in our Committee, and the European Union Affairs Committee will formulate Estonia’s position on this issue already at its tomorrow’s sitting. We will certainly be able to consider also the points that will be dealt with at the meeting this morning,” Ott said.

Deputy Chairperson of the European Union Affairs Committee Riina Sikkut added that the second topic of the meeting was the Conference of the Future of Europe, which aimed to bring the citizens closer to Europe and make them see added value in the European Union. “We try to find approached that would help maintain the link between the citizens and the EU also in other times than the elections. It is important to adopt a relevant joint declaration in the nearest future, so that it would be possible to start with the conference in the autumn,” Sikkut said.

COSAC is a cooperation format that brings together the Committees for Union Affairs of the national parliaments of the 27 Member States of the European Union.

NordenBladet — Today, on the anniversary of the June deportation, President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Henn Põlluaas laid the flowers and lit a candle in the memory of all victims of communism at the Memorial Wall of the Memorial to the Victims of Communism at Maarjamäe in Tallinn.  

“Today, we celebrate the day of commemoration in memory of the deported. It is the Day of Mourning,” Põlluaas said. “The June deportation, the war years that followed it, the new deportations by communists in 1945, 1949 and 1951 left a mark for long times. The tragedy we experienced etched a seal of memory into the soul of our nation that we carry from generation to generation.”

Põlluaas said that today we commemorated the victims of these tragic events – those who suffered, those who perished, those who returned and those who stayed behind. “We will not forget also other victims of communism. None of them,” he emphasised. “We bow our heads in memory of them all. We remember and we commemorate, so that nothing like that would never again be repeated, and our children would grow up with laughter and joy in a free, cornflower blue land our ancestors have left us.”

The President of the Riigikogu also visited the installation “”Wagon of Tears” that was erected on the Freedom Square in Tallinn by the Estonian Institute of Human Rights.

During the night before 14 June 1941, mass deportation took place in Estonia. Soviet repressive authorities deported around 10,000 people to Siberia. Among them, there were over 100 children under the age of one year. Even bedridden old people were deported. 6,000 children, women and men died of hunger and exhaustion, or were executed. On the Day of Mourning, all victims of repressions are commemorated.

Video of the speech by the President of the Riigikogu

Text of the speech by the President of the Riigikogu

Photos of the day of commemoration of the June deportation (author: Erik Peinar, Riigikogu)

NordenBladet — At the sitting today, the Riigikogu heard about the Estonian Human Development Report, which focuses on spatial development in Estonia and its impact on wellbeing and social processes.

Helen Sooväli-Sepping, the editor-in-chief of the Estonian Human Development Report, introduced the Report by saying that it explored the concept of space from a broad perspective by analysing Estonia’s population density, wilderness areas, urban spaces, and the debate space that unites us all. “Space as the umbrella term of this Report denotes a common space that sparks public interest and offers social benefits,” she said.

Sooväli-Sepping highlighted urbanisation as one of the trends in Estonia. “The whole world is urbanising, forming a tightly knit global market economy network,” she explained. She described urbanisation in the Estonian context as people, economy, and services clustering into Tallinn and its environs.

Today, there are 920,000 urban dwellers in Estonia, forming 62% of the country’s population; 40% of them – 550,000 people – live in Tallinn or around it.

The other side of the urbanisation coin is the shrinking of population in Estonian counties. She would not reduce the issue of shrinking to simple work related migration and search for a higher income. “The surplus and ageing of the housing stock both in terms of living conditions and construction technology have tied many Estonian families to their residences because the market value of their home is simply that low,” the editor-in-chief said.

Sooväli-Sepping made three suggestions based on the conclusions in the Estonian Human Development Report. Firstly, she sees the need for two administrative models – one in case of urbanisation, the other for shrinking populations. In case of urbanisation, we need a bolder market intervention. In case of shrinking – adaptation to a smaller, sparser, more vulnerable population that cannot be measured in terms of efficiency.

Secondly, Sooväli-Sepping believes that Estonian cities need urban policies that are founded on the actual urban areas and not the city limits. “A common urban policy would connect public transport and light traffic road networks, allowing residents, particularly the groups that depend on vehicles like children and the elderly, to move independently,” Sooväli-Sepping said.

Thirdly, she sees a need to improve civic competence and debating skills to empower citizens and promote broad-based democracy. Opportunities for this are offered by digital platforms that are currently under development, as well as competent officials and trusted experts. Sooväli-Sepping added that media education programmes in general education schools had already proven their worth, and suggested offering the same programmes to the general public for improving the quality of debate.

Indrek Ibrus, editor of the chapter Discussion Space in Estonia, then talked about the daily exchanges of opinions that together form Estonia’s idea space. Ibrus described Estonia’s discussion space as simultaneously concentrated and fragmented. He pointed out that new digital platforms have created the conditions for discussion spaces to become fragmented, and that Estonians are increasingly holding discussions in different spaces and different ways.

One of the findings of the Report was that public discussions have started to reflect the emotional style of expression used in social media platforms – quick labelling of reported situations, expression of concern or annoyance, prejudice based contemptuous attitudes, often hate speech. “This manner of communicating does not allow a social dialogue that is directed at mutual understanding, and it also supports the spreading of false information,” Ibrus said.

Media executives are very impressed by the media literacy of our youth. “Estonian teenagers know that for truthful information, they have to turn to traditional media channels and recognised institutions. So we can consider the general education curricula that develop the media literacy of our youth quite successful.”

Ibrus stressed how important it was for newspapers, radio programmes and TV-channels, i.e. edited and curated discussion space, to reach the public because the editing filter helps to separate the wheat from the chuff and keep the debate on track.

In addition to national media, we would also need a generous variety of specialised media and communication environments. “We need defined spaces to focus on more specific discussions which would allow new knowledge to develop and sink in,” he said.

Ibrus called attention to the worrying vulnerability of provincial media, which is currently being attacked even more directly than the national media. “We need to start looking for new ways to underpin independent local and regional press. These ways do not always necessarily have to be financial, although Estonia is a country that gives fairly modest support to its press, and new resources for support could be found after the introduction of a digital tax,” Ibrus suggested.

He also recommended seeking out new ways to encourage public and private media, culture and other social institutions towards an increased cooperation in Estonia. For example, Estonian Public Broadcasting could be given additional tasks to support local press.

Deputy Chairman of the Constitutional Committee Lauri Läänemets spoke on behalf of the Committee, which had discussed the Report at its sitting, mainly with a focus on the issue of inequality. More specifically, it concentrated on two messages in the report: Estonia has achieved stable wellbeing, but this has come at the price of inequality, and badly considered spatial processes have exacerbated inequalities both in urban as well as rural areas.

“We cannot have effective regional policy without a redistribution component,” Läänemets said. “Smaller resources of outlying regions weaken their positions when competing with the economic core regions of the country for receiving European Union aid.”

Läänemets feels that Estonia has overlooked the fact that urbanisation has reduced the number of people with expertise and skills in many regions, and this has led to the weakening of the social network in the relevant communities. An example of this is the capability of acquiring EU funds. In the future, this would require a regional policy that includes exceptions and a strong public intervention, which raises the question of ways to compensate for the field of knowledge,” Läänemets said.

Läänemets added that economic reorganisation as well as new lifestyle and commuting patterns feed into the vicious cycle of declining population numbers, leading to the disappearance of crucial public services, such as schools. He would also like the balance of environmental and economic considerations to receive more attention.

Läänemets made a proposal to the Board of the Riigikogu to forward the report to all the Committees for discussion, in order to identify specific steps for improvements and changes that should be set out either in the form of legislative amendments, state budget, or more long-term strategic objectives.

During the debate that followed the presentations and the questions, Yoko Alander (Reform Party), Siret Kotka (Centre Party), Heiki Hepner (Isamaa), Peeter Ernits (Estonian Conservative People’s Part), Raimond Kaljulaid (Social Democratic Party), Andres Metsoja (Isamaa), Hele Everaus (Reform Party) and Leo Kunnas (Estonian Conservative People’s Part) took the floor.

NordenBladet — The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Courts Act and the Code of Civil Procedure (175 SE), initiated by the Government, which establishes a new mechanism in the Courts Act. It provides for the right to refer court cases to other courts of the same instance for adjudication if this is necessary for the functioning of the administration of justice pursuant to the procedure.

The jurisdiction of court cases and the location of hearing a matter will not change in the course of the delegation between the courts. In the case of an emergency situation set out in the Obligation to Leave and Prohibition on Entry Act or in the Act on Granting International Protection to Aliens, the Act grants the chairmen of circuit courts the additional right to temporarily include county court and circuit court judges in the panels of administrative courts to review applications for permission to detain aliens. Besides that, the right to obtain extraordinary assistance is provided; with the consent of the chairmen of courts, matters can also be heard on a voluntary basis at other courts of the same or a lower instance, that is, in the mission for proceedings of a judge.

Additionally, in exceptional cases, it will be allowed to extend the authority of judges released from office at their request or due to age where this is necessary for finalising the proceedings on matters distributed to them. The Act extends the obligation of a judge to notify of his or her request to be released from office at least nine months in advance, instead of the current six months.

With the amendment to the Code of Civil Procedure, the adjudication of all appeals filed against orders on entry in registry matters will be transferred to the special jurisdiction of Tartu Circuit Court through Tartu County Court. The aim of the amendment is to concentrate the competence in registry matters permanently to the territorial jurisdiction of Tartu courts and thereby to increase the specialisation of judges.

90 members of the Riigikogu voted for the passage of the Act.

The Riigikogu passed two other Acts

The Riigikogu passed an Act under which the Agricultural and Food Board will be established on the basis of the Agricultural Board and the Veterinary and Food Board. The new agency will start operating on 1 January 2021.

The merger of the authorities proceeds from a more general principle of the state reform, namely to reduce the duplication of activities in different state offices, to reduce the number of administrative agencies and to improve the quality and availability of public services.

The Agricultural and Food Board to be formed after the merger of the agencies will perform all the current main functions of the two agencies, which will require retention of the present staff, among other things. With the reorganisation of the two agencies, the capability of risk-based inspection will increase, the management of information in the entire food production chain will improve, and the quality of the prevention and information activities to reduce offences will grow. The communication aimed at clients will be more comprehensive, and the administrative burden to clients will be reduced.

89 members of the Riigikogu voted for the passage of the Act on Amendments to the Government of the Republic Act and Other Acts in connection with the Reorganisation of the Agricultural Board and the Veterinary and Food Board into the Agricultural and Food Board (164 SE), initiated by the Government.

The Act on Amendments to the Foreign Service Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (45 SE), initiated by the Government, makes the current foreign service officials’ salary system similar to that of other officials, among other things. The principles of the reimbursement of the costs relating to the payment of the foreign mission allowance and to long-term assignments abroad are also changed.

The procedure for the assignment of specialised diplomats and non-staff administrative officials to foreign missions is also amended, and the decision-making competence relating to the assignment, including appointment to posts, is left to the sending ministry. The amendments will also bring greater flexibility to deciding issues at local level. The expenses and the frequency of the acts connected with the issuing of diplomatic passports will also be reduced.

The amendments concern all officials employed in foreign missions and their family members, that is, approximately 800 people, and will not reduce the total income of officials who are on long-term assignment abroad. The aim is that the living standard of officials would not deteriorate as a result of the harmonisation and simplification of the foreign service. On the entry into force of the Act, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu will see to it that the implementing acts meet the set aim.

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

The Riigikogu concluded the second reading of 12 Bills

The Bill on Amendments to the Police and Border Guard Act (161 SE), initiated by the Legal Affairs Committee, provides for ensuring the police officers and border guard officials as well as their family members, who have been granted the pension for incapacity for work or the survivor’s pension, a pension that is at minimum equal to the pension they would have received if the basis for calculating their pensions had not been reduced by 8 per cent from 1 July 2009.

The Bill was occasioned by the need to treat equally the persons who receive the superannuated pensions of police officers as well as the persons who receive the pensions for incapacity for work and survivor’s pensions of police officers and border guard officials.

The second reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Trade Unions Act, the Working Conditions of Employees Posted to Estonia Act and Other Acts (158 SE), initiated by the Government.

The Bill will establish measures to better protect the rights of posted workers. It will be specified that posted temporary agency workers who are posted by user undertakings in the framework of the provision of services are also posted workers. The Bill will also amend the terms and conditions of employment that must be ensured to posted workers during their stay in Estonia. According to the Bill, instead of the minimum remuneration, remuneration will have to be ensured to workers, and expenditure incurred on account of the posting will have to be reimbursed additionally. A regulation for long-term posting will be established, under which the whole Estonian labour law, instead of the minimum terms and conditions of employment listed in the Act, will have to be applied to a posted worker after he or she has worked in Estonia for 12 or 18 months.

Urmas Espenberg (Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction) took the floor during the debate.

The Bill on Amendments to the Recognition of Foreign Professional Qualifications Act and the Building Code (179 SE), initiated by the Government, will specify the provisions relating to the recognition of professional qualifications on the basis of a relevant EU directive that has been transposed into Estonian law; the European Commission has initiated infringement proceedings because it has found that the directive has not been transposed as required.

The purpose of the recognition of professional qualifications is to ensure access to the pursuit of regulated posts and professions in member states of the European Union, member states of the European Economic Area and the Swiss Confederation under equal conditions. The Bill will also specify the regulation of the recognition and the acquired rights of architects.

The Bill on Amendments to the Plant Protection Act, the Organic Farming Act, the State Fees Act and the Plant Propagation and Plant Variety Rights Act (142 SE), initiated by the Government, will bring the Acts into conformity with the EU Plant Health Regulation and the Regulation regulating the carrying out of official controls, which are applied from 14 December 2019. For that, several provisions of the Plant Protection Act, the Organic Farming Act, the State Fees Act and the Plant Propagation and Plant Variety Rights Act are updated or repealed. Besides that, the Plant Protection Act is amended due to the amendments to the relevant EU directive.

A significant amendment to the Plant Protection Act is the extension of the obligation to submit a notice of economic activities to almost all operators engaged in the sale of planting material. The requirement of activity licence will also be extended to the operators who, for example, wish to engage in wooden packing material, and to operators who wish to issue plant passports.

The principles of financing follow-up plant health checks will be changed. The state fees of the plant health field have also been updated to cover the costs of official controls.

In the Organic Farming Act, the general bases for carrying out official controls, and the requirements for sampling and analysis will be provided. Pursuant to an amendment, the authorisations for placing imported organic products on the market will be no longer issued because the relevant EU import system has changed. The state fees for supervisory acts on organic farming will also be updated in order to compensate the increase of the supervisory expenses due to the rapid development of the organic farming sector.

During the debate, Urmas Kruuse (Reform Party), Merry Aart (Estonian Conservative People’s Party), Heiki Hepner (Isamaa) and Aivar Kokk (Isamaa) took the floor.

The Bill on Amendments to the Government of the Republic Act and Other Acts (merger of the Environmental Board and the Environmental Inspectorate) (184 SE), initiated by the Government, provides for the merger of the Environmental Board and the Environmental Inspectorate, two governmental authorities in the area of government of the Ministry of Environment. The name of the merged agency will be the Environmental Board. For that, amendments will be made to the Government of the Republic Act and 38 other Acts.

The merger of the Environmental Board, which implements the policy of environment use, nature conservation and radiation safety, and the Environmental Inspectorate, which exercises environmental supervision, is part of the state reform plan. The merger of the Environmental Board and the Environmental Inspectorate will also give a certain saving, in particular in terms of more effective use of vehicles and real estate.

According to the explanation, the Environmental Board and the Environmental Inspectorate employ a total staff of 512. The new agency will have its official address in Pärnu. Both agencies are already now in dispersed locations across Estonia. According to the current plan, the merged Environmental Board will start work on 1 January 2021.

During the debate, Peeter Ernits (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) and Siim Kiisler (Isamaa) took the floor.

The Bill on Amendments to the Road Transport Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (157 SE), initiated by the Government, will extend the range of persons who will be exempt from the requirement of the professional training for professional drivers. For example, in the future, the requirement to complete professional training will not extend to persons engaged in the maintenance of category D vehicles who drive vehicles without passengers from the vehicle storage facility of the carrier to a nearby maintenance or repair facility.

With a view to implementing the new European Union framework Regulation on the type-approval of motor vehicles and their trailers, the bases for the invalidation of type-approvals will be specified. According to it, the Road Administration will be able to invalidate type-approvals on broader bases than before, including also in the event of submission of false data during market surveillance.

The Bill will also establish an obligation for vehicle owners to have their vehicles repaired where the vehicles have manufacturing defects or do not correspond to their type-approvals. According to the Bill, the obligation to bring vehicles into conformity will lie with manufacturers. The Bill will provide for an obligation of vehicle owners to enable manufacturers to implement corrective measures to bring vehicles into conformity. Vehicles that are not in conformity will not be able to pass roadworthiness tests in the future.

The Bill on Amendments to the Public Procurement Act and the Commissioning of Artworks Act (177 SE), initiated by the Government, will amend the provisions regulating electronic information exchange. As a result of an amendment, suppliers will be released from the obligation of electronic information exchange in public procurements of small value, less than 30,000 euro in the case of supplies and services, and less than 60,000 in the case of works.

Under the current Act, high-security electronic exchange of information must be used in the case of every public procurement regardless of the value. The purpose of the amendment is to enable simpler electronic information exchange (e.g. by e-mail) in public procurements of smaller value whereby the workload of contracting authorities and the administrative burden of tenderers will be significantly reduced. In the case of reopening a competition on the basis of a framework agreement, the obligation of electronic information exchange would not apply where the estimated value of the public contract to be awarded is below the simple procurement threshold, that is, below 30 000 euro in the case of supplies and services. In the case of public procurements that do not fall within a simplified procurement threshold provided for by law, the obligation of electronic information exchange would apply starting from the public procurement threshold.

An amendment to the Commissioning of Artworks Act will increase the threshold that requires the commissioning of artworks in connection with contracting for works. The current threshold of 450 000 euro will be raised to 750 000 euro. The price cap for art works procured will also be increased. Starting from 2010 when the Commissioning of Artworks Act was passed, the price cap for art works procured has been limited to 65 000 euro. The Bill will increase the price cap to 110,000 euro. The general principle remains in place that the total price of works of art without the value added tax must be at least 1/100 of the price of the procurement contract or the total price of the procurement contracts but the maximum price does not exceed 110,000 euro. The cap of 110,000 is not an obligation but the highest possible price limit.

In addition, the Minister of the Environment will be given the authority to establish mandatory environmentally sound criteria in procurements to purchase furniture, cleaning products and services, office IT-equipment, and copying and graphic paper.

The Bill on Amendments to the State Borders Act (178 SE), initiated by the Government, will establish a border zone and amend the provisions concerning the border strip so that they would be in conformity with the actual needs.

In the designing of Estonia’s eastern border and the construction of test sections, it has become apparent that it is very complicated to construct the elements necessary for guarding the border on the up to ten-metre border strip required by law. Since the landscape varies in all border sections, different solutions are needed to complete them and every border section must be designed in a different way. Therefore the ‘ten-metre’ definition will be eliminated from the Act, and in the future the Government of the Republic will determine the width of the border strip with its Regulation.

The Bill will provide for a regulation of the border zone in order to ensure efficient border security and border regime. A territory with a width of up to five kilometres, extending inland from the border strip and parallel with the border strip, constitutes the border zone. The width of the border zone will also be determined by a regulation of the Government of the Republic, taking into account the size of the territory necessary for guarding the state border and the natural conditions.

The organisation of the entry of vehicles in road border crossing points will be amended. Under the current Act, the minister responsible for the area may transfer the task of organising the entry of vehicles in a road border crossing point and of managing the database of the border crossing queue to the local authority or a legal person in private law.

The Bill will grant the minister responsible for the area the right to authorise the Police and Border Guard Board to conclude the abovementioned contracts under public law; the fees charged for the organisation of a border crossing queue will be established to the accuracy of euro; the regulation of the organisation of a border crossing queue will be separated from the border regime regulation in the Act because it is a traffic organisation measure, and the regulation will be made clearer and more understandable.

The amendment will help enhance the organisation of the entry of vehicles in road border crossing points, which will improve traffic safety on the roads leading to border crossing points.

Riho Breivel (Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction) took the floor during the debate.

The Bill on Amendments to the Aliens Act, the Income Tax Act and the Taxation Act (reduction of the abuse of the rules for working in Estonia) (145 SE), initiated by the Government, will prevent the abuse of the rules for working in Estonia and ensure that businesses do not evade the payment of taxes and pay the average gross monthly wage in Estonia to aliens as required by law.

The explanatory memorandum notes that the factual activities of an alien employed in Estonia must meet the legal basis for and the purpose of his or her employment in Estonia. In addition to third-country nationals who are being employed in Estonia for a short term and their employers, the obligation to prove the legality of the employment in Estonia would also extend to undertakings using temporary agency staff, that is, user undertakings. If an alien does temporary agency work or provides a service in Estonia, the user undertaking is also required to ensure that the alien is employed in Estonia according to the legal basis given therefor and the contract entered into between the employer and the user undertaking or another agreement. Upon failure to meet the obligation, in the future, it will be possible to bring to justice and punish user undertakings by a fine under misdemeanour law. The maximum fine rate will be 300 fine units for natural persons and 32,000 euro for legal persons. The same fine rates are also in force now.

The legal basis for workers’ stay and employment in Estonia can be checked through electronic queries on the homepage of the Police and Border Guard Board. In the case where a worker has no legal basis for employment, it will also be possible to submit applications for the registration of short-term employment of an alien electronically through the self-service environment of the Police and Border Guard Board.

The aim of the amendments to the Income Tax Act and the Taxation Act is to ensure that the income tax liability of all undertakings offering the temporary agency staffing service in Estonia and the people employed in Estonia is as similar as possible. As a result of the amendments, the right to tax the remuneration of non-residents working in Estonia will be specified. An obligation to register with the Tax and Customs Board and to withhold income tax on remunerations will be established for non-resident undertakings who have employees in Estonia.

The Bill on Amendments to the 2014‒2020 Structural Assistance Act and the Foreign Relations Act (129 SE), initiated by the Government, will specify the implementation of the operational programme for the investment for growth and jobs under the EU Cohesion Policy 2014–2020. The Bill will regulate more specifically the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance as the main entity performing the functions of the Member State, and the State Shared Service Centre as the entity performing mainly the functions of the managing authority in the preparation and implementation of the operational programme. The functions of the authorities will remain essentially the same compared to the ones assigned from 1 September 2018 as a result of the restructuring within the framework of the single assistance application services pilot project. In addition, the obligation to follow the general principles of public procurements in the case of smaller-scale procurements will be mitigated.

The Foreign Relations Act will provide for the possibility to initiate compulsory enforcement proceedings in respect of decisions to reclaim support granted from foreign aid. This is necessary for reclaiming the support granted from of the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism, as well as the funds of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the Internal Security Fund.

The Bill on Amendments to the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Prevention Act and Other Acts (130 SE), initiated by the Government, will transpose a European Union anti-money laundering directive and establish several international standards within Estonia. The prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing in the Republic of Estonia will be enhanced thereby. Also, a framework for the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing will be prepared for an upcoming international evaluation.

The Bill will establish a register of bank accounts to link all Estonian credit and payment institutions, establish a list of positions of politically exposed persons and create a mechanism to improve the quality of the data on beneficial owners in the commercial register. At the same time, the possibilities to check banks’ compliance with international financial transactions will be increased, additional measures to protect “whistle-blowers” will be established, and the possibilities for banks, notaries and other obliged entities to exchange information among themselves will be improved.

The Bill on Amendments to the Alcohol Act, the Local Government Organisation Act, the Local Government Financial Management Act and the Income Tax Act (194 SE), initiated by the Finance Committee.

The Bill will extend the deadlines by which local governments will have to adopt amendments to the budget strategy and the development plan and, on the basis of that, submit the draft budget and the explanatory memorandum to the municipal council this year. The regulation for withholding income tax on Natura 2000 support for private forest land will also be amended.

In addition, the Bill will specify the Alcohol Act. The explanatory memorandum notes that, under the current Act, alcoholic beverages must not be placed so as to inevitably expose consumers to them when visiting the shop and the display of alcoholic beverages shall not be noticeably visible from the rest of the sales area, unless the compliance with those requirements is not reasonably feasible due to the size of the sales area. The Bill specifies that, among other things, a selection of alcohol may be placed behind the seller in a shop, so that visitors cannot enter such part of the area of the display of alcoholic beverages. The display area may be located behind and beside the seller, and the seller may move around in it, but the decisive criterion will be that the area must not be accessible to visitors.

Jevgeni Ossinovski (Social Democratic Party) took the floor during the debate.

The Riigikogu concluded the first reading of a Bill

The Bill on Amendments to the Medicinal Products Act and the Health Insurance Act (205 SE), initiated by the Government, will improve the availability of medicinal products, simplify the regulation of the import and export authorisations for medicinal products, and improve the pharmacy service. At the same time, the regulation of marketing authorisations for medicinal products will be updated, and the requirements for advertising medicinal products will be brought into conformity with EU law. In the future, it will be easier for consumers to dispose of unusable medicinal products.

The Bill provides for the possibility to issue authorisations for import of unauthorised medicinal products by way of exception for compassionate reasons to a group of patients with a chronically or seriously debilitating disease or whose disease is considered to be life-threatening, and who can not be treated satisfactorily by an authorised medicinal product. The amendment will give the Estonian patients access to medicinal products in the clinical trials stage in situations where this remains the only possible solution for a patient.

The Bill will simplify the procedure for carrying medicinal products when travelling. Instead of the State Agency of Medicines, pharmacies will begin to issue the relevant certificates for certain medicinal products valid in the Schengen area.

Pharmacies will be enabled to issue to consumers medicinal products prepared or sold in other pharmacies. To improve the availability of medicinal products, it will be permitted to also provide the pharmacy service via video call in branch pharmacies located in rural areas where there is no other pharmacy in the vicinity.

An amendment will update the conditions for advertising medicinal products, and will eliminate the restriction under which only marketing authorisation holders and their representatives may make and commission advertisements of medicinal products. In the future, in addition to the marketing authorisation holder, it will also be possible to hold liable the person placing, producing or publicising advertising, that is, the person who commits the violation.

NordenBladet — Agenda for the 18th Working Week (15 June 2020–18 June 2020) of the 3rd Session of the Riigikogu Plenary Assembly

Monday, 15 June

1. Bill on Amendments to the Plant Protection Act, the Organic Farming Act, the State Fees Act and the Plant Propagation and Plant Variety Rights Act (142 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Third reading

2. Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Appointment of Members of the Supervisory Board of the Bank of Estonia” (209 OE), submitted by the Finance Committee
First reading
Report by Aivar Kokk, Chairman of the Finance Committee

3. Bill on Amendments to the Rescue Act and the Weapons Act (128 UA), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Second reading
Report by Tarmo Kruusimäe, member of the Legal Affairs Committee

4. Bill on Amendments to the Building Code and Other Acts (173 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Second reading
Report by Kristen Michal, Deputy Chairman of the Economic Affairs Committee

5. Bill on Amendments to the Government of the Republic Act (187 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Second reading
Report by Paul Puustusmaa, Chairman of the Constitutional Committee

6. Bill on Amendments to the Fiscal Marking of Liquid Fuel Act and Amendments to the Taxation Act in connection with that (203 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Second reading
Report by Aivar Kokk, Chairman of the Finance Committee

7. Bill on Amendments to the Environmental Charges Act (204 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Second reading
Report by Aivar Kokk, Chairman of the Finance Committee

8. Bill on Amendments to the Alcohol, Tobacco, Fuel and Electricity Excise Duty Act (207 SE), initiated by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction, the Estonian Centre Party Faction and the Faction Isamaa
First reading
Report by Tarmo Kruusimäe, Member of the Riigikogu
Report by Aivar Kokk, Chairman of the Finance Committee

9. Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “The Granting of a State Guarantee under Article 11 of the Council Regulation (EU) 2020/672 on the Establishment of a European Instrument for Temporary Support to Mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE) following the COVID-19 Outbreak”, submitted by the Government of the Republic
First reading
Report by Martin Helme, Minister of Finance
Report by Aivar Kokk, Chairman of the Finance Committee

10. Bill on Amendments to the Traffic Act (191 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
First reading
Report by Taavi Aas, Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure
Report by Kalvi Kõva, member of the Economic Affairs Committee

11. Railways Bill (201 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
First reading
Report by Taavi Aas, Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure
Report by Jüri Jaanson, member of the Economic Affairs Committee

12. Bill on Amendments to the Energy Sector Organisation Act and the Natural Gas Act (202 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
First reading
Report by Taavi Aas, Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure
Report by Kai Rimmel, member of the Economic Affairs Committee

13. Interpellation concerning the situation of the labour market (No. 34), submitted by members of the Riigikogu Helmen Kütt, Indrek Saar, Ivari Padar, Jaak Juske, Riina Sikkut, Katri Raik, Heljo Pikhof and Raimond Kaljulaid on 12 May 2020
Reply by Jüri Ratas, Prime Minister

14. Interpellation concerning the monitoring of the budget expenditure (No. 35), submitted by members of the Riigikogu Maris Lauri, Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, Andrus Seeme, Jüri Jaanson, Madis Milling, Toomas Kivimägi, Urve Tiidus, Signe Kivi, Liina Kersna, Kaja Kallas, Urmas Kruuse, Valdo Randpere, Mart Võrklaev, Andres Sutt, Erkki Keldo, Annely Akkermann, Taavi Rõivas, Heidy Purga and Kristina Šmigun-Vähi on 14 May 2020
Reply by Jüri Ratas, Prime Minister

15. Interpellation concerning the Road Management Plan for 2020–2030 (No. 25), submitted by members of the Riigikogu Aivar Sõerd, Yoko Alender, Andres Sutt, Urve Tiidus, Annely Akkermann, Toomas Kivimägi, Jüri Jaanson, Valdo Randpere, Signe Riisalo, Andrus Seeme, Ants Laaneots, Kristina Šmigun-Vähi and Urmas Kruuse on 11 February 2020
Reply by Taavi Aas, Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure

Tuesday, 16 June

1. Bill on Amendments to the Family Benefits Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (185 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Resumption of the second reading
Report by Priit Sibul, member of the Social Affairs Committee

2. Bill on Amendments to the Labour Market Services and Benefits Act and the Unemployment Insurance Act (206 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Second reading
Report by Tõnis Mölder, Chairman of the Social Affairs Committee

3. Bill on Amendments to the Bankruptcy Act and Other Acts (195 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
First reading
Report by Raivo Aeg, Minister of Justice
Report by Jaanus Karilaid, Chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee

4. Bill on Amendments to § 140 of the Riigikogu Rules of Procedure and Internal Rules Act (182 SE), initiated by the Estonian Reform Party Faction and the Social Democratic Party Faction
First reading
Report by Kaja Kallas, Member of the Riigikogu
Report by Paul Puustusmaa, Chairman of the Constitutional Committee

Wednesday, 17 June

1. Bill on Amendments to the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Prevention Act and Other Acts (130 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Third reading (Majority vote of the members of the Riigikogu)

2. Bill on Amendments to the Government of the Republic Act (187 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Third reading in case the second reading is concluded (Majority vote of the members of the Riigikogu)

3. Bill on Amendments to the Government of the Republic Act and Other Acts (merger of the Environmental Board and the Environmental Inspectorate) (184 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Third reading (Majority vote of the members of the Riigikogu)

4. Bill on Amendments to the Trade Unions Act, the Working Conditions of Employees Posted to Estonia Act and Other Acts (158 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Third reading

5. Bill on Amendments to the Police and Border Guard Act (161 SE), initiated by the Legal Affairs Committee
Third reading

6. Bill on Amendments to the Recognition of Foreign Professional Qualifications Act and the Building Code (179 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Third reading

7. Bill on Amendments to the State Borders Act (178 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Third reading

8. Bill on Amendments to the Road Transport Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (157 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Third reading

9. Bill on Amendments to the Public Procurement Act and the Commissioning of Artworks Act (177 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Third reading

10. Bill on Amendments to the 2014‒2020 Structural Assistance Act and the Foreign Relations Act (129 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Third reading

11. Bill on Amendments to the Aliens Act, the Income Tax Act and the Taxation Act (reduction of the abuse of the rules for working in Estonia) (145 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Third reading

12. Bill on Amendments to the Alcohol Act, the Local Government Organisation Act, the Local Government Financial Management Act and the Income Tax Act (194 SE), initiated by the Finance Committee
Third reading

13. Bill on Amendments to the Rescue Act and the Weapons Act (128 UA), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Third reading in case the second reading is concluded

14. Bill on Amendments to the Building Code and Other Acts (173 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Third reading in case the second reading is concluded

15. Bill on Amendments to the Fiscal Marking of Liquid Fuel Act and Amendments to the Taxation Act in connection with that (203 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Third reading in case the second reading is concluded

16. Bill on Amendments to the Environmental Charges Act (204 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Third reading in case the second reading is concluded

17. Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “The Granting of a State Guarantee under Article 11 of the Council Regulation (EU) 2020/672 on the Establishment of a European Instrument for Temporary Support to Mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE) following the COVID-19 Outbreak”, submitted by the Government of the Republic
Second reading in case the first reading is concluded
Report by Aivar Kokk, Chairman of the Finance Committee

18. Report by Chancellor of Justice “The rule of law in emergency situation”
Report by Ülle Madise, Chancellor of Justice

19. Bill on Amendments to the Spatial Data Act and the Apartment Ownership and Apartment Associations Act (196 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
First reading
Report by Rene Kokk, Minister of the Environment
Report by Erki Savisaar, Chairman of the Environment Committee

20. Bill on Amendments to the Place Names Act (186 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
First reading
Report by Jaak Aab, Minister of Public Administration
Report by Heiki Hepner, member of the Rural Affairs Committee

Thursday, 18 June

1. Bill on Amendments to the Family Benefits Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (185 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Third reading in case the second reading is concluded

2. Bill on Amendments to the Labour Market Services and Benefits Act and the Unemployment Insurance Act (206 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic
Third reading in case the second reading is concluded

3. Bill 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 of the Republic
Second reading
Report by Paul Puustusmaa, Chairman of the Constitutional Committee

On Monday, 15 June, after all items on the agenda have been discussed, the time for unscheduled statements begins, to continue until no further requests for the floor are made, but not longer than until 12 midnight.

On Wednesday, 17 June, from 12 noon to 2 p.m., Question Time takes place.

Source: Parliament of Estonia