ESTONIA

The European Union Affairs Committee discusses the amendments necessary for EU enlargement at a public sitting

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee Peeter Tali said that last year the discussions on the enlargement of the EU had gained a new impetus, but before enlargement, it was necessary to think how the addition of new Member States would influence the politics, the budget and the general functioning of the Union. “Even before the accession of new countries, we need to know what changes have to be made so that the European Union could function at least as effectively with a larger number of Member States, and make the necessary changes in good time.”

It is planned to discuss and approve Estonia’s positions in various fields of policy at the sitting, including the free movement of persons and labour; internal security, migration and border management; rule of law; education, young people and research; social protection and health care; climate, energy and infrastructure; economy and trade, as well as agriculture and fisheries.

Director for EU Affairs at the Government Office Katrin Juhandi, Director of the EU and International Co-operation Department at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications Silver Tammik, Head of the International Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture Peeter Seestrand, Deputy Secretary General Kristi Klaas and Head of the Roads and Railways Department Ain Tatter from the Ministry of Climate, and Adviser of the Ministry of the Interior Katarina Budrik will give an overview of the Government’s positions regarding the preparations necessary for the enlargement of the EU.

The discussion of the public agenda item begins at 1.30 p.m., and it can be followed online on the Riigikogu web page. Video recording of the sitting will be available on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.

Riigikogu Press Service
Merilin Kruuse
+372 631 6592; +372 510 6179
merilin.kruuse@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: The European Union Affairs Committee discusses the amendments necessary for EU enlargement at a public sitting

Source: Parliament of Estonia

The Riigikogu rejected the Bill on the cost-based state budget

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

The Bill on Amendments to the State Budget Act (520 SE), initiated by the Estonian Centre Party Group, aimed to improve the transparency of the state budget, and, to this end, to completely switch to a cost-based, i.e. input-based budget. The goal was to abandon the division of costs into performance areas and programmes. According to the Bill, the activity-based and performance-based output of expenses would have been reflected only in the appendix to the explanatory memorandum. Under the Bill, the annual budget should have outlined all state revenues and expenditures in accordance with their economic content and corresponding agency.

Lauri Laats from the Centre Party Group, Maris Lauri from the Reform Party Parliamentary Group, and Riina Solman from Isamaa Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate. Anti Poolamets from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group made a speech.

The Finance Committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 32 members of the Riigikogu supported rejection and 11 voted against. As a result of the voting, the Bill was dropped from the proceedings of the Riigikogu.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

Video recording will be available to watch later on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.

Riigikogu Press Service
Maiki Vaikla
+372 631 6456, +372 5666 9508
maiki.vaikla@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: The Riigikogu rejected the Bill on the cost-based state budget

Source: Parliament of Estonia

The Riigikogu supported the establishment of the regulation for micro-qualifications

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Adult Education Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (465 SE),  initiated by the Government. It amends the Act by including the regulation for micro-qualifications which provides a definition of micro-qualifications, establishes the workload of studies, determines the entities to carry out the instruction, and establishes the requirements for micro-credentials.

The workload of micro-qualification studies will be 5–30 credits, and graduates will be awarded credentials which will be registered in the Estonian Education Information System. Higher education institutions may also designate a micro-qualification they offer as a micro-degree if at least half of the workload of the micro-degree curriculum is made up of degree-level subjects. Students will be able to apply for their micro-degree to be counted towards their formal studies when they continue their studies.

According to the Act, the requirements for micro-qualification studies will be implemented from 1 September.

Heljo Pikhof from the Social Democratic Party Group, Vadim Belobrovtsev from the Centre Party Group and Ando Kiviberg from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.

73 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act and there were two abstentions.

Two drafts were dropped from legislative proceedings

The Riigikogu rejected at the first reading the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Making a proposal to the Government of the Republic to allocate funds for the co-financing of Tallinn Hospital” (498 OE), submitted by the Centre Party Group. It was intended to make a proposal to allocate funds for the co-financing of Tallinn Hospital. According to the presenters, Estonia needs a Tallinn Hospital with a modern layout solution that takes into account the needs of modern infection control, adds hospital beds, increases the capacity of the healthcare system in crisis situations, allows for better cooperation of medical personnel and improves the availability of medical care services to patients.

Tanel Kiik took the floor behalf of the Social Democratic Party Group in the debate. Irja Lutsar from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group and Lauri Laats from the Centre Party Group also made speeches.

At the final vote, 13 members of the Riigikogu supported the draft Resolution, and one was against. A majority of the votes of the membership of the Riigikogu, that is, at least 51 votes, would have been needed for the Resolution to be passed.

The Riigikogu also rejected the Bill on Amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Health Insurance Act (504 SE), initiated by the Centre Party Group. It was intended to restore the earlier procedure for the payment of sickness benefits where sickness benefit had been paid from the second day of sick leave. According to the proposal, only the first day of sick leave would have been the employee’s own liability. The employer would have had to pay the benefit from the second to the fourth day and the Estonian Health Insurance Fund from the fifth day. In addition, the Bill was intended to increase the sickness benefit to 80 percent of the average remuneration of the employee.

Aleksandr Tšaplõgin from the Centre Party Group took the floor during the debate.

The Social Affairs Committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 45 members of the Riigikogu supported the rejection and 10 were against it.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

Video recording will be available to watch later on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.

Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
+372 631 6356, +372 520 0323
karin.kangro@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: The Riigikogu supported the establishment of the regulation for micro-qualifications

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Members of the Riigikogu submitted a draft Statement in support of the people of Georgia for legislative proceedings

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

The members of the Riigikogu underline in the draft Statement that Estonia respects the right of each country to democratically choose their path in organising their society and entering into allied relations with other countries, and in line with this principle, Estonia has supported the development of Georgia through close cooperation, and has spoken out against the actions of the Russian Federation that threaten Georgia’s sovereignty and undermine its territorial integrity.

“Over the past decade, Estonia has followed the influencing activities of the Russian Federation in polarising the Georgian society and interfering with the democratic elections in Georgia with growing concern,” the draft Statement says, pointing out that the results of the Georgian parliamentary elections, which took place in last October in an atmosphere of violence and intimidation, do not express the free will of the Georgian people. “The governing party Georgian Dream, which enjoys the support of the Russian Federation, is using the fraudulent election results to achieve complete control over state institutions and repress the opposition and the civil society.”

According to the draft Statement, the Riigikogu does not acknowledge the legitimacy of the parliament and the government of Georgia that were formed after the parliamentary elections that took place in an atmosphere of rigging and intimidation of citizens, and of the appointed President, but recognises Salome Zourabichvili as the legitimate President and supports her efforts to put an end to the constitutional crisis in the country.

The Riigikogu expresses its support to the democratic forces in Georgia who are demanding new parliamentary that are inevitable for resolving the constitutional crisis and restoring democracy, condemns the brutal repression of peaceful demonstrations with the support of advancing Russian imperialism, and calls on ending any use of violence or persecution as well as on liberating all political prisoners. In the draft Statement, the Riigikogu also calls on other national parliaments to condemn the violent actions of the governing regime in Georgia.

The draft Statement urges the European Commission and the Member States of the European Union to impose sanctions on the Georgian politicians and officials involved in the violent repression of peaceful protests and in persecuting the people standing for the Georgian civil society. The Riigikogu also calls on suspension of communication with the institutions of the illegitimate government of Georgia until free and fair elections have taken place, and on supporting the representatives of the Georgian civil society and the still surviving free media who continue to work in the name of a free society, despite intimidation and persecution.

“The Riigikogu expresses its solidarity with the Georgian nation who is defending its human rights, Constitution, democracy, and the future of Georgia within the European Union,” the draft Statement says.

The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu will discuss the sending of the draft Statement to the plenary assembly for debate and vote at its tomorrow’s sitting.

Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
+372 631 6356, +372 520 0323
karin.kangro@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Members of the Riigikogu submitted a draft Statement in support of the people of Georgia for legislative proceedings

Source: Parliament of Estonia

The Riigikogu discussed the disbursement of the representation expenses of the Chancellor of Justice and the Prosecutor General

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

Under the current law, the Chancellor of Justice and the Prosecutor General are paid 20 per cent of their salary for representation expenses on a monthly basis.

The Bill on Amendments to the Chancellor of Justice Act and the Prosecutor’s Office Act (524 SE), initiated by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, was intended to amend the Act so that representation expenses would be disbursed on the basis of submitted expense receipts and the procedure and bases for the disbursement of representation expenses would be established by the Anti-Corruption Select Committee of the Riigikogu.

During the debate, Mart Helme took the floor on behalf of the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group.

The lead committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 46 members of the Riigikogu supported the motion in the vote and 14 were against it. Thus the motion was supported. The Bill was rejected, and it was dropped from the proceedings.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

Video recording will be available to watch later on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.

Riigikogu Press Service
Merilin Kruuse
+372 631 6592; +372 510 6179
merilin.kruuse@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: The Riigikogu discussed the disbursement of the representation expenses of the Chancellor of Justice and the Prosecutor General

Source: Parliament of Estonia

The Riigikogu hosts an exhibition of portraits of MPs by schoolchildren

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

As part of a national level project, artistically inclined schoolchildren created over 800 portraits of members of the Riigikogu, with one portrait of each MP selected to the exhibition. The techniques of the portraits run the gamut from classical painting to mosaic, from drawing to digital art.

The President of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar sees the drawings as an expression of unbound creativity in our young artists.

“I am very impressed by the way the young people see us, members of the Riigikogu, and express this vision through their art. The drawing process itself brought so much joy to our daily lives and these images on the wall of the Riigikogu have already created a special atmosphere here,” Hussar said.

The leader of the project and the Chairman of the Board of the Estonian Association of Art Schools Kristel Kallau emphasised the importance of multi-directional communication in the society, and art offers a medium for this.

“Visual communication gives an artistic youth the opportunity to express their message and flag their existence. For the state, the most important aspect is that kids and teenagers take life forward. The project aimed at connecting art school students with members of the Riigikogu, whose decisions determine the future of the youth of today. The meet-up location was the art class. With this encounter, the MPs turned from faces on the TV screen into real persons who have had a childhood, a formative life’s journey, emotions. Our young students, on the other hand, learned about the work in the Riigikogu. This created a two-way contact and communication line,” Kallau said.

To strengthen this connection, all participants in the exhibition could take part in a portrait workshop by the renowned Estonian portraitist and patron of the project Aapo Pukk.

The project attracted 37 Estonian general education and art schools and more than 800 students between the ages of 5 and 18 under the guidance of 84 teachers. 838 works of art were completed, which is a new record for the Estonian Association of Art Schools art competitions. Members of the Riigikogu were actively involved in the project, and many visited the participating schools personally.

The project was born in cooperation with the Finnish Association of Art Schools for Children and Young People; an exhibition of portraits of the members of the Finnish parliament is also opened in the Eduskunta building today. For our Northern neighbours, this is the second such project. The project had garnered a lot of attention from both the participants and the general public; inspired by this success, the Estonian schools were invited to carry out a similar project.

The 101 Models exhibition will remain open in the space outside the Plenary Hall until 27 February. The exhibition can be visited from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on working days. Visitors need to present an identity document to gain entry.

All the 800+ works of the project can be viewed in a web gallery on the home page of the Estonian Association of Art Schools.

Photo gallery of the opening of the exhibition (Erik Peinar, Merje Meisalu / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

Riigikogu Press Service
Maiki Vaikla
+372 631 6456, +372 5666 9508
maiki.vaikla@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: The Riigikogu hosts an exhibition of portraits of MPs by schoolchildren

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Riigikogu Committees will discuss the impact of sabotage attacks and protection of critical infrastructure

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson said that the committees were expecting a detailed overview of the current situation and future plans for the protection of Estonia’s critical infrastructure from the representatives of the authorities responsible for the implementation of Estonia’s foreign and security policy, taking onto account the damaging of underwater cables and pipelines in the Baltic Sea in recent years.

“In a situation where Russia is continuing its war of aggression in Ukraine and various sabotage attacks are carried out against us and our allies, we must make maximum efforts to ensure the safety of our critical infrastructure and our energy security, as well as the upcoming synchronisation of the Baltic energy systems with continental Europe,” Mihkelson said. “As parliamentary committees, we want to be reassured that the mapping of our current situation covers all the details, and that the plans for strengthening the protection of critical infrastructure have also been thoroughly worked out.”

Chairman of the National Defence Committee Kalev Stoicescu pointed out that the protection of the Baltic Sea underwater infrastructure required good cooperation both nationally and internationally. “Hybrid attacks pose a threat to NATO and the European Union, and we can provide an effective response to them only in close cooperation with our allies,” Stoicescu said. He added that international cooperation and the financing for strengthening the protection of critical infrastructure would be addressed separately at the joint sitting. “The military presence and visibility of the Allies in the Baltic Sea is essential, but not sufficient, as effective deterrence will ultimately be ensured by bringing the perpetrators to justice,” he underlined.

The joint sitting of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the National Defence Committee will begin at 2.15 p.m. National Security and Defence Coordination Director of the Government Office Erkki Tori, and representatives of the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Climate, the Navy and AS Elering have been invited to the sitting.

The joint sitting of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the National Defence Committee is not public. The Chairmen of the committees will give comments to journalists after the end of the joint session at around 3.30 p.m. in the Conference Hall of the Riigikogu.

Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
+372 631 6356, +372 520 0323
karin.kangro@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Riigikogu Committees will discuss the impact of sabotage attacks and protection of critical infrastructure

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Hussar at the meeting with Foreign Minister of Lithuania: We must respond more forcefully to Russia’s hybrid attacks

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

Hussar and the new Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania considered it important to find specific areas of cooperation for the near future in priority foreign policy issues for Estonia and Lithuania.

“Baltic-Nordic cooperation provides an opportunity to resolve and prevent emerging security challenges more effectively,” Hussar said.

“Security challenges are important. It is essential to do more together,” Budrys emphasised.

“Continued support to Ukraine in all areas is necessary to help Ukraine to a position of strength this year,” Hussar underlined.

Hussar and Budrys highlighted the need to strive for maximum transatlantic unity, particularly on the issues concerning NATO, Russian aggression, relations with China, and trade.

It was pointed out at the meeting that it was important to individually and collectively enhance the protection of critical underwater infrastructure, and to continue efforts towards more effective deterrence of Russian hybrid activities.

Hussar and Budrys also underlined the importance of the construction of Rail Baltic to provide better connection with Europe for the Baltic States and, among other things, to ensure military mobility for security purposes.

Chairman of the Estonia-Lithuania Parliamentary Friendship Group Enn Eesmaa also participated in the meeting.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania will also meet with President Alar Karis and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Margus Tsahkna.

Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

Riigikogu Press Service
Gunnar Paal
+372 631 6351, +372 5190 2837
gunnar.paal@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Hussar at the meeting with Foreign Minister of Lithuania: We must respond more forcefully to Russia’s hybrid attacks

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Wounded Veterans from Various Nations Train for the Invictus Games in Kääriku

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —This week, the Estonian Defense Forces hosted an international sports camp in Kääriku Sports Center aimed at preparing wounded veterans for the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver. This was the first time in the history of the Invictus Games that an international pre-event training camp was organized. “These are the …

Source: Estonian Defence Forces

Tibet Support Group expresses condolences to those affected by Shigatse earthquake

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

According to initial official reports, at least 126 people were killed, nearly 200 were injured and thousands lost their homes, but given the strength of the earthquake (magnitude 7.1) and the peculiarities of the region, the number of victims could rise.

Shigatse is one of the most important centres for Tibet, where many buildings are constructed from materials that cannot withstand strong seismic tremors. Night-time temperatures in the region can drop below -10°C at this time of year, posing an additional threat to human health and life and making both rescue operations and organising temporary accommodation difficult.

The Tibet Support Group of the Riigikogu calls on

  • the Chinese authorities to ensure as transparent as possible information sharing and smooth cooperation with international humanitarian aid organisations and independent journalists. Obstruction of information and access could significantly slow down the rescue efforts and put the victims at further risk.
  • the Government of Estonia and the European Union to monitor the situation closely and be ready to provide diplomatic and humanitarian support. It is also important that a clear overview of the scope of the disaster is requested at international level to coordinate the giving of international assistance where necessary.
  • the international community to stay ready to respond, as an earthquake can be followed by aftershocks, and every hour counts to rescue the persons trapped in the rubble and provide support to the victims.

The spiritual leader of Tibet, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has also expressed his profound sadness over this tragic natural disaster and offered his condolences and prayers to the Tibetan people. The Tibetan government-in-exile residing in the hill town of Dharamsala in India has done the same.

The Tibet Support Group of the Riigikogu acknowledges the rescue workers operating in the harsh mountainous conditions and expresses its sincere condolences to the families of the victims. The Support Group will continue to follow the situation and do its utmost to draw attention to the events in Tibet and the need for international cooperation to help the victims.

The Chair of the Tibet Support Group is Juku-Kalle Raid and the Deputy Chair is Karmen Joller; members of the group are Annely Akkermann, Anti Allas, Ester Karuse, Ando Kiviberg, Eerik-Niiles Kross, Leo Kunnas, Tõnis Lukas, Henn Põlluaas, Marek Reinaas, Urmas Reinsalu, Kalev Stoicescu, Tarmo Tamm, Toomas Uibo, Kristo Enn Vaga and Jaak Valge.

For more information, please contact:

Juku-Kalle Raid
Chair of Tibet Support Group of the Riigikogu
+372 631 6562
juku-kalle.raid@riigikogu.ee

Karmen Joller
Deputy Chair of Tibet Support Group of the Riigikogu
+372 6316578
karmen.joller@riigikogu.ee

 

 

 

Link uudisele: Tibet Support Group expresses condolences to those affected by Shigatse earthquake

Source: Parliament of Estonia

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