ESTONIA

The 33rd anniversary of restoration of independence of the Republic of Estonia was celebrated at Toompea

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

At the beginning of the meeting, President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Lauri Hussar and Prime Minister Kristen Michal delivered the welcoming addresses to the August 20th Club. Member of the August 20 Club Enn Tupp gave the keynote speech. All these speeches recalled the events related to the restoration of Estonia’s independence.

President of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar presented his ideas and plans for the upcoming session of the Riigikogu to the distinguished audience. Hussar said that he wished to make the work of the Riigikogu as effective and meaningful as the decision made by the members of the Club 33 years ago had been.

Lauri Hussar also pointed out that Riigikogu should fix the flaws in legislation, which had been delayed for years, already during this season. As an example, he mentioned the presidential elections that would be held the next year, and the related concerns about the presidential election procedure. Hussar underlined that according to good practice, the rules of the game should be in place in good time, and therefore it was necessary to clear up all inconsistencies quickly.

“The members of the Riigikogu in corpore must understand the extent of their responsibility with regard to timely lawmaking. 30 years is too long for one simple correction,” said Hussar.

In his speech, Hussar pointed out that in a complicated international security situation, which in turn was aggravated by economic development problems, a small country like Estonia must do everything to protect its people, its statehood, and its culture.

“The best tool for achieving all this is a determined, well-functioning and forward-looking parliament,” the President of the Riigikogu said.

Prime Minister Kristen Michal said in his address that the restoration of independence had posed many challenges for politicians and the people, and even 33 years later it was still necessary to stand for Estonia’s stability and development. “Today we can be proud of what we have already achieved – we are an open, democratic and modern country, and this very year we celebrated the 20th anniversary of our accession to the European Union and NATO,” he said.

In his speech at the meeting, member to the August 20th Club Enn Tupp discussed being Estonian and being European with good-natured irony. “How and as who will we live in the future? Who is a citizen, who is a representative of a nation?” Tupp asked, among other things. It is easier to find an answer to this question if we look towards the future hopefully, as we did at the time of the restoration of independence.

President of the August 20th Club Ants Veetõusme chaired the meeting.

The August 20 Club, which was founded in 1994, unites the people who were elected to the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia in 1990, and voted for the Resolution to restore the independence of Estonia. 33 years ago, on 20 August 1991 at 11.03 p.m., the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia adopted the Resolution On the National Independence of Estonia, with 69 votes in favour.

On the occasion of the holiday, it was also possible to visit the Tall Hermann Tower. The blue, black and white flag symbolising the independence of the Republic of Estonia flies at the top of the tower.

Photos of the celebrations of the Restoration of Independence Day at Toompea (photographer Erik Peinar, Chancellery of the Riigikogu):

Please note: The photos will be uploaded with a delay.

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

Link uudisele: The 33rd anniversary of restoration of independence of the Republic of Estonia was celebrated at Toompea

Source: Parliament of Estonia

The Tall Hermann Tower will be open to visitors on 20 August

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

The Tall Hermann Tower will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The entrance to the tower is from the Governor’s Garden. In order to ensure smooth entrance, visitors will be distributed free tickets showing their time of entry to the tower. Tours will start every full and half hour. The tower is narrow, and therefore group sizes are limited.

The celebration of the Day of Restoration of Independence will begin at 11 a.m. with a memorial ceremony at the 20 August Memorial Stone at Toompea. Ants Veetõusme, President of the August 20th Club, will deliver a speech. President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Lauri Hussar will lay flowers at the memorial stone on behalf of the Riigikogu. Prime Minister Kristen Michal will also attend the ceremony.

At noon, the August 20 Club will hold its traditional festive meeting in the White Hall of Toompea Castle. President of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar and Prime Minister Kristen Michal will deliver welcoming addresses. Member of the August 20 Club Enn Tupp will make a speech, in which he will discuss Estonia’s defence policy and the war in Ukraine.

The August 20 Club, founded in 1994, unites the people who were elected to the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia in 1990, and voted for the Resolution to restore the independence of Estonia.

33 years ago, on 20 August 1991 at 11.03 p.m., the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia adopted the Resolution On the National Independence of Estonia, with 69 votes in favour.

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

Link uudisele: The Tall Hermann Tower will be open to visitors on 20 August

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Estonia handed over the presidency of Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers to the Nordic countries.

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —Estonian reserve officers handed over the leadership of the Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers (CIOR) to the reservists of the Nordic countries at the organizations Summer Congress 2024 closing ceremony. “Our national defence is based on reserve units with combat training, but our reserve force is much more than that. …

Source: Estonian Defence Forces

Chairs of Foreign Affairs Committees: The voices of the Venezuelan people cannot be silenced by fraud

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

The Chairs referred to the available evidence and statements from independent electoral observers to declare in their statement that they did not recognise the National Electoral Council’s (CNE) fraudulent declaration that Nicolás Maduro had won the re-election. “We strongly condemn the ongoing attempts in Venezuela to undermine the will of the voters and repress the Venezuelan people following Sunday’s election,” the Chairs said.

“We call on the Maduro regime to allow for transparent, independent verification of the electoral results immediately. The regime’s deliberate efforts to undermine the country’s electoral process — by failing to adhere to international standards of electoral integrity, restricting the freedoms of opposition political actors and the media, and harassing and intimidating those connected to the opposition’s campaign, as documented by the Carter Center’s electoral observation mission—are unacceptable and must be condemned,” they said.

The Chairs emphasised that ending the violent repression of Venezuelans and the persecution of opposition leaders Maria Corina Machado, Edmundo González, and their teams was an urgent imperative, as was the urgent need for negotiations between the Maduro regime and Edmundo González to ensure a peaceful and democratic transition of power. “Our governments are closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela, and will work together to hold Maduro accountable should he continue to disregard the democratic will of Venezuelan voters to steal yet another election.”

The statement evoked the fact that the democratic opposition had released an estimated 80% of the paper vote tallies from across the nation, revealing a resounding electoral victory for Edmundo González. “This data is a representation of the voices of the Venezuelan people—voices that cannot be silenced by fraud or intimidation. The National Electoral Council’s refusal to provide transparent documentation only deepens the crisis of legitimacy surrounding the Maduro regime. It is critical that these voices, so clearly and courageously articulated through the ballot box, are honored, and that the democratic process in Venezuela is fully restored,” the signatories added.

The statement has been signed by the Chairs of Foreign Affairs Committees from Armenia, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, and the United States. The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Marko Mihkelson signed the statement on behalf of Estonia.

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

Link uudisele: Chairs of Foreign Affairs Committees: The voices of the Venezuelan people cannot be silenced by fraud

Source: Parliament of Estonia

New Deputy Commander of Estonian Defence Forces is Major General Rauno Sirk

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —As of August 1, 2024, Major General Rauno Sirk assumed the position of Deputy Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF). „Both the Estonian Defence Forces and national defence in general have been dynamic in recent times and we have acquired and are developing many new capabilities. Pace has been …

Source: Estonian Defence Forces

Major General Indrek Sirel is the new commander of the Estonian Division

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —As of August 1, 2024, Major General Indrek Sirel of the Estonian Defence Forces assumed the command of the Estonian Division. „I appreciate what my predecessor Major General Veiko-Vello Palm has achieved and I will continue developing the Estonian Division with the emphasis on the further development of the deep …

Source: Estonian Defence Forces

The Riigikogu passed the updated Motor Vehicle Tax Act and the Income Tax Act

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

The Riigikogu first passed the Motor Vehicle Tax Act (364 UA),  initiated by the Government, on 12 June. The President of the Republic refused to promulgate the Act on 25 June on account of its provisions violating the principle of equal treatment. On 15 July, the Riigikogu decided not to pass the Act again without amendments and set the deadline for submission of motions to amend the Act as 19 July.

374 motions to amend the Bill had been submitted by deadline. The Finance Committee had consolidated them into 30 motions to amend and the Finance Committee in its turn had made three amendments to the Bill. According to the amendments, instead of the tax exemptions planned earlier, targeted support measures are provided for vehicles converted or adapted for disabled people.

According to the Act, a number of benefits for people with disabilities will increase and the state’s participation in the acquisition of technical aids will increase. In addition, there are plans to pay a one-off benefit to people with disabilities to mitigate the impact of the delay between the entry into force of the car tax and the amendment to the Social Benefits for Disabled Persons Act. The Act enters into force on 1 January, while the monthly benefits for people with disabilities and the provisions concerning technical aids are proposed to come into force in June 2025.

The social benefit for disabled people will be paid monthly to people with a moderate, severe or profound disability to partially compensate for additional costs due to their disability. According to a motion to amend, the benefits for children and working-age people with a severe or profound disability will be increased, and the benefit for working-age people with a severe or profound disability will be harmonised to a fixed amount (the benefit will no longer depend on the type of disability). This will ensure people with disabilities an important additional support in their monthly budget. At the same time, the disability benefit for children and working-age people with a moderate disability and the disability benefits for people of old-age pension age will be rounded upwards. The amendment will concern all children and working-age people with a severe or profound disability.

An amendment is planned to increase the benefits for children with a severe or profound disability to €180 and €270 respectively, which will bring families with disabled children an additional monthly benefit of €18.91 and €28.36. In addition, the benefit for working-age people with a profound disability will be increased to €100, which will ensure them an extra €46.3–56.53 per month. The benefit for working-age people with a severe disability will be harmonised at €50, allowing them an additional benefit of €0.91–15.22 per month.

There are also plans to pay a one-off disability benefit to children and working-age people with a severe or profound disability in 2025 to compensate for the costs added by the motor vehicle tax before the Act on the increase in disability benefits comes into force.

An amendment also provides that, in the future, the state will provide a discount for technical aids regardless of the degree of severity of disability or reduced capacity for work. As a result of the amendment, in no age group will the entitlement to obtaining a technical aid with a discount from the state be based on the degree of severity of disability identified or the reduced capacity for work as assessed by the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund. In the future, the discount will be based on the person’s actual need for a technical aid which will be determined by a specialist who will issue a certificate for the technical aid.

For children under the age of 18, the amendment will mean that the state will reimburse the cost of a technical aid within a threshold of 90% to all children who are identified as needing a technical aid. The state will reimburse the cost of a technical aid to the extent of 40–90% according to the list of technical aids on a means-tested basis to all working-age people who are identified as needing a technical aid.

The Act establishes a motor vehicle tax in Estonia which consists of a component to be paid every year by motor vehicle owners on vehicles registered in the motor register and a component formed by the motor vehicle registration fee which will have to be paid upon the registration of passenger cars and vans in the motor register. The purpose of the motor vehicle tax is to direct people to use less polluting vehicles and to support the use of old cars until the end of their useful life.

During the debate, Martin Helme (Estonian Conservative People’s Party), Urmas Reinsalu (Isamaa), Andrei Korobeinik (Centre Party) and Õnne Pillak (Reform Party) took the floor.

54 members of the Riigikogu voted for the Act and 28 were against.

The Act on Amendments to the Income Tax Act (443 SE),  initiated by the Government, amends the principles for the allocation of income tax to local governments. Starting in 2025, the share of the income tax paid to municipalities on pension income will be increased and the share paid on other income will be reduced gradually over three years, so that they will be equal at 10.23 percent by 2027. Currently, municipalities receive income tax to the extent of 2.5 percent on pension income and 11.89 percent on other income of natural persons.

The Act aims to reduce regional underdevelopment and urban sprawl. The amendment will accelerate the growth of income tax receipts in municipalities with a high share of elderly people and slow it down in municipalities with a higher share of working-age population and higher salary levels. The total amount of the revenue base of local governments remains unchanged under the Act.

Madis Kallas (Social Democratic Party) took the floor during the debate.

55 members of the Riigikogu voted for the Act and 10 were against.

Half an hour after the end of the sitting, today’s third extraordinary session will be held. The agenda includes the deliberation of a motion to express no confidence in Minister of Infrastructure Vladimir Svet.

The sitting ended at 6.26 p.m.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

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

Riigikogu Press Service
Maris Meiessaar
+372 631 6353, +372 5558 3993
maris.meiessaar@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

 

 

Link uudisele: The Riigikogu passed the updated Motor Vehicle Tax Act and the Income Tax Act

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Updated car tax passed the second reading in the Riigikogu

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

At the beginning of the sitting, Hele Everaus took the oath of office. She became a Member of the Riigikogu, replacing Raimond Tamm. Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur also took the oath of office before the Riigikogu.

Two Bills passed the second reading

The Riigikogu first passed the Motor Vehicle Tax Bill (364 UA),  initiated by the Government, on 12 June. The President of the Republic refused to promulgate the Act on 25 June on account of its provisions violating the principle of equal treatment. On 15 July, the Riigikogu decided not to pass the Act again without amendments and set the deadline for submission of motions to amend the Act as 19 July.

374 motions to amend the Bill had been submitted by deadline. The Finance Committee had consolidated them into 30 motions to amend and the Finance Committee in its turn had made three amendments to the Bill. According to the amendments, instead of the tax exemptions planned earlier, targeted support measures will be provided for vehicles converted or adapted for disabled people.

According to the Bill, a number of allowances for people with disabilities will increase and the state’s participation in the acquisition of technical aids will increase. In addition, there are plans to pay a one-off benefit to people with disabilities to mitigate the impact of the delay between the entry into force of the car tax and the amendment to the Social Benefits for Disabled Persons Act. According to the Bill, the Act enters into force on 1 January, while the monthly allowances for people with disabilities and the provisions concerning technical aids are proposed to come into force in June 2025.

Under the Bill, the social benefit for disabled people will be paid monthly to people with a moderate, severe or profound disability to partially compensate for additional costs due to their disability. According to a motion to amend, the allowances for children and working-age people with a severe or profound disability will be increased, and the allowance for working-age people with a severe or profound disability will be harmonised to a fixed amount (the allowance will no longer depend on the type of disability). This will ensure people with disabilities an important additional support in their monthly budget. At the same time, the disability allowance for children and working-age people with a moderate disability and the disability allowances for people of old-age pension age will be rounded upwards. The amendment will concern all children and working-age people with a severe or profound disability.

The amendment is planned to increase the allowances for children with a severe or profound disability to €180 and €270 respectively, which will bring families with disabled children an additional monthly allowance of €18.91 and €28.36. In addition, the allowance for working-age people with a profound disability will be increased to €100, which will ensure them an extra €46.3–56.53 per month. The allowance for working-age people with a severe disability will be harmonised at €50, allowing them an additional allowance of €0.91-15.22 per month.

There are also plans to pay a one-off disability allowance to children and working-age people with a severe or profound disability in 2025 to compensate for the costs added by the motor vehicle tax before the Act on the increase in disability allowances comes into force.

The amendment also provides that, in the future, the state will provide a discount for technical aids regardless of the degree of severity of disability or reduced capacity for work. As a result of the amendment, in no age group will the entitlement to obtaining a technical aid with a discount from the state be based on the degree of severity of disability identified or the reduced capacity for work as assessed by the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund. In the future, the discount will be based on the person’s actual need for a technical aid which will be determined by a specialist who will issue a certificate for the technical aid.

For children under the age of 18, the amendment will mean that the state will reimburse the cost of a technical aid within a threshold of 90% to all children who are identified as needing a technical aid. The state will reimburse the cost of a technical aid to the extent of 40–90% according to the list of technical aids on a means-tested basis to all working-age people who are identified as needing a technical aid.

The Bill will establish a motor vehicle tax in Estonia which will consist of a component to be paid every year by motor vehicle owners on vehicles registered in the motor register and a component formed by the motor vehicle registration fee which will have to be paid upon the registration of passenger cars and vans in the motor register. The purpose of the motor vehicle tax will be to direct people to use less polluting vehicles and to support the use of old cars until the end of their useful life.

During the debate, Martin Helme, Helle-Moonika Helme, Rain Epler, Kert Kingo, Mart Helme, Rene Kokk, Anti Poolamets, Siim Pohlak and Arvo Aller from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group; Andrei Korobeinik, Aleksandr Tšaplõgin, Aleksei Jevgrafov and Vadim Belobrovtsev from the Estonian Centre Party Parliamentary Group; Anti Allas from the Social Democratic Party Group and Andres Metsoja, Urmas Reinsalu, Helir-Valdor Seeder, Mart Maastik, Aivar Kokk, Riina Solman, Priit Sibul and Tõnis Lukas from Isamaa Parliamentary Group took the floor. Non-attached Members of the Riigikogu Kalle Grünthal, Jaanus Karilaid and Jaak Valge also took the floor during the debate.

Isamaa Parliamentary Group and the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Parliamentary Group moved to suspend the second reading of the Bill. The plenary did not support the motion. 28 members of the Riigikogu were in favour of the motion and 54 were against.

Bill on Amendments to the Income Tax Act

The Bill on Amendments to the Income Tax Act (443 SE), initiated by the Government, will amend the principles for the allocation of income tax to local governments. Starting in 2025, the share of the income tax paid to municipalities on pension income will be increased and the share paid on other income will be reduced gradually over three years, so that they will be equal at 10.23 percent by 2027. Currently, municipalities receive income tax to the extent of 2.5 percent on pension income and 11.89 percent on other income of natural persons.

The Bill aims to reduce regional underdevelopment and urban sprawl. The amendment will accelerate the growth of income tax receipts in municipalities with a high share of elderly people and slow it down in municipalities with a higher share of working-age population and higher salary levels. The total revenue base of local governments remains unchanged under the Bill.

During the debate, Aivar Kokk, Helir-Valdor Seeder and Andres Metsoja from Isamaa Parliamentary Group, Vadim Belobrovtsev from the Estonian Centre Party Parliamentary Group and Rain Epler from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Parliamentary Group took the floor.

Isamaa Parliamentary Group moved to suspend the second reading of the Bill. The motion was not supported. 13 members of the Riigikogu were in favour of the motion and 55 were against.

The third reading of both the Motor Vehicle Tax Act and the Act on Amendments to the Income Tax Act will take place one hour after the end of the first extraordinary sitting today.

The sitting ended at 4.34 p.m.

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: Updated car tax passed the second reading in the Riigikogu

Source: Parliament of Estonia

President of the Riigikogu convened an extraordinary session for 29 July

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

The first sitting of the extraordinary session in the Session Hall of Toompea Castle will start at 10 a.m. on Monday and will continue until all items on the agenda have been deliberated. The agenda for the sitting includes the oath of office of Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur and the second reading of the Motor Vehicle Tax Bill (364 UA), initiated by the Government, and the Bill on Amendments to the Income Tax Act (443 SE), initiated by the Government.

If the second reading of both Bills is concluded, a second extraordinary sitting will also be held on the same day, starting one hour after the end of the first sitting and also continuing until all items on the agenda have been deliberated. The agenda for that sitting includes the third reading of the Motor Vehicle Tax Bill (364 UA) and the Bill on Amendments to the Income Tax Act (443 SE).

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

Link uudisele: President of the Riigikogu convened an extraordinary session for 29 July

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Urve Tiidus returns to the Riigikogu as substitute member for Kaja Kallas

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet —

Since the Prime Minister of the previous Government Kaja Kallas was released from her duties as a member of the Government yesterday, her mandate as a member of the Riigikogu was restored from today. Since Kallas resigned after her mandate was restored, the Board of the Riigikogu decided that, from Thursday, substitute member Urve Tiidus would become a member of the Riigikogu. Tiidus was also a member of the Riigikogu before Kallas returned to parliament.

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

Link uudisele: Urve Tiidus returns to the Riigikogu as substitute member for Kaja Kallas

Source: Parliament of Estonia

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