Pushkarenko said in front of the plenary assembly that, over the last century, Ukraine and Estonia had had to bear extremely hard trials: wars, occupation, deportations, concentration camps and numerous other crimes against humanity. “Never in our worst dreams could we foresee that, in 2022, we would have to face a phenomenon like genocide in the middle of Europe. However, Russia has reminded it to us and showed its true face to the whole world,” he said.

In his words, many people are thinking why this war started after all. “However, I would put the question in other words: what is this war being fought for? It is we who have a historic opportunity to end this war of nearly 400 years, to end the sick ambitions of the wild horde. It has so happened that our countries are at the breaking line of civilisations, and we have become the first front for defending the European continent,” Pushkarenko said. He added that the whole civilised world was with Ukraine and that he was sure that Ukraine would win.

Pushkarenko thanked the Riigikogu and all members of the Riigikogu for their decisions made to support Ukraine. “You have had to go through difficult times in this parliamentary term: the COVID crisis, inflation, energy crisis, security challenges. I know many of you in this hall and I would like to confirm: you are worthy of your excellent nation. Estonia is not just a country with a big heart but also a country of very brave people,” he said.

Pushkarenko gave to the chair of the sitting a Ukrainian flag with signatures of soldiers fighting near the Belarusian border together with words of thanks to Estonia and all Estonian people. At the end of his address, he said in Estonian: “You will have the election of the Riigikogu on 5 March. It is my wish that the Estonian state and the Estonian people would win at the election. Estonia, Ukraine, freedom, victory!”

After the address, the Riigikogu passed the Statement of the Riigikogu “In Support of the People of Ukraine” (778 AE), submitted by 94 members of the Riigikogu. It marks the passing of a year from the beginning of the full-scale military aggression by the Russian Federation in Ukraine and expresses respect for the heroic people of Ukraine. 85 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Statement.

In the Statement, the Riigikogu condemns the Russian Federation’s ongoing military aggression and expresses deep sympathy to the Ukrainian people whose close ones have fallen in the battles with the powerful aggressor or have suffered in the genocide committed against the peaceful population. “The bravery of the Ukrainian people compels the countries who respect democratic values to seek unity and continued cooperation in the name of the victory of Ukraine. The Riigikogu calls on the international community to support Ukraine by military, political, and economic means in a more decisive manner to achieve this goal more quickly,” the Statement says.

According to the Statement, the Riigikogu supports the 10-point peace plan proposed by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in November, which will help restore peace in Europe and prevent recurrence of aggression. “In order to implement the peace plan, the international community must help Ukraine restore its territorial integrity, bring the leaders of state and senior military officials of the Russian Federation to justice for acts of aggression and war crimes, and ensure the compensation of war damages caused to Ukraine,” the Statement of the Riigikogu says, and calls on countries around the world to strengthen the sanctions against the Russian Federation and underlines that sanctions must remain in full force until the peace plan is fully implemented.

The Riigikogu supports the establishment of a centre for investigating Russia’s crime of aggression by the European Union in The Hague and calls on the countries of the world to contribute in every way to the activities of the centre, and to continue with efforts to set up an international special tribunal.

In the Statement, the Riigikogu condemns the attempts to admit athletes representing the Russian and Belarusian regimes to international competitions and the Olympic Games in violation of the principles of the Olympic Charter. “Neither the International Olympic Committee nor anyone else can remain neutral in regard to the war launched and the genocidal crimes committed by Russia’s terrorist regime – covering up these crimes with the Olympic flag is immoral and unacceptable,” the Statement says.

The Riigikogu calls on the Member States of the European Union to support Ukraine in carrying out the reforms necessary for achieving the membership status of the Union as soon as possible and expresses support to Ukraine’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization at the first opportunity. “Peace and security in Europe are possible only after Ukraine’s victory over the aggressor. Estonia will continue to assist the state and the people of Ukraine by all means available with resolute and steadfast commitment until this victory is achieved,” the Riigikogu confirms in the Statement.

During the debate, Enn Eesmaa from the Centre Party Faction, Raimond Kaljulaid from the Social Democratic Party Faction, Marko Mihkelson from the Reform Party Faction, Helir-Valdor Seeder from Faction Isamaa and Henn Põlluaas from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction took the floor.

The Riigikogu passed 19 Acts and a Resolution

The Riigikogu passed with 67 votes in favour the Act on Amendments to the Penal Code and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (fines arising from European Union law) (94 SE), initiated by the Government. Its aim is to enable the administrative fines provided for in European Union law to be applied in misdemeanour procedure and to make misdemeanour proceedings in the financial sector more efficient.

According to the Act, in the future, it will be possible to provide the rates of fines for misdemeanours in special Acts or in the special part of the Penal Code, taking into account the specific nature of the field. The upper limit of the fine prescribed for legal persons for criminal offences rises from 16 million euro to 40 million euro. The new regulation will also allow pecuniary punishments based on turnover to be imposed that may also be higher than the upper limit. The amendments also extend the term for voluntary payment of fines.

The Act also establishes longer limitation periods for misdemeanours. As a rule, the limitation period for misdemeanours is two years but an up to five-year limitation period may be prescribed in certain cases. Besides that, the Act creates the possibility to attach the property of a legal person under a court order in order to preclude that a legal person who has committed an offence can avoid penal liability by a division, merger or liquidation of the legal person. The Act will enter into force on 1 November.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Code of Misdemeanour Procedure (367 SE), initiated by the Government. Its aim to make the offence proceedings more efficient. The Act will help make criminal proceedings more effective and the processing of more extensive criminal cases smoother as well as to use the resources of courts more purposefully.

57 members of the Riigikogu were in favour of passing the Act and 11 voted against.

The Riigikogu passed with 73 votes in favour the Act on Amendments to the Merchant Shipping Act and the Maritime Safety Act (741 SE), initiated by the Government. It harmonises the regulations in the Merchant Shipping Act with international regulations and practices and improves the wording and structure of the Act.

The amendments to the Maritime Safety Act are related to the establishment of the Estonian State Fleet, the training of pilots and the construction of an LNG terminal in the new Pakrineeme port. The amendments will enable the Estonian State Fleet to perform tasks related to water craft from 1 July, including to begin the provision of the pilotage service and the offering of services to universities and the private sector. The Estonian State Fleet will be a state agency administered by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications which will take over the activities of Estonian Pilot Ltd after which Estonian Pilot will be liquidated.

The Act also regulates the training of pilots and creates better legal clarity in relation to compulsory pilotage areas. The purpose of the amendments is to ensure that, where necessary, it would be possible for a vessel supplying LNG to enter the new Pakrineeme port and LNG terminal to handle LNG. Before the second reading, among other things, the provisions concerning pilotage dues were organised and the general bases for calculating the rates of pilotage dues as well as the lower and upper rates of pilotage dues were determined.

The Riigikogu passed with 69 votes in favour the Act on Amendments to the Courts Act and the Codes on Court Proceedings (trial during state of emergency and state of war) (753 SE), initiated by the Government. It establishes the specifications for administrative and civil proceedings and the organisation of courts for the times when a state of emergency or a state of war has been declared in the country and the administration of justice may be complicated.

According to the Act, during a state of emergency or a state of war, courts may hear court cases under simplified procedure in civil and administrative proceedings. Where the hearing of a matter is impossible or it is significantly complicated due to exceptional circumstances accompanying a state of emergency or a state of war‎, the courts will be given the authority to suspend the proceedings. Among other things, the Act also allows for court sessions to be held outside of working hours during a state of emergency and a state of war. The obligation to involve lay judges in the administration of justice is also eliminated.

In view of the functioning of administration of justice, the chairman of the court may give instructions to judges regarding the prioritisation of court cases and change the division of tasks plan and the internal rules of courts in order to enhance the management of courts during a state of emergency or a state of war. The Supreme Court en banc is given the competence to send judges to temporary service to other courts of the same or lower instance without their consent during a state of emergency or a state of war. In case the Supreme Court en banc does not have a quorum, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court will send judges temporarily to other courts.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Police and Border Guard Act and Amendments to Other Associated Act (756 SE), initiated by the Government. It implements the European Union Regulations which establish a European Travel Information and Authorisation System for third-country nationals exempt from the requirement to be in possession of a visa when entering the Schengen Area. The purpose of the amendments is to enable consideration of whether their presence in the territory of the Member States would pose a security, illegal immigration or high epidemic risk.

The Act designates a central access point and competent authorities which will have access to the system. It also regulates issues relating to access to, rectification, completion and erasure of data and restriction of processing, as well as the procedure for challenging decisions to refuse, annul and revoke travel authorisations.

The EU Regulations also establish a framework for interoperability between EU information systems, and a common identity repository to implement it. The Act designates the authorities that will be entitled to perform queries in the repository and creates a basis for the establishment of a migration supervision database. Among other things, the amendments provide that the legal temporary basis for stay in the case of Ukrainian citizens can be formulated as long-stay visa according to justified need.

60 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act and 10 were against.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Weapons Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (777 SE) (consolidated Bills 558 SE and 627 SE), initiated by the Legal Affairs Committee and Faction Isamaa. According to it, only aliens who are highly proficient in Estonian will be able to apply for a weapons permit because the weapons examination will be conducted fully in Estonian in the future. The Act also amends the bases for refusing to issue a weapons permit and among other things prescribes that people who have committed certain serious crimes will never obtain a weapons permit.

In the future, weapons permits will be issued in Estonia only to citizens of European Union and NATO member states who hold a residence permit in Estonia or are residing in Estonia on the basis of a right of residence. The weapons permits of other aliens will be revoked and the issue thereof will be terminated. The permits issued to people of undetermined nationality will be valid until the date specified on the permit, that is, for a maximum of five years. The permits of other aliens will be valid for one year. The transition period will allow people time to adapt to the changes, to transfer their weapons, to render some of them inoperable or to take steps to change their citizenship. Weapons and ammunition will be expropriated where necessary.

The Act establishes the possibility to pay compensation to local governments on whose territory a training field of the Defence Forces and the Defence League is located or who must tolerate the noise, vibration and increased traffic load accompanying training fields. The compensation will enable the establishment of a noise blocking wall or a cycle and pedestrian route. The Government will be authorised to establish the compensation for tolerating training fields by its regulation.

The Act also gives the Police and Border Guard Board and the Estonian Internal Security Service the right to handle explosives and extends the range of weapons used by them. During state of increased defence readiness, state of emergency and state of war, they will be given the right to use military weapons together with the Defence Forces in order to prevent and counter threats to national security where necessary.

In addition, the Act expands the possibilities of using silencers in hunting. The Act enters into force on 15 March.

67 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act and three voted against it.

The Riigikogu passed with 63 votes in favour the Act on Amendments to the Auditors Activities Act, the Financial Crisis Prevention and Resolution Act and Other Acts (reform of punishments for misdemeanours in the financial sector, sanctions arising from EU law)(111 SE), initiated by the Government. Its aim is to bring the Acts into conformity with the requirements arising from European Union law and to allow pecuniary sanctions with the upper limits provided for in EU legal acts to be applied in Estonia. The amendments will enter into force on 1 November.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the General Part of the Environmental Code Act and Other Acts (734 SE), initiated by the Government. It organises the system of environmental protection permits regulating the use of the environment in order to ensure that the Environmental Board can economise its resources, to support the implementation of the long-term strategies related to the green transition and to ensure a service with low administrative burden and bureaucracy.

The Act amends the obligation to hold an environmental permit in the case of certain activities and mitigates the disproportionately burdensome requirements, taking into account the potential environmental impact of the activities. The processing of permits will become more efficient and faster in order that applicants could receive feedback within a reasonable period of time which helps reduce administrative burden.

The Act prescribes the possibility of carrying out proceedings on an environmental permit faster in order to prevent the risk of disruption of a vital service. It provides that, in the case of vital services, in the future, the provisions concerning open proceedings will not be applied to the processing of environmental permits. The explanatory memorandum says that, due to instabilities in the energy market, the need to amend the processing of environmental permits in order to prevent the risk of disruption of vital services has already become apparent. Many power and heat producers will need to adopt alternative fuels available on the market to prevent risks.

During the proceedings, the Riigikogu amended the provisions concerning the Hunting Act. On the one hand, the use of lead-containing ammunition in wetlands is restricted. On the other hand, the Act begins to allow motor vehicles to be used in grey seal hunt. Amendments were also made to extend the right of the Environmental Board to grant derogations to also contain other diseases spread by game, besides containing the spread of African swine fever, and the wording of the procedure for issuing permits to hunt moose, red deer, wild boar and roe deer was clarified as there have been misunderstandings regarding the meaning of the Act.

During the debate, Toomas Jürgenstein from the Social Democratic Party Faction, Kalle Grünthal from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction and Andres Metsoja from Faction Isamaa took the floor.

41 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Act and six were against it.

The Riigikogu passed with 51 votes in favour the Act on Amendments to the Weapons Act and the State Fees Act (digital solutions in procedure, and the development of the Register of Service and Civilian Weapons) (737 SE), initiated by the Government. It will allow a transfer to all-digital authorisation procedure and the implementation of a new Register of Service and Civilian Weapons.

Under the Act, requests for weapons permits and European Union firearms passes and the related documents will be submitted to the Police and Border Guard Board electronically through the self-service environment of the register. The weapons register will be interfaced with other databases necessary in authorisation proceedings, and queries will be automated.

A dealer environment will be established in the register where dealers will see weapons permits and be able to sell weapons, essential components, and ammunition. When the amendments come into force, permits will be issued electronically and only permits necessary for international transfer of weapons will be issued on paper. The supervision files on holders of weapons permits will be maintained electronically.

On the basis of EU law, a more specific procedure for the exchange of information on weapons will be provided for. The Police and Border Guard Board will be designated as the authority to exchange information with other countries. EU Member States use the Internal Market Information System to exchange information on the authorisations granted for the transfer of firearms to another Member State and information with regard to refusals to grant authorisations.

The Riigikogu passed with 48 votes in favour the Act on Amendments to the Rural Development and Agricultural Market Regulation Act and Other Acts (738 SE), initiated by the Government. One of its purposes is to update references to the European Union legislation on state aid. Since the European Commission had not adopted the new state aid guidelines and the new block exemption regulation by the time the Bill had been initiated, the lead committee had filled the gaps in the Bill with the necessary references to European Commission legislation. In order to implement new state aid measures in the fishery sector, the Act also updates the references in the Fisheries Market Organisation Act and the Fiscal Marking of Liquid Fuel Act and implements the amendments retroactively from 1 January 2023.

Another purpose of the Act is to terminate national intervention in the implementation of the control measures against wild oats on profit yielding land and other land because the obligation to implement the control measures has produced the desired results. The extensive spread of the weed has decreased, and the users of agricultural land are carrying out consistent weed control, including wild oat control, on their agricultural land even without national intervention.

The Riigikogu also passed with 48 votes in favour the Act on Amendments to the Heritage Conservation Act, the Administrative Co-operation Act and the Museums Act (760 SE), initiated by the Government. Its main aim is to increase the quality of museum collections and museum services, to update the bases for funding museums and to establish a new folk culture database belonging to the state information system.

The Act simplifies the bases and procedure for the deaccessioning of museum objects from museum collections. In the future, the museum itself, and not the founder of the museum, will decide on deaccessioning. The Act also extends the range of authorities and persons to whom things deaccessioned from state-owned museum collections can be transferred. In the future it will also be possible to transfer them to agencies operating in public interest, besides cultural heritage institutions. The system for funding museums is also updated.

The amendments also create a new database containing information on organisations, groups of persons, instructors, community centres and cultural centres engaged in folk culture as well as civil engineering works related to them. The database will be established to replace the register of the Estonian Song and Dance Celebration Foundation and the sectoral folk culture database of the Estonian Centre of Folk Culture, and it will be administered by the Estonian Centre of Folk Culture.

The Riigikogu passed with 50 votes in favour the Act on Amendments to the Land Cadastre Act, the Law of Property Act and Other Acts (761 SE), initiated by the Government. Its purpose is to ensure truthful data on ownership in order to protect the rights of land owners, including to ensure fair tax incentives and exemptions and to facilitate real estate turnover.

Landscape facilities change as a result of natural processes, human activities and more accurate mapping and therefore the data registered in the cadastre may become inaccurate. Cadastre data are the basis for the taxation of land, and many public duties are also performed using these data. So it is important that cadastre data could be relied on, the data would be integral and the quality of these data would be reliable. The data registered in national registries must reflect the actual situation in the field.

The Act proposes a simple administrative procedure as little burdensome as possible to improve the data related to ownership. The amendments will enable smoother and less bureaucratic use and disposal of possessions. With a view to achieving these aims, the data on boundaries that have become inaccurate will be corrected, and the creation and disclosure of the spatial information concerning the rights of use of land will be regulated more precisely.

The Riigikogu passed with 46 votes in favour the Act on Amendments to the Higher Education Act and the Study Allowances and Study Loans Act (767 SE), initiated by the Government. It specifies the bases for compensating study expenses. The aim of the amendments is to ensure access to higher education for a greater number of upper secondary school graduates and to direct students to make responsible choices of specialisation.

The Act eliminates the possibility to study in several specialisations at the same time free of charge. A person will be able to study free of charge again at the same level of higher education if at least ten years have passed since his or her graduation. Higher education institutions are given the right to ask tuition fee from people who wish to study at one and the same level of higher education for a third time.

The opportunities of students to study free of charge after they interrupt their studies are also restricted. Higher education institutions are given the right to request compensation of student expenses from students who interrupt their studies when more than 70 days have passed since the beginning of the semester. A person will have to find out within one year if the study programme suits him or her in order to switch study programmes free of charge. This means that a student who has studied at the same level of higher education for less than a year, that is, less than 365 calendar days, can begin to study free of charge after they interrupt their studies. The time when the student is on academic leave will not be calculated among this time.

Similarly to the current procedure, it will be possible to agree under contracts under public law upon study programmes which will allow studying free of charge for a second time, such as teacher training and health care, or to establish specifications by legislation in internal security and national defence institutions of professional higher education.

The amendments to the Study Allowances and Study Loans Act specify the dates for fixing the Euribor rate and interest calculation. The Act is also amended by including an opportunity to grant student loans to first-year students from 15 September, as is the case with other students.

The Riigikogu established a transitional provision for students who would enter a higher education institution and interrupt their studies before the academic year 2024/2025. The current procedure will apply to them until the end of the academic year 2026/2027. According to it, a student will be able to take up studies free of charge at the same higher education level again if they have interrupted their studies before half of the nominal study period of the study programme is over.

The Riigikogu also made an amendment according to which, in the case of time-critical decisions, a higher education institution would be able to set a term for contesting decisions concerning the organisation of studies that differs from the principles of administrative procedure. According to the amendment, the higher education institution will have to allow at least three days for contesting decisions relating to admission to studies and evaluation of final papers and final examinations and at least 10 days for contesting other decisions concerning the organisation of studies.

Jaak Valge from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction and Margit Sutrop from the Reform Party Faction took the floor during the debate.

The Riigikogu passed with 45 votes in favour the Act on Amendments to the Place Names Act and the Spatial Data Act (768 SE), initiated by the Government. It gives the Minister of Public Administration the right to change, on the basis of an opinion of the Place Names Board, place names which are incompatible with the history and culture of Estonia where the local government does not agree to do it.

According to the Act, the Minister in charge of the policy sector will make a proposal to the local government to change a place name where the place name in use can clearly be associated with persons or events connected with activities against the foundation of the Republic of Estonia, permanence of its constitutional order or restoration of the independence of Estonia, or the place name is incompatible with the history and culture of Estonia. The minister can be the names authority instead of the local government in the cases when the Place Names Board finds in an opinion submitted to the minister that for example a street, a road or a square has been named after a person who has been declared a war hero of the Soviet Union which occupied Estonia, or after an event that has damaged the Estonian statehood, which means that the current place name is in conflict with the Place Names Act.

If the local government fails to change a place name within two months as of the receipt of a proposal, the state will establish a new name to replace the incompatible place name in view of public interest. Before a new name will be established, the opinion of the local government will have to be asked. The Land Board will make the changes to the information system of the Address Data System in connection with the establishment of new place names, and the costs for the acquisition and installation of signposts and signs will be reimbursed from the state budget. At present, approximately 15 place names need an expert analysis, and the changing of these names would involve a cost of up to 30,000 euro.

Ivi Eenmaa from the Reform Party Faction took the floor during the debate.

The Riigikogu passed with 44 votes in favour the Act on Amendments to the Persons Repressed by Occupying Powers Act (770 SE), initiated by the Social Affairs Committee. It gives the status of repressed person to people who were born while their parent was in forced exile and whose parents did not return to Estonia immediately after the receipt of a release certificate.

According to the amendments, all people who were born within five years after their parent who was in forced exile had received a release decision will be deemed to be repressed persons regardless of the reasons why their parents did not return to Estonia. Currently it is complicated for people who were born while their parent was in forced exile to obtain the status of repressed person as a long time has passed from the events and there is no evidence of justification of the postponement of the return. In the future, an applicant will not have to explain or prove to the administrative authority the reasons for not returning and it will be sufficient to submit an application indicating the date of the decision on the release of the parents and the date and place of birth of the applicant.

The Riigikogu passed with 45 votes in favour the Act on Amendments to the Funded Pensions Act and Other Associated Acts (771 SE), initiated by the Government. It is intended to ensure smooth implementation of the European Union’s pan-European Personal Pension Product (PEPP) Regulation. Under the Act, PEPP is included in the regulation for the third pillar pension, the pension age and tax incentives of the third pillar pension are applied to it, and references to PEPP and the relevant Regulation are included in the Act.

While up to now the third pillar pension has covered voluntary pension funds and insurance contracts for supplementary funded pensions, the inclusion of the pan-European Personal Pension Product will extend the range of available pension schemes. A PEPP can also be in the form of an alternative fund, a UCITS, a deposit, or a securities portfolio, in addition to a pension fund and an insurance contract.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Estonian Health Insurance Fund Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (renaming of the Estonian Health Insurance Fund as the Estonian Health Fund) (772 SE), initiated by the Social Affairs Committee. It renames the Estonian Health Insurance Fund as the Estonian Health Fund.

At the time the Estonian Health Insurance Fund was established, its main function of was to administer the solidary health insurance system and to enable health insurance benefits to insured people. However, by now, more functions have been added and the fund is also responsible for the emergency care and the services related to the protection of public health provided to people not covered by health insurance. For example, the procurements of medicinal products necessary for the control and monitoring of communicable diseases, vaccine procurements, the compensation for vaccine damages as well as the responsibility for the organisation of family medical care have been transferred to the fund. Due to the changed tasks, the Estonian Health Insurance Fund will be named the Estonian Health Fund, which stresses the final objective of the activities of the fund – to maintain and restore the health of the people.

34 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act, nine voted against it and there were two abstentions.

The Riigikogu passed with 43 votes in favour the Act on Amendments to the Population Register Act (762 SE), initiated by the Government. It amends the Act in connection with the agreement between Estonia and Finland on population registration signed in September last year which aims to support the free movement of people between Estonian and Finland and to facilitate the registration of population. The data exchanged under the agreement will be recorded in the population register and Estonian public authorities will be able to use them as data with legal effect.

The Riigikogu passed with 44 votes in favour the Act on the Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Estonia and the Government of the Republic of Finland on Population Registration (763 SE), initiated by the Government. It ratifies the agreement signed in September last year under which it will be possible to obtain quick and correct information on Estonian people who move to Finland that can be relied on, because the states must ensure the accuracy of the data delivered. The data received under the agreement will be recorded in the population register and Estonian public authorities will be able to use them as data with legal effect.

Riigikogu passed with 46 votes in favour the Resolution of the Riigikogu “Approval of “The National Security Concept of Estonia”” (775 OE), submitted by the Government. It approves the updated national security concept which describes the security environment as at the beginning of 2023, clarifies Estonia’s objectives in the increasingly tense security environment and describes the activities necessary to achieve the objectives.

The national security concept covers Estonia’s activities in five areas: social cohesion and national resilience, economic security and vital services, internal security and public order, military defence, and international activities. Among other things, the base document prescribes defence spending at the level of at least three per cent of GDP, to which the funding of expenses of Estonia as a host country for allies will be added. According to the national security concept, permanent funding will also be ensured to the development of civil protection in the national budget strategy.

The document is based on updated strategic threat assessment and builds on the National Security Concept adopted in 2017.

During the debate, Mati Raidma from the Reform Party Faction, Raimond Kaljulaid from the Social Democratic Party Faction, Heiki Hepner from Faction Isamaa and Henn Põlluaas from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction took the floor.

A Bill passed the first reading

The Bill on Amendments to the Code of Civil Procedure and the Code of Enforcement Procedure Implementation Act (766 SE), initiated by Member of the Riigikogu Tarmo Kruusimäe, passed the first reading. It prescribes that if a person has filed, under the Code of Civil Procedure that was in force until 1 January 2006, a petition to review a judicial disposition that has entered into effect, and no permission for proceedings has been given in respect of the petition, the person can file a new petition to review a judicial disposition that has entered into effect to the Supreme Court within six months if there is a ground for filing a petition under the new Code of Civil Procedure.

The Legal Affairs Committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading, but the motion was not supported. Nine members of the Riigikogu supported the motion, 10 were against it and there was one abstention. Thus the Bill remains in the proceedings but will be dropped from the proceedings as the term of the Riigikogu ends.

A draft Resolution was dropped from the proceedings

The Riigikogu plenary did not support the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Making a proposal to the Government of the Republic to lower the VAT on foodstuffs and medicinal products to 5 per cent” (758 OE), submitted by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction. It was intended to make a proposal to the Government to lower the VAT on foodstuffs and medicinal products to five per cent.

Merry Aart from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction took the floor during the debate.

12 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the Resolution, and there was one abstention. At least 51 votes would have been needed for the Resolution to be passed.

The sitting ended at 6.03 p.m.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

Photos (Author: Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

The video recording of the sitting will be available to watch later on the Riigikogu YouTube channel. (Please note that the recording will be uploaded with a delay.)

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

Link uudisele: The Riigikogu heard the address by Pushkarenko and passed 21 legal acts

Source: Parliament of Estonia