At the second additional sitting on Monday, the Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Investment Funds Act, and the Act on Amendments to the Earth's Crust Act and the Environmental Charges Act.

The Act on Amendments to the Investment Funds Act (15 SE), initiated by the Government, allows the funds of pension funds to be invested in unquoted securities to the extent of up to 30 percent instead of the current 10 percent. Also, as a result of the amendment, pension funds will be allowed to acquire a holding of over 10 percent and controlling holdings in enterprises. Under the current Act, a pension fund may not own more than 10 per cent of the shares of an enterprise.

The Riigikogu passed the Act with 92 votes in favour and two against.

The Riigikogu also passed the Act on Amendments to the Earth’s Crust Act and the Environmental Charges Act (43 SE), initiated by representatives of four factions, which will allow enterprises that have extracted oil shale less than the prescribed annual rate during seven years to extract the remaining oil shale retroactively. Under the decisions adopted in 2008, the rate of extraction of oil shale is 20 million tons per year. As of 2009, the extraction volumes of enterprises have been on the average 14.7 million ton per year in total, and an average of 4018 tons of oil shale per year has remained unmined.

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

At the additional sitting, the Riigikogu also deliberated the Act on Amendments to the Collective Labour Dispute Resolution Act (52 SE), initiated by the Government. When presenting the Bill, the Minister of Health and Labour Rannar Vassiljev said that the aim of the Bill is to bring the regulation concerning the giving of advance notice of sympathy strikes into conformity with the Constitution The current regulation, under which the employer must be notified of a sympathy strike three days in advance, unreasonably infringes the freedom of enterprise. The amendment proposes to extend the term for giving advance notice of a sympathy strike to five days.

The amendment of the Act is also intended to amend the conditions of appointment to office of the Public Conciliator and to regulate the substitution of the Public Conciliator during his or her temporary absence.

The Riigikogu concluded the first reading of the Bill. The deadline for submission of motions to amend the Bill is 31 August.

The second additional sitting of the Riigikogu began at 11.19 p.m. and ended at 11.38 p.m.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian).

Video recordings of the Riigikogu sittings can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/riigikogu

(NB! The recording will be uploaded with a delay.)

Riigikogu Press Service

Epp-Mare Kukemelk

T: 631 6356, 515 3903

[email protected]

Queries: [email protected]