37 MP-s of the opposition parties of the Riigikogu submitted a motion for expression of no confidence in Prime Minister Andrus Ansip. Submitters of the expression of no confidence reproached the Prime Minister for his inability to manage the activities of the Government in the complicated economic situation. The expression of no confidence did not find the support of the majority of the Riigikogu. The result of voting: 35 votes in favour, 53 against.

 

 

The Act on Amendments to the Environmental Charges Act and the Fishing Act (441 SE), initiated by the Government, which specifies the provisions regulating the calculation and payment of the pollution charge for depositing of waste, the fee for mineral rights and the fee for fishing rights, was passed with 72 votes in favour.

 

The Resolution of the Riigikogu “On State Guarantee for the Loan between the Council of Europe Development Bank and the Credit and Export Guarantee Fund KredEx” (469 OE), submitted by the Government, by which a state guarantee in the amount of 34 500 000 euro is granted to the Council of Europe Development Bank with regard to a loan applied for therefrom, was passed with 75 votes in favour. The loan is intended for financing a project of renovation of apartment buildings.

 

 

The Civil Status Acts Bill (68 SE), initiated by the Government, regulates in more detail the acts related to the Family Law Bill (55 SE). The Bill provides that prospective spouses choose their marital property relationship upon signing the application for marriage and indicate in their application which regulation arising from the Family Law Act they wish to be applied to the proprietary relations between them – joint property, accretion set-off or separate property. At the same time, upon acceptance of their declaration of intention, the registry official is required to explain the characteristics and legal consequences of different proprietary relationships to the persons who wish to marry. In view of the need of explanation, the possibility to submit a joint application for marriage electronically, confirmed by digital signatures, has been eliminated from the Bill.

 

The Bill on Amendments to the Funded Pensions Act and the Social Tax Act (476 SE), initiated by the Government, suspends the contributions to mandatory funded pensions in full amount as of 1 June 2009 until the end of 2010 for most people. The Estonian Centre Party Faction moved to suspend the second reading of the Bill. The motion was not supported. The result of voting: 29 votes in favour, 51 votes against, 1 abstention. The Bill was sent to the third reading.

 

The Bill on Amendments to the Planning Act and Other Associated Acts (410 SE), initiated by the Government, specifies the wording of the Act with a view to precluding different interpretations and ensuring enhanced involvement of people in the planning process. According to the Bill, the local government will involve a person concerned in the preparation of a detailed plan and will notify the person thereof at the earliest possibility. Persons concerned are, among others, owners of the immovables neighbouring on the planning area. The Bill establishes stricter procedural rules for detailed plans in the cases when significant public interests and values are involved in the planning area.

 

The purpose of the Bill on Amendments to § 27 and § 34 of the State Assets Act (329 SE), initiated by the Government, is to enable local governments to acquire residential land on more favourable conditions than the market price in order to encourage people to take up residence in a rural municipality or a city.

 

The Consular Bill (378 SE), initiated by the Government, updates the structure and contents of the training of consular officers and specifies the provisions concerning the authority and activities of honorary consuls.

 

 

The Bill on Amendments to the State Fees Act (465 SE), initiated by the Government. Amendment of sections 121 and 122 will provide the possibility for undertakings to pay fees annually, that is, by smaller amounts and not the whole amount as a lump sum.

 

The State Assets Bill (437 SE),initiated by the Government. For ensuring efficiency and making decisions, it is important that information concerning assets belonging to the state and transactions concluded therewith would be available, comprehensive and systematised. According to the Bill, the Ministry of Finance will be the main authority who exercises supervision over the administration and use of state assets. Also, it is the duty of the Ministry of Finance to make proposals to the Government for developing the real estate policy of the state.

 

The Bill on Amendments to the Law of Property Act, the Aviation Act and the Code of Civil Procedure and Other Associated Acts (456 SE), initiated by the Government, eliminates the gap in the Estonian law as regards establishing of the registered security over movables on aircraft.The Act should have a positive impact on granting of credit because a legally sound and credible securities system is necessary for the credit market to function.

 

The main purpose of the Bill on Amendments to the Commercial Code and Other Acts (466 SE), initiated by the Government, is to transpose the directive on shareholders’ rights into Estonian law. This directive applies to companies which are on the regulated market. The purpose of the Directive is to facilitate the use by shareholders of voting rights, to remove obstacles which deter effective exercise of voting rights.

 

At Question Time, the Minister of Finance Ivari Padar answered the question about budget, submitted by Toomas Varek, and the question about sale of state assets, submitted by Villu Reiljan. The Minister of Internal Affairs Jüri Pihl answered the question about possibilities of public dispute in Estonia, submitted by Vladimir Velman. The Minister of Justice Rein Lang answered the question about public sector reform, submitted by Evelyn Sepp.

 

The sitting ended at 6.40 p.m.

 

The Riigikogu Press Service