The Riigikogu passed with 71 votes in favour the Act on Amendments to the Commercial Code (733 SE), initiated by the Government, which simplifies the norms regulating the activities of private limited companies, in particular, enabling founding of a private limited company without making contributions. It also reduces formal requirements for company law documents and the obligation to involve an auditor, and simplifies the regulation of the legal right of pre-emption in event of transfer of a share. The Act also eliminates a specified term of the term of office of a member of the management board. The Act enters into force on 1 January 2011.

 

 

The aim of the Bill on Amendments to the Law of Obligations Act and Other Acts (761 SE), initiated by the Government, is to transpose into national law the new consumer credit directive of the European Union which harmonises within the Community in relatively great detail the requirements for advertising of consumer credit agreements, the pre-contractual and contractual information requirements and the calculation of the annual percentage rate of charge. It also amends and specifies the regulation concerning the right of withdrawal of the consumer, the right of the consumer to repay the credit early and the right of withdrawal of the consumer from economically related and ancillary agreements.

 

The Bill on Amendments to the Deliberate Release into Environment of Genetically Modified Organisms Act and the Euro Adoption Act (768 SE), initiated by the Government, brings the Act which is currently in force into conformity with the requirements arising from the European Union legislation and harmonises the legal space of this sphere. It also improves legal clarity in spheres relating to the use of genetically modified organisms.

 

On the motion of the Constitutional Committee, the second reading of the Bill on Amendments to the State Secrets and Classified Information of Foreign States Act and Other Acts (764 SE), initiated by the Government, was suspended.

 

 

The Bill on Amendments to the Heritage Conservation Act and Other Associated Acts (806 SE), initiated by the Government, regulates the activities of persons who search for objects of cultural value as a hobby and the use of search devices, and offers solutions to motivate people who find an object of cultural value to inform the state in order to prevent findings ending up in private collections.

 

The Bill on the Accession to the Convention on the International Protection of Adults (804 SE), initiated by the Government. The aim of the Convention is to cooperate with other states in issues of guardianship and to determine the principles to be observed by Contracting States for protection of the person or property of adults in need of guardianship who have connection with several states.

 

The Bill on Amendments to the Obligation to Leave and Prohibition on Entry Act (793 SE), initiated by the Government, establishes common rules in European Union Member States for returning, removing, detaining and applying entry bans with regard to illegally staying third-country nationals, ensuring at the same time protection of the fundamental rights of persons recognised in European Union and international law. The Estonian Centre Party Faction moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. The motion was not supported. The result of voting: 7 votes in favour, 45 against.

 

The Bill on Amendments to the Medical Devices Act (791 SE), initiated by the Government, harmonises the Estonian legislation concerning medical devices with amendments to relevant European directives, among other things, the marketing of measuring medical devices containing mercury intended for lay users is prohibited. As a result of that, commercial and technical barriers in the European Union medical devices market will be eliminated upon entry into force the directive amendments.

 

The Bill on Amendments to the Railways Act (800 SE), initiated by the Government, regulates the working and rest time conditions of mobile workers engaged in interoperable cross-border services. A mobile worker engaged in interoperable cross-border services is any worker who is a member of a train crew. A train crew comprises the traction unit crew and other on-board staff. There is no group of workers regulated by the EU directive in Estonia because there is no cross-border rail link falling within the scope of application of the directive. Also, no rail link regulated by the directive is expected to begin to operate in the near future. Should a regulated rail link ever begin to operate, the Bill will ensure safe cross-border train traffic, protecting the health of the mobile workers engaged in interoperable cross-border services.

 

The Bill on the Ratification of the Final Acts of the 24th Congress of the Universal Postal Union (789 SE), initiated by the Government, ratifies the Eighth Additional Protocol to the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union, the First Additional Protocol to the General Regulations and the Universal Postal Convention. The First Additional Protocol to the General Regulations and the Eighth Additional Protocol are documents concerning the organisation the work of the Postal Union and they involve no additional obligations for Member States. The aim of the additional protocols is to modernise and improve the work of the Postal Union.

 

The Bill on Amendments to the Peace-Time National Defence Act and the Defence Forces Organisation Act (805 SE), initiated by the Government, provides more integrated organisation of national defence. The national defence strategy includes, in addition to strictly military issues, other aspects of national defence, and thus the Bill extends the concept of the national defence of Estonia.

 

The Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Use of the Defence Forces in the Performance of the International Duties of the Estonian State in the Composition of the European Union Anti-Piracy Operation Atalanta and NATO Naval Operation Active Endeavour” (815 OE), submitted by the Government, provides the use of up to 15 members of the Estonian Defence Forces in the abovementioned operations from 1 November 2010 until 31 December 2011.

 

On the motion of the Social Affairs Committee, the Bill on Amendments to the Parental Benefit Act (769 SE), initiated by the Social Democratic Party Faction, was rejected from the legislative proceeding at the first reading. The result of voting: 47 votes in favour, 31 against.

 

At Question Time, Prime Minister Andrus Ansip answered the question about the sale of Kyoto emission units, submitted by Raivo Järvi. The Minister of Social Affairs Hanno Pevkur answered the question about availability of medical care, submitted by Nikolai Põdramägi, the question about children living in poverty, submitted by Heljo Pikhof, and the question about subsistence, submitted by Mai Treial. The Minister of Internal Affairs Marko Pomerants answered the question about the budget of 2011, submitted by Lauri Laasi.

 

The Riigikogu Press Service