At Wednesday’s sitting, the Riigikogu passed seven Acts and 11 Resolutions. The Security Tax Bill passed the second reading.

The Riigikogu approved the Act on Amendments to the Republic of Estonia Education Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (establishment of an obligation to study) (447 SE), initiated by the Government. According to it, young people must also continue their studies after completing basic school. Compulsory school attendance is replaced with an obligation to study which lasts until the age of 18 or until the completion of vocational or secondary education.

The Act specifies the role of the state and municipalities as well as parents in fulfilling the obligation to study. For example, the state will have to ensure places in preparatory studies for young people who are not ready to continue their studies in secondary or vocational education studies because of either gaps in their language skills or other learning gaps. Local governments will have to identify young people who are not fulfilling their obligation to study, to investigate the reasons therefor and to find appropriate solutions. If the support applied by the school is not sufficient, the school will have to contact the local government. It is the responsibility of the parent to ensure that the child fulfils their obligation to study and to participate in the planning of the child’s study path after basic school.

The Act makes changes to the vocational education system in particular to increase the flexibility of studies. For example, the share of general education studies and the possibility to make choices during studies will increase in secondary vocational education studies. Specialities will become broader as sector-based curricula will be created, with sub-skill modules within them. For example, it will be possible to choose the speciality of restaurant food preparation and the sub-skill of pastry chef within it. There are also plans to develop 18 new post-basic school curricula for young people entering vocational education.

A clearer basis is established for how studies outside the classroom, for example in art, music and sport schools, can be integrated into general education studies. Individual vocational or higher education modules can also be integrated in studies. At the discretion of the owner of school, in the future, vocational schools will be able to provide upper secondary, vocational as well as evening school education. In addition, completion of the curricula of applied secondary schools will become more flexible, as it will also be possible to acquire a profession without secondary education.

Free re-entry for adults in vocational training in a similar way to higher education will be limited. For example, a person can no longer study free of charge if they have already been accepted for a place in free vocational training or higher education, or if they have completed free vocational training in the previous five years.

According to the Act, the amendments relating to the obligation to study will apply to young people graduating from basic school in 2026.

During the debate, Tõnis Lukas took the floor on behalf of Isamaa Parliamentary Group, Heljo Pikhof on behalf of the Social Democratic Party Group, Liina Kersna on behalf of the Estonian Reform Party Group and Arvo Aller on behalf of the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Parliamentary Group.

52 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Act, 21 were against and there were three abstentions.

The Act on Amendments to the Simplified Business Income Taxation Act and the Taxation Act (463 SE), initiated by the Government, discusses the taxation of income earned through a business account. In the future, instead of the current progressive taxation, a flat tax rate of 20% will apply to the amounts transferred to a business account and in the case of business account users affiliated to a mandatory funded pension scheme the tax will increase by their contribution to the second pillar pension scheme.

73 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Act. There was one abstention.

The purpose of the Act on Amendments to the Plant Propagation and Plant Variety Rights Act and the Forest Act (473 SE), initiated by the Government, is to solve the bottlenecks that have arisen in the field and to create more flexible solutions for undertakings by establishing exceptions.

Under the current law, the seed and propagating material to be marketed must comply with the established requirements, and the seed and propagating material of a variety that is to be included in the variety list and to be marketed must be certified. The Act creates an exception according to which seed and propagating material of old varieties marketed in small quantities may be produced, certified, and packaged differently to the requirements currently in place. In doing so, care will have to be taken not to spread dangerous plant pests. The amendment will encourage the production and marketing of seed and propagating material of old varieties.

The Act also re-establishes the possibility of including known varieties of fruit and berry crops in the variety sheet on the basis of a variety description that meets the requirements. Thus, suppliers will also be able to propagate and market the propagating material of known varieties of fruit and berry crops that have not yet been included in the variety list. It also creates the possibility for seed potato suppliers to print their own labels on seed potato packages which is a faster and more flexible solution for suppliers.

In addition, it establishes an obligation to notify the Environmental Board of an intention to carry out trials on cultivation material for the purposes of breeding tree crops or conducting scientific research or to determine whether the production of forestry material from the cultivation material would be economically viable.

71 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Act and one member was against.

Under the Act on Amendments to the Blood Act (476 SE),  initiated by the Government, the organisation of the reference services for immunohaematological testing will be transferred from the Ministry of Social Affairs to the Health Board which is already exercising supervision over immunohaematological testing of blood and is providing the services of reference laboratory in health protection.

In order to allow flexibility and give the Health Board discretion over the term of the contract, the Act also eliminates the requirement that the term of a contract for the provision of reference services must be five years. A reference laboratory for immunohaematological testing provides a service in the course of which donor blood products suitable for the treatment of a patient are determined. The purpose of the reference laboratory is to ensure the quality of the relevant testing in Estonia.

Under the current procurement contract, the North Estonia Medical Centre Foundation will be providing the reference service of the reference laboratory for immunohaematological testing until 2027. According to the explanatory memorandum, the amendment to the Act will not entail any changes to the content or quality of the service for the providers of the reference service, patients, or healthcare providers.

70 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Act. There was one abstention.

The Act on Amendments to the State Fees Act and the Act on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and Precursors thereof (502 SE), initiated by the Government, raises the state fees in the area of administration of the Ministry of Social Affairs so that they would correspond to the increased procedural costs.

The increasing the of the fees will mainly concern service providers in the health and social sector who apply for an activity licence. The new state fees will cover an estimated up to 45 per cent of procedural costs and the remaining costs will be covered from the budgets of agencies.

For example, the fee for an activity licence for the provision of social services will rise from EUR 32 to EUR 100. The state fee for an activity licence for manufacture of medicinal products will increase from EUR 1,000 to EUR 2,500 and the state fee for an activity licence for wholesale trade in medicinal products will increase from EUR 1,000 to EUR 2,000. In the latter, the rate of the state fee has remained unchanged for eight years and currently covers a small part of the actual costs of the review.

The amendment is estimated to increase state fee revenue by EUR 139,000 next year.

During the debate, Urmas Reinsalu took the floor on behalf of Isamaa Parliamentary Group.

50 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Act and 22 were against.

The Act on Amendments to the Act on Amendments to the Income Tax Act and the Military Service Act, and the Income Tax Act (509 SE), initiated by the Government, changes the date for abolishing decreasing tax allowance.

Last year, amendments to the Income Tax Act were adopted according to which a single income tax allowance of EUR 700 per month, that is, EUR 8,400 per year will apply from 2025. Persons of old-age pension age will constitute an exception, and they will be entitled to a higher tax allowance. According to the Act that was passed, a single income tax allowance will apply from 2026.

The Act also updates the limits for tax-free allowances. The Act updates the provisions on the daily allowance during an assignment abroad, the cost of meals given to a crew member during voyage and to a member of the crew of civil aircraft during flight, the costs of entertaining guests, promotional gifts, expenses for the accommodation of an employee, expenses made for improving the health of an employee, souvenirs given non-profit associations, and the compensation for using a personal automobile.

The amendments made during the second reading concern tax exemption for compensations to members of the Defence League related to the use of a personal motor vehicle, medical examination, and injury or death. The list of health-promoting services in the case of which the costs incurred are exempt from tax for the employer were also specified. NGO Freedom Convoy was included in the list of associations to whom legal persons can make donations for Ukraine free of income tax.

55 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Act and 12 were against.

The amendments made under the Act on Amendments to the State Budget for 2024 Act (517 SE), initiated by the Government, are related to the specified distribution of the budget within areas of government and between them. According to the State Budget Act, the Government may initiate an amendment of the State Budget Act without amending the total amount of funds not later than two months before the end of the budgetary year.

The Riigikogu adopted the state budget for 2024 on 8 December last year. The state budget had a revenue volume of around EUR 16.7 billion and an expenditure volume of around 17.7 billion and an investment budget of around EUR 817 million and a financing transactions budget of 1.4 billion.

In the first half of this year, the Riigikogu amended the State Budget for 2024 Act in order to make the necessary allocations for raising teachers’ salaries without amending the total amount. In order to reduce the budget deficit, the Riigikogu also approved a supplementary budget this summer. Expenditure was reduced by 103.8 million euro and investments by 22.7 million and revenues were increased by 41.9 million.

During the proceedings, the Riigikogu specified the expenditure of ministries in the Bill and provided for a ban on the transfer of funds directed to the government reserve.

During the debate, Rain Epler took the floor on behalf of the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group and Urmas Reinsalu on behalf of Isamaa Parliamentary Group.

45 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Act and 25 were against.

The Riigikogu passed 11 Resolutions

The consolidated report approved by the Resolution of the Riigikogu “Approval of the 2023 Consolidated Report of the State” (503 OE), submitted by the Government, gives an overview of the achievement of the goals of the state budget, and of the financial position, financial performance and cash flows of the state in 2023. The report provides the Government with the opportunity to explain its activities during the accounting year and submit the necessary information to the Riigikogu for making new resolutions regarding the budget. It provides the Riigikogu with the opportunity to audit the activities of the Government.

The consolidated annual report of the state includes the audit report of the National Audit Office. According to it, the 2023 annual accounts of the state reflect in all important aspects fairly the financial position of the state and the financial performance and the cash flows in the past accounting period.

In the opinion of the National Audit Office, the economic transactions of the state have mostly been carried out in conformity with the State Budget Act, the State Budget for 2023 Act and the Acts on amendments to the State Budget for 2023 Act. In the report on the implementation of the state budget, the National Audit Office made a remark about the data on the implementation of the budget in the area of government of the Ministry of Defence where the revenue from subsidies received was shown higher by 24.27 million euro, investments were shown  higher by 22.70 million and expenses were shown higher  by 167.18 million than the data set out in the summary part of the consolidated report.

According to the data of the consolidated annual accounts of the state, the state had 24.07 billion euro worth of assets as at the end of 2023 and the assets increased by 85 million euro over the year. At the same time, the consolidated liabilities of the state amounted to 18.45 billion euro which is 1.72 billion euro more than the year before. The general government statistical deficit increased to 1.28 billion euro, or 3.4% of GDP.

Urmas Reinsalu from Isamaa Parliamentary Group and Aivar Sõerd from the Estonian Reform Party Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.

46 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Resolution and 25 were against.

The Resolution of the Riigikogu “Extension of the Time Limit for the Use of the Defence Forces in the Fulfilment of the International Commitments of the Estonian State in the International Military Operation Inherent Resolve” (477 OE), submitted by the Government, will enable Estonia to participate with up to 110 servicemen in the United States-led international military operation Inherent Resolve next year. The operation focuses on the stabilisation of the security situation in Iraq and Syria.

With its participation in international military operations, Estonia confirms its commitment to contribute to achieving peace and stability in the world. Estonia’s participation in the US-led international operation against terrorism is also supporting the excellent allied relations as well as defence and security cooperation between Estonia and the US. The participation in the operation is also providing a major operational output for the Defence Forces.

Varro Vooglaid from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group and Peeter Tali from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.

56 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Resolution and five were against.

The Resolution of the Riigikogu “Extension of the Time Limit for the Use of the Defence Forces in the Fulfilment of the International Commitments of the Estonian State in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Mission in Iraq” (478 OE), submitted by the Government, will enable to continue contributing with up to three servicemen in the NATO mission in Iraq next year.

NATO Mission aims to address threats to the Alliance from the south and assists Iraq in building sustainable, transparent, inclusive and effective security institutions. With a view to increasing Iraqis’ ability to stabilise their country, fight terrorism and prevent the return of Daesh, NATO advises Iraqi security structures and offers trainings in close cooperation with the Iraqi Government, the office of the national security adviser, and operation Inherent Resolve.

By participating in NATO operations in the southern direction, Estonia contributes to ensuring security and supports the fight against terrorism.

51 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Resolution and four were against.

The Resolution of the Riigikogu “Use of the Defence Forces in the Fulfilment of the International Commitments of the Estonian State in International Military Operations Led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or its Member State, or the European Union, and other International Military Operations Led by the United Nations, upon the First Contribution thereto” (479 OE), submitted by the Government, will enable the use of up to 100 servicemen in international military operations led by NATO or its member state, the EU, or the UN, except in collective self-defence operations, upon the first contribution thereto. Estonia’s specific contribution will depend on the needs of the specific operation.

The Resolution will ensure Estonia’s capability of deploying units of the Defence Forces to crisis and conflict regions quickly and flexibly where necessary in order to contribute to ensuring international stability and so to also protect Estonia’s security interests.

Varro Vooglaid from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group and non-attached Member of the Riigikogu Kalle Grünthal took the floor during the debate.

50 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Resolution and 11 members were against.

The Resolution of the Riigikogu “Extension of the Time Limit for the Use of the Defence Forces in the Fulfilment of the International Commitments of the Estonian State in the European Union Military Assistance Mission in Mozambique” (480 OE), submitted by the Government, will enable to participate with up to three servicemen in the EU Military Assistance Mission in Mozambique next year.

While it was previously a training mission, it was transformed into a military assistance mission this September. The updated mandate, valid until summer 2026, provides for advising the country’s armed forces in organizing the training cycle and ensuring sustainability. The military assistance mission operates with a smaller personnel and focuses more on providing strategic level advice in order to achieve a self-sustained rapid reaction force training capability in the country.

By participating in the mission led by Portugal, Estonia is contributing to meeting the objectives approved in the EU’s Strategic Compass where crisis management plays a significant role. It is also important to Estonia to develop cooperation with the strategic allies on the EU’s southern flank.

Rain Epler from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group took the floor during the debate.

56 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Resolution and eight voted against. There was one abstention.

The Resolution of the Riigikogu “Extension of the Time Limit for the Use of the Defence Forces in the Fulfilment of the International Commitments of the Estonian State in the European Union Military Operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI” (481 OE), submitted by the Government, will enable to participate with up to three servicemen in operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI next year.

The primary aim of the operation is to support the implementation of the UN arms embargo on Libya. This includes carrying out inspections of vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya suspected to be carrying arms or related material to and from Libya. In addition to this, the mission supports the implementation of UN measures to prevent the illicit export of petroleum from Libya, the capacity building and training of the Libyan Coast Guard and Navy, and the disruption of the business model of human smuggling and trafficking networks.

By participating in the operation, Estonia is contributing in solidarity with the other Member States to EU defence cooperation and security on the EU’s southern border.

60 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Resolution.

The Resolution of the Riigikogu “Use of the Defence Forces in the Fulfilment of the International Commitments of the Estonian State in the European Union International Military Operation EUNAVFOR ASPIDES” (482 OE),  submitted by the Government, will enable to participate with up to three servicemen in the EU military operation in the Red Sea region which was established  to safeguard freedom of navigation and was launched in February this year.

The purpose of the operation is to achieve naval presence and situational awareness and to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. Among other things, vessels are protected against attacks and accompanied within the entire area of operations. The operation is strictly defensive in nature, i.e. no military strikes are organized within it.

Participation in the operation enables Estonia to contribute to the implementation of the EU common security and defence policy and to develop cooperation with strategic allies on the EU and NATO southern flank.

Urmas Reinsalu from Isamaa Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.

68 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Resolution.

The Resolution of the Riigikogu “Use of the Defence Forces in the Fulfilment of the International Commitments of the Estonian State in the Composition of the United Kingdom’s Joint Expeditionary Force” (483 OE), submitted by the Government, will enable to contribute with up to 24 servicemen to the composition of the United Kingdom’s Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) next year.

The JEF is a coalition of the willing, initiated and led by the United Kingdom, which is generally ready to contribute quickly and flexibly to operations from humanitarian crises to conventional warfare. The JEF is capable of operating on its own and as part of other larger military units and NATO. The use of the JEF is flexible – either all or some Member States can initiate actions and operations and participate in them.

Based on a joint decision of countries, the JEF focuses on ensuring security in the Baltic Sea region, the Far North, and the Atlantic Ocean region, thereby directly enhancing the defence and deterrence posture in the Baltic states.

Martin Helme from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group took the floor during the debate.

57 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Resolution and eight voted against.

The Resolution of the Riigikogu “Extension of the Time Limit for the Use of the Defence Forces in the Fulfilment of the International Commitments of the Estonian State in the UN Peacekeeping Operation in Lebanon” (484 OE), submitted by the Government, will enable to participate with up to three servicemen in the UN  peacekeeping operation  UNIFIL next year.

The UN peacekeeping mission plays an important stabilising role in the region in curbing the spread of violence. The operation is mandated to monitor the situation, to contribute to the cessation of hostilities and to the ensurance of international peace and security, and to support the Lebanese government in cementing its governance in the southern part of the country. The UNIFIL’ area of operation is between the Litani River and the Blue Line.

As a country contributing towards collective security, Estonia is closely monitoring the developments in the Middle East and the security policy impact of the events there on the stability in the Middle East and other parts of the world. With its participation in UN operations, Estonia contributes to UN’s activities in securing peace.

55 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Resolution and seven voted against.

The Resolution of the Riigikogu “Use of the Defence Forces in the Fulfilment of the International Commitments of the Estonian State in the Composition of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Readiness Units” (485 OE), submitted by the Government, will enable to contribute with up to 76 servicemen to the composition of the NATO readiness units next year.

In connection with the establishment of a New Force Model, the concepts of both the NATO Response Force and the NATO Readiness Initiative in their current form were eliminated from July this year and they are replaced by a lighter and more mobile NATO rapid reaction force (ARF) which is in readiness to carry out military operations.

The establishment of the rapid reaction force was agreed upon at the NATO summit last year in order to support the implementation of the new defence plans and to be ready to respond to threats and crises even more flexibly. ARF conducts operations in all domains and the rapid reaction force is combined of NATO allies’ forces.

Estonia will contribute to NATO readiness units with a mine countermeasures vessel and a staff officer next year.

53 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Resolution and nine voted against.

The Resolution of the Riigikogu “Extension of the Time Limit for the Use of the Defence Forces in the Fulfilment of the International Commitments of the Estonian State in the Post-Conflict Peacekeeping Operation in Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Syria” (486 OE), submitted by the Government, will enable to participate with up to three servicemen in the UN peacekeeping operation UNTSO next year.

UNTSO is the first UN peacekeeping operation to focus purely on observation. Its area of operation includes Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria and the operation’s headquarters are in Jerusalem.

As a country contributing towards collective security, Estonia is closely monitoring the developments in the Middle East and the security policy impact of the events there on the stability in the Middle East and other parts of the world. The participation in the operation gives serviceman the opportunity to gain versatile staff work experience.

During the debate, Mart Helme, Anti Poolamets and Varro Vooglaid took the floor on behalf of the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, Raimond Kaljulaid on behalf of the Social Democratic Party Group and Peeter Tali and Kalev Stoicescu on behalf of Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group. Non-attached Member of the Riigikogu Alar Laneman also participated in the debate on behalf of the Estonian Reform Party Parliamentary Group.

59 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Resolution and nine voted against.

Eight Bills passed the second reading

The Bill on Amendments to the Alcohol, Tobacco, Fuel and Electricity Excise Duty Act and Other Acts (510 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the second reading. It will raise the excise duties on alcohol, tobacco, and petrol from 2025 to 2028.

Together with the excise duty increases already established, the excise duty rate on tobacco products will increase by ten percent in 2025 and 2026, and the excise duty rate on alcohol by five percent in 2025 and ten percent in 2026. According to the Bill, the excise duty on alcohol and tobacco products will also increase by five percent in 2027 and 2028. In the second reading, the Riigikogu made an amendment to the bill under which the additional increase in alcohol excise duty planned for July next year is cancelled in order to prevent a growth in trading in the border area.

The rate of excise duty on unleaded petrol and other fuels taxed at the same rate, including aviation spirit, will rise by five percent over the next four years. The excise duty will increase from 1 July in 2025 and from 1 May in 2026, 2027 and 2028. The rate of excise duty rate on petrol has remained unchanged since 2018.

In addition, in the second reading, the Riigikogu decided to abolish the derogation limiting the activities of the Physical Fitness and Sport Endowment. Currently, 3.5 percent of the alcohol and tobacco excise duty received is allocated to the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, while 0.5 percent of the excise duty is directly allocated to the Physical Fitness and Sport Endowment. The amendment will not affect the amount allocated to the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, but it will eliminate the derogation, making the financing of endowment funds more legally clear and uniform. In the future, all eight endowments of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia will receive funds on the basis of uniform distribution principles.

Aleksandr Tšaplõgin and Lauri Laats from the Estonian Centre Party Group, Mart Helme, Martin Helme, Rain Epler and Varro Vooglaid from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, Anti Allas from the Social Democratic Party Group, Urmas Reinsalu and Aivar Kokk from Isamaa Parliamentary Group and Annely Akkermann from the Estonian Reform Party Group took the floor during the debate. Non-attached Members of the Riigikogu Kalle Grünthal and Henn Põlluaas also took part in the debate.

The Estonian Centre Party Group and Isamaa Parliamentary Group moved to suspend the second reading of the Bill. 26 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 50 voted against. Thus, the motion was not supported, and the second reading of the Bill was concluded.

The Security Tax Bill (512 SE), initiated by the Government, will establish a security tax until the end of 2028 in order to collect additional tax revenue for the development of Estonia’s defence capability and for security investments.

According to the Bill, the security tax will consist of three components: two per cent on turnover starting from 1 July 2025, two per cent on the income of a natural person starting from 1 January 2026 and two per cent on corporate profits starting from 1 January 2026.

In the second reading the Riigikogu incorporated into the Bill an amendment directed against abuses under which security tax will be charged without taking into account transactions, series of transactions, and accounting entries the main purpose of which is to obtain a tax advantage. Since the security tax and advance payments will be based on unconsolidated profit, the possibility to pay advance payments on the basis of the profit of previous quarter will be included in the bill.

For the sake of clarity, the Riigikogu made a specification to the Bill according to which the profit of the unconsolidated income statement of the parent company will be taxed. The calculation of the profit or loss of subsidiaries and associated companies was also specified in the Bill in order to avoid double taxation and an amendment was made to the range of companies that can take the quarterly reporting of profits as the basis when calculating their advance payments of security tax. The amendments also include a number of specifications concerning the submission of tax returns.

The projected impact of the amendment on the budget is EUR 113 million in 2025, EUR 751 million in 2026, EUR 784 million in 2027 and EUR 822 million in 2028. According to the explanatory memorandum, the more precise targeting and breakdown of expenditure will be set out in the State Budget for 2025 Act and the State Budget Strategy for 2025–2028.

Aleksandr Tšaplõgin, Lauri Laats and Vadim Belobrovtsev from the Estonian Centre Party Group, Kalev Stoicescu from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group, Kristo Enn Vaga and Maris Lauri from the Estonian Reform Party Group, Urmas Reinsalu and Aivar Kokk from Isamaa Parliamentary Group and Siim Pohlak from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Parliamentary Group took part in the debate.

The Estonian Centre Party Group and Isamaa Parliamentary Group moved to suspend the second reading of the Bill. 24 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 48 voted against. Thus, the motion was not supported, and the second reading of the Bill was concluded.

The Pre-school Education Bill (419 SE), initiated by the Government, will establish a comprehensive pre-school education system, make the childcare service part of the pre-school education system and  harmonise the requirements for childcare facilities and existing crèches. The childcare service will remain a social service only for the cases where a child has a high need for care and assistance.

The Bill will raise the qualification requirements in place for the staff of preschool child care institutions. According to the bill, the director of a preschool will have to have at least a master’s degree, a childminder will have to have at least a secondary education and a level 4 qualification as a childminder and an assistant teacher will have to have at least a secondary education, a level 4 qualification as a childminder, or pedagogical competences. In the future, childcare facilities will have to draw up a childcare curriculum, similarly to the current crèches. Pre-school education in preschool and childcare will have to be organised in Estonian according to the national pre-school education curriculum.

The Bill is also intended to eliminate waiting lists for preschool. To this end, the Bill provides that local governments will have to guarantee a place in a childcare facility for all children aged between 1.5 and 3 years, and in a preschool for children aged between 3 and 7 years, at the request of a parent, taking into account the location preferred by the parent. If there are no vacancies at the parent’s preferred childcare facility or preschool, a place will have to be offered in a childcare facility or preschool close to home. A two-month time limit will be provided for the municipality to process applications.

At a parent’s request, the service may also be provided on the territory of another city or municipality if there is a relevant agreement between the local governments. In addition, the Bill will support cooperation with the private sector in the guaranteeing of childcare and preschool places, as it is possible for municipalities to buy services from private companies. In such cases, the requirements in place for municipal preschools will extend to private preschools. In private preschools that have not been mandated by the local government to carry out their task, instruction and education activities may continue in another language, but Estonian language training will have to be ensured according to the national pre-school education curriculum.

In general, the Bill will make no changes to the system for funding pre-school education. The Bill will provide for the possibility of supporting local governments from the state budget for the continuing training of teachers, for Estonian language instruction and for the acquisition of teaching materials. In addition, according to the Bill, parents will also be able to apply for income tax refunds for their children who are attending childcare.

In the second reading, several amendments were made to the Bill. An amendment provides that, in order to guarantee job security for a trainee teacher, the director of a preschool can enter into a contract of employment for up to three years instead of a one-year contract of employment with a person undergoing teacher training. The standard duration for completing the curriculum of pre-school education teacher is three years.

Another amendment provides for harmonizing the ratios of child care groups with the ratios of preschool child care groups and preschool groups where the group has a qualified teacher. An amendment was also made to the Bill to specify that private child care facilities can also operate in residential buildings and on residential land so that the existing child care facilities would be able to continue in their current locations and new child care facilities would have this flexibility as well.

Vadim Belobrovtsev from the Estonian Centre Party Group, Helle Moonika Helme from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, Helir-Valdor Seeder and Aivar Kokk from Isamaa Parliamentary Group and Margit Sutrop from the Estonian Reform Party Parliamentary Group as well as non-attached Member of the Riigikogu Jaak Valge took part in the debate.

The Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, the Estonian Centre Party Group and Isamaa Parliamentary Group moved to suspend the second reading of the Bill. 16 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 44 voted against. Thus, the motion was not supported, and the second reading of the Bill was concluded.

The Bill on Amendments to the Waste Act and the Packaging Act (430 SE),  initiated by the Government, will make mostly technical amendments  to the Act which will help understand more clearly the existing rules and will not change the existing principles.

The Bill will make it simpler and clearer to give away tyres. The creation of a single producer responsibility scheme will reduce costs through economies of scale, and in the future businesses and consumers will be able to bring unlimited quantities of scrap tyres to collection points free of charge. The Bill will also specify the terms of motor vehicle manufacturer and manufacturer of motor vehicle components. It will also specify the provisions relating to the security and insurance required when applying for an environmental permit for the storage of waste and the management of hazardous waste.

The Bill will clearly outline the requirements for the buying up and reception of products of concern to reduce disputes and ensure proper waste management. In addition, the limitation period for misdemeanours concerning violation of the obligation to take back, collect, recover, and dispose of waste generated by products of concern will be extended from two to four years.

Before the second reading, the Environment Committee included an amendment in the Bill to create the possibility for packaging undertakings to apply a deposit to all packaging on the basis of the Packaging Act. The procedure in force until now allowed adding a deposit only to certain types of packaging, but did not allow to exempt from VAT such a deposit for which there was no regulation in the Packaging Act.

Evelin Poolamets from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group participated in the debate.

The Public Health Bill (433 SE), initiated by the Government, will establish a new consolidated text of the Public Health Act in order to update the sector and to replace the Public Health Act that has been in force since 1995. The Bill will establish the responsibilities of all parties – the state, municipalities, and organisations – and will update requirements and restrictions to protect human health. More attention will be paid to prevention and children.

The Bill will set out environmental and catering requirements for preschools, schools as well as social welfare institutions. For example, the role of head of school in creating an environment conducive to healthy eating will be increased. The Bill plans to ban the provision of tanning and tattooing services to minors. There are also plans to lay down requirements for electromagnetic fields, cosmetic products, beauty services, and swimming pools.

The new regulation will set restrictions on the use of products and services that pose a direct health risk. Restrictions will be imposed on the use of toxic plants, animals, and plant and animal products and dangerous chemicals in order to protect or improve health.

The Bill will amend the Advertising Act and the Consumer Protection Act in order to extend the supervision competence of the Health Board and to give the Board the right and obligation to exercise supervision over the legitimacy of the commercial practices relating to products and services, including advertising, in order to protect human health.

The Bill will also update the maximum fine and penalty payment rates in the Public Health Act and some special Acts in order that they would be sufficiently effective.

Another important amendment will be made to the Act on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and Precursors thereof so that new psychoactive substances potentially dangerous to the health of the population could be removed from the market more quickly in the future.

Riina Solman from Isamaa Parliamentary Group and non-attached Member of the Riigikogu Kalle Grünthal took the floor during the debate.

Isamaa Parliamentary Group moved to suspend the second reading of the Bill. Three members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 43 voted against. Thus, the motion was not supported, and the second reading of the Bill was concluded.

The purpose of the Bill on Amendments to the Imprisonment Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (474 SE), initiated by the Government, is to ensure more effective protection of legal order and prison security, and to contribute to directing prisoners to law-abiding behaviour.

The Bill will specify the right of the prison service to carry out background checks in justified cases and will provide for clearer legal bases for this. It will also specify the provisions concerning the database of prisoners, detained persons, persons in custody and probationers.

The Bill on Amendments to the Public Transport Act (499 SE), initiated by the Government, will streamline the regulation of travel concessions in public transport and will bring it into conformity with the decision of the European Court of Justice on compensation of the obligation to carry  children of pre-school age and persons with disabilities free of charge.

The European Court of Justice has ruled that, under a European Union Regulation, undertakings must be compensated for the costs arising from the obligation, which have not been fully compensated in Estonia so far. The Bill will introduce a basis for the payment of targeted subsidies to commercial operators for transporting passengers with the right to travel free of charge. It also provides for the principles for calculating the compensation, the list of data to be submitted for the application for support and the procedure for payment and reimbursement of support.

According to a motion to amend submitted before the second reading, in order to receive compensation from the state for “zero tickets” issued to passengers, commercial carriers will have to check passengers’ documents certifying their right to travel free and, when applying for subsidy, they will have to provide, among other things, the personal identification codes of the people who have travelled free. It will be possible for the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture to check the accuracy of the data     provided by the carrier before a compensation is disbursed.

The Bill on Amendments to the Customs Act (515 SE), initiated by the Government, will increase the rates of fines for legal persons which have remained unchanged in the Customs Act since 2001 and will bring the fine rates into conformity with the rates provided for in the Penal Code.

In order to make the work of the investigation department of the Tax and Customs Board more efficient, the list of the special equipment of the Board will be amended, and binding means, a device for forcibly stopping vehicles, and a technical barrier will be included in it. In addition, the Bill will also give the Director General of the Tax and Customs Board and the staff of the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences the right to wear the uniform of the Tax and Customs Board.

The sitting ended at 2.29 a.m. on Thursday.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

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

Riigikogu Press Service
Merilin Kruuse
+372 631 6592; +372 510 6179
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Questions: [email protected]