Riigikogu supported resumption of legislative proceeding of Act on monopolies
At today’s extraordinary session, the Riigikogu decided not to repass in unamended form the Act on Establishing Price Limits on Monopolies which the President of the Republic had refused to proclaim and to make amendments to the Act. 91 Members of the Riigikogu were against the motion – to repass the Act in unamended form – which was put to a vote. Nobody voted in favour and nobody abstained.
The Economic Affairs Committee decided at its sitting this morning that motions to amend this Act can be submitted today within two hours after the end of the plenary session, that is, until 1.30 p.m. The Committee will meet to discuss the amendments at 3 p.m.
The Riigikogu plenary assembly will meet to resume deliberation of this Act on Tuesday at 10 a.m. In case the second reading of the Act on Establishing Price Limits on Monopolies will be concluded on Tuesday, a third session for the third reading of this Act will be held one hour after the conclusion of the second reading.
The purpose of the Act on Establishing Price Limits on Monopolies is to amend the District Heating Act, the Public Water Supply and Sewerage Act and the Penal Code such that better protection of consumers would be secured in the price formation of providers of universal service and undertakings in a dominant position.
When he had refused to proclaim the Act, the President of the Republic had pointed out that the application mechanism of the Act needed improvement in what regarded the charges for connection to public water supply and sewerage system and establishing of the prices of the water service before implementation of the requirements of the Act on Establishing Price Limits on Monopolies because the Act would leave water undertakings free hands to establish the prices unilaterally for nearly half a year. The President also drew attention to the fact that the Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications would be granted rights with the establishment of the terms and conditions of contracts of district heating that should be regulated in an Act and not by a Regulation of the Minister.
The motives of the President of the Republic are available at
http://www.president.ee/et/ametitegevus/otsused.php
The Riigikogu Press Service
