The Riigikogu concluded the second reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Public Procurement Act (170 SE), initiated by the Estonian Reform Party Faction, the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union Faction and the Social Democratic Party Faction. The Bill proposes elimination of the restrictions which narrow the circle of enterprises who can participate in procurement procedures. The Act which is currently in force does not allow public procurement contracts to be entered into with enterprises which have owed tax arrears for more than thirty days within the last twelve months. The Bill allows for organisers of public procurement to make a reasoned decision in the course of a procurement procedure. Contracting authorities will continue to have the possibility to verify, in cases of justified doubt, whether or not participants in the public procurement have tax arrears, during the whole procurement procedure. If arrears are discovered, the tenderer or candidate will be excluded from the procurement procedure, which means sticking to the principle that a procurement contract will not be entered into with persons who owe tax arrears. The final voting is scheduled for Thursday, 13 March. 

On the motion of the Constitutional Committee, the Riigikogu rejected at the first reading the Regional Development Direction Bill (188 SE), initiated by the Estonian People’s Union Faction, which provided planning and implementation of county development, and planning and coordination mechanisms of national development, and was intended to define the procedure for monitoring and assessment of regional development. The result of voting: 41 votes in favour, 27 votes against, 1 abstention. The Bill was withdrawn from legislative proceeding. 

The Riigikogu Press Service