The Riigikogu concluded the first reading of five Bills: 

The Bill on Amendments to the Traffic Act (217 SE), initiated by the Government, provides establishing of a register of Defence Forces vehicles.  According to the new regulation, all state registers must be established by an Act or on the basis of an Act and they are included in the state information system. As the basis for establishing a register of Defence Forces was discarded with the repealing of Databases Act, it is provided in the Traffic Act now.

The Bill on Amendments to the Pressure Equipment Safety Act, the Gaseous Fuel Safety Act, the Machinery Safety Act, the Lifts and Cableway Installations Safety Act and the Electrical Safety Act (220 SE), initiated by the Government, eliminates several problems which have appeared in the Acts during implementation.  The major amendments fall into four areas: recognition of competence acquired in a foreign state in Estonia; the right of undertakings of other Member States of the European Union to provide services in an area of activity regulated in Estonia (so-called temporary provision of services); bringing the activities of authorities assessing and attesting the conformity of persons into conformity with the new standard for certification of persons which has entered in force in the meantime, and correction of the provisions concerning state supervision.

The purpose of the Bill on Accession to the Convention between the Kingdom of Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Kingdom of Spain, the French Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Republic of Austria on the stepping up of cross border cooperation, particularly in combating terrorism, cross border crime and illegal migration (233 SE), initiated by the Government, is to enable more rapid exchange of information between the contracting parties in the prevention, combating and investigation of crimes.  Among other things, the Convention covers the establishing of national DNA registers and data exchange. The national DNA register was established in Estonia by the Government Regulation of 14 December 2006. The Institute of Forensic Services of Estonia is the authorised processor of the register.

The objective of the Bill on Amendments to the Youth Work Act and the Hobby School Act (232 SE), initiated by the Government, is to promote the opportunities to participate in hobby activities and hobby education for children and young people.  Pursuant to the Bill, an annual support is allocated from the state budget to the rural municipality and city budgets for partial covering of the costs of institutions offering hobby education and hobby activities. The Bill gives parents the right to submit an application for compensation of the hobby activities of their child to the local government. There are 212 000 children of 6 to 19 years of age at present, according to the data of the Estonian population register. About 50 per cent of them participate in hobby activities. The objective of the so-called hobby group funds system to is to achieve at least 75 per cent involvement of children and young people.

The purpose of the Bill on Amendments to the Broadcasting Act (241 SE) is to specify certain aspects in the issuing of broadcasting licences and to create more favourable conditions for holders of broadcasting licences as they switch from analogue transmission to digital transmission of their programmes. 

At Question Time, the Minister of Agriculture Helir-Valdor Seeder answered the question about sale of state assets, submitted by Karel Rüütli  , and the question about small enterprises in rural areas, submitted by Arvo Sarapuu. The Minister of Culture Laine Jänes answered the question about financing of the capital of culture, submitted Enn Eesmaa. The Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Paet answered the question about international support to the integrity of Georgia, submitted by Raivo Järvi.

The Riigikogu Press Service