Mari-Ann Kelam took the oath of office of the member of the Riigikogu.

 

The Minister of the Environment Jaanus Tamkivi replied to the interpellation concerning sale of the state forest land (No 296), submitted by Members of the Riigikogu Aleksei Lotman, Toomas Trapido, Marek Strandberg, Maret Merisaar and Mart Jüssi on 13 May.

 

Tamkivi explained that an obligation to earn revenue from the transfer of the assets which are unnecessary for the state has been imposed on the Ministry of the Environment by the State Budget Act. This year’s budget sets out the need to obtain such revenue in an amount of 316 million kroons in that regard. The Ministry of the Environment transfers the land which is unnecessary for the state according to the list of immovables subject to transfer approved by the directive of the Minister of the Environment. “At the moment, the transfer list includes 134 land units covered with forest in different regions of the state. As to these registered immovables on the list, auctions of 118 registered immovables have been conducted by today and, at the auctions, interest has been expressed in buying 62 land units covered with forest,” specified Tamkivi. In his words, an additional list of immovables subject to transfer is being prepared on the basis of this year’s second supplementary budget which will also include immovables containing parcels of forest land unnecessary for the sate. “The criteria for selection of the forest land subject to transfer are the following: the forest land is not located at areas with nature conservation restrictions and it does not contain key biotopes; second, the forest land is not subject to joining to the lands in the possession of the State Forest Management Centre and the forest land is not located at mineral deposits of national importance,“ said the Minister of the Environment.

 

Tamkivi also replied to the interpellation concerning a Saaremaa shore highway (No 295), submitted by Members of the Riigikogu Ain Seppik, Tiit Kuusmik, Kalle Laanet, Evelyn Sepp, Lauri Laasi, Mailis Reps, Toomas Varek and Helle Kalda on 11 May, and the interpellation concerning an unlawful landfill (No 299), submitted by Members of the Riigikogu Kalle Laanet, Helle Kalda, Inara Luigas, Kalev Kallo, Toivo Tootsen, Aivar Riisalu and Ain Seppik on 21 May.

 

The Minister of Culture Laine Jänes replied to the interpellation concerning returning of the Neitsitorn (Virgin’s Tower) (No 286), submitted by Members of the Riigikogu Helle Kalda, Kadri Simson, Olga Sõtnik, Lauri Laasi, Marika Tuus, Enn Eesmaa, Toivo Tootsen and Evelyn Sepp on 22 April, and the interpellation concerning the Niguliste Museum-Concert Hall (No 293), submitted by Members of the Riigikogu Helle Kalda, Kalev Kallo, Tiit Kuusmik, Toivo Tootsen, Olga Sõtnik and Lauri Laasi on 7 May.

 

The Riigikogu Press Service