The Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Paet replied to the interpellation concerning the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (No 109), submitted by Members of the Riigikogu Deniss Boroditš, Kalle Laanet, Lauri Laasi, Mihhail Stalnuhhin, Heimar Lenk, Vladimir Velman, Peeter Võsa, Inara Luigas, Enn Eesmaa, Eldar Efendijev, Tarmo Tamm, Olga Sõtnik, Viktor Vassiljev, Yana Toom, Ester Tuiksoo, Mailis Reps and Kadri Simson on 8 February. 

Paet drew attention to two very important things in the text of the project of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. The document is available on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with explanations. Its Article 4 states that nothing in this Agreement shall require a Party to disclose information, the disclosure of which would be contrary to its law, including laws protecting privacy rights, or international agreements. Second, Article 2 states that each Party shall be free to determine the appropriate method of implementing the provisions of this Agreement within its own legal system and practice. The Minister noted that the introduction of this Agreement repeatedly emphasises the importance of human rights and the importance of all these rights which we have considered very important, and still do, here in Estonia. 

According to Paet’s explanation, accession to this Agreement would not involve any changes in everyday life for people, in comparison to the situation today. “No matter whether they use the Internet, or consume goods or services,” he noted. “There is no need to amend Estonian legislation. The main value of this Agreement is that our authors and our owners of intellectual property rights may be given a greater feeling of security in the countries where copyrights are not so well protected today,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs asserted. 

He noted that an official explanatory memorandum was being prepared in order to take that issue to the Government. Looking at the European Union countries, we can see that 22 countries have signed this document by today. Estonia, however, is among those five countries who have not yet signed it. Paet confirmed that there is definitely no hurrying in this context in Estonia. 

The Minister of Internal Affairs Ken-Marti Vaher replied to the interpellation concerning the sudden increase of the number of violent deaths (No 87), submitted by Members of the Riigikogu Andres Anvelt, Kalev Kotkas, Mart Meri, Karel Rüütli, Sven Mikser, Heljo Pikhof, Indrek Saar, Urve Palo, Rannar Vassiljev, Jaan Õunapuu, Jaak Allik, Eiki Nestor, Kalvi Kõva and Neeme Suur on 9 January. 

The Minister of the Environment Keit Pentus replied to the interpellation concerning the sustainability of the environment in Estonia (No 103), submitted by Members of the Riigikogu Rainer Vakra, Kalle Laanet, Tarmo Tamm, Enn Eesmaa, Inara Luigas, Peeter Võsa, Lauri Laasi, Vladimir Velman, Deniss Boroditš, Valeri Korb, Mihhail Stalnuhhin, Mailis Reps, Viktor Vassiljev and Aadu Must on 6 February. 

On the motion of the Government as the initiator, the first readings of the following three Bills were removed from the agenda for the working week: the Bill on Amendments to the Act on the Accession to the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (160 SE); the Bill on Ratification of the Statute of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) (163 SE) and the Bill on Amendments to the Electricity Market Act and Other Associated Acts (139 SE). 

During the open microphone, Deniss Boroditš took the floor.

The sitting ended at 6.31 p.m.

The Riigikogu Press Service