The Riigikogu appointed members to the Supervisory Board of the National Library, the Public Broadcasting Council and the Supervisory Board of the National Opera
The Riigikogu passed three Resolutions on the appointment of members to Supervisory Boards and a Council
The Resolution of the Riigikogu “Appointment of Members of the Supervisory Board of the National Library of Estonia” (21 OE), submitted by the Cultural Affairs Committee, provides for the appointment of members of the Riigikogu Signe Kivi, Mihhail Lotman and Peeter Rahnel and recognised experts of the operating areas of the National Library of Estonia Andres Kollist and Priit Pirsko as members of the Supervisory Board of the National Library of Estonia.
The Supervisory Board of the National Library of Estonia is the highest directing body of the national library which is composed of seven members. Three members of the Riigikogu and two recognised experts of the operating areas of the national library are appointed to the Board by the Riigikogu on the proposal of the Cultural Affairs Committee with the term of authority of four years.
85 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the passage of the Resolution.
The Resolution of the Riigikogu “Appointment of Members of the Estonian Public Broadcasting Council from among Members of the Riigikogu” (19 OE), submitted by the Cultural Affairs Committee, provides for appointment of members of the Riigikogu Viktoria Ladõnskaja-Kubits, Jevgeni Ossinovski, Valdo Randpere, Urmas Reitelmann and Marika Tuus-Laul as members of the Council.
Under the law, the Riigikogu appoints one representative from each faction of the Riigikogu until the date of termination of the authority of the composition of the Riigikogu to the Estonian Public Broadcasting Council on the proposal of the Cultural Affairs Committee. No acknowledged experts in the field of activity of Public Broadcasting are appointed by the Resolution as their authority continues for five years.
72 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the passage of the Resolution.
The Resolution of the Riigikogu “Appointment of Members of the Supervisory Board of the National Opera” (20 OE), submitted by the Cultural Affairs Committee, provides for the appointment of members of the Riigikogu Enn Eesmaa, Helle-Moonika Helme and Urve Tiidus as members of the Supervisory Board of the National Opera.
The supervisory board of the National Opera composed of eleven members is the highest directing body of the national opera. The Riigikogu appoints three of them from among the members of the Riigikogu by its Resolution on the proposal of the Cultural Affairs Committee. The supervisory board also includes two members appointed by the Minister of Culture, one member appointed by the Minister of Education and Research, one member appointed by the Minister of Finance, one member appointed by the Council of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, one member appointed by the management board of the Estonian Theatre Union, one member appointed by the management board of the Estonian Composers’ Union and one member appointed by the management board of Estonia Society.
67 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the passage of the Resolution.
The Riigikogu concluded the first reading of four Bills
The Bill on Amendments to the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Prevention Act and the State Fees Act (8 SE), initiated by the Government, will amend the requirements for the licensing of providers engaged in exchange services between virtual currencies and fiat currencies as well as custodian wallet providers, in order to reduce the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing and the commission of other crimes associated with such services.
Under the Bill, the Financial Intelligence Unit will check the background and suitability of the members of the management board of the company, including whether they have an impeccable reputation, when processing an authorisation relating to virtual currency. The registered office, the location of the management board, and the place of business of the company will also have to be located in Estonia. Foreign companies will have to open a branch in Estonia to apply for authorisation.
According to an amendment made by the Bill, the state fee for an authorisation relating to virtual currency will be raised from 345 euro to 3,300 euro. The proceedings for granting or refusing to grant an authorisation will be extended from 30 working days to three months.
Virtual currency means a value represented in the digital form (e.g. bitcoin), which is digitally transferable, preservable or tradable and which traders mutually accept as a payment instrument, but that is not the legal tender of any country.
Companies that already hold an authorisation have time until 31 December this year to bring their activities into conformity with the requirements of the Act and to submit additional data to the Financial Intelligence Unit.
The Bill on Amendments to the Waste Act, the Act on Amendments to the Waste Act, and the Act on Amendments to the Waste Act and Other Associated Acts (15 SE), initiated by the Government, will bring the Waste Act into conformity with European Union law.
The Bill will amend the Act on the basis of the relevant EU directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Based on the directive, the Waste Act will be amended by introducing the term “waste electrical and electronic equipment”, and the terms “medical device” and “in vitro diagnostic medical device” will be specified.
The Bill will amend the provisions of the Waste Act on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. It will also amend the provisions concerning the placing on the market thereof which are connected with the hazardous substances used in equipment. In the European Economic Area, it is prohibited to place on the market electrical and electronic equipment and its components containing lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, cadmium and, starting from 22 July 2019, also certain phthalates. The Bill will specify the definition of components of electrical and electronic equipment which also covers cables and spare parts for its repair, its reuse, updating of its functionalities or upgrading of its capacity.
Under the Resolution of the Riigikogu “Formation of the Riigikogu Study Committee to Further the Development of Estonian Language Instruction” (3 OE), submitted by the Estonian Centre Party Faction, the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction and the Faction Isamaa, the task of the committee is to examine the current state of the fundamentals of national policies, sectoral development plans and programmes relating to the Estonian language, and to make proposals to ensure high-quality Estonian language instruction through preparation of high-quality teaching aids, curricula and methodologies.
Under the Resolution of the Riigikogu “Formation of the Riigikogu Study Committee to Solve the Demographic Crisis” (4 OE), submitted by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction, the Estonian Centre Party Faction and the Faction Isamaa, the task of the committee is to shape the population policy of Estonia, with a view to guaranteeing the preservation of the Estonian people, the Estonian language and the Estonian culture through the ages.
At today’s sitting, the substitute members of the Riigikogu Signe Riisalo and Rein Suurkask took their oaths of office.
Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian):
Video recordings of the sittings of the Riigikogu can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/riigikogu
(NB! The recording will be uploaded with a delay.)
Riigikogu Press Service
Gunnar Paal,
+372 631 6351, +372 5190 2837
[email protected]
Questions: [email protected]
