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The Act on Approval of Annex 9 to the International Convention on the Harmonisation of Frontier Controls of Goods (269 SE), initiated by the Government, was passed with 32 votes in favour. The aim of this Annex to the Convention is to facilitate international trade. Annex 9 contains mainly obligations which aim to reduce delays at railway border crossing points. This includes establishing minimum requirements for border (interchange) stations, cooperation between countries at such stations, moving the control from the border to the stations of departure and destination, reducing the time spent on controlling, reducing paper documents and using the CIM/SMGS railway consignment note as a customs document.

On the motion of the Constitutional Committee, the second reading of the Bill on Implementation of Regulation (EU) No 211/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council “On the Citizens’ Initiative” (276 SE), initiated by the Government, was concluded. The aim of the Bill is to determine at the national level the government authorities who will perform the obligations arising from the Regulation on the citizens’ initiative, and at the same time to determine the procedural bases for that purpose. The institution of the citizens’ initiative has been introduced into European Union law under Article 11(4) of the Treaty on the European Union. Regulation (EU) No 211/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the citizens’ initiative was adopted on 16 February 2011. That procedure affords citizens the possibility of directly approaching the Commission with a request inviting it to submit a proposal for a legal act of the Union for the purpose of implementing the Treaties similar to the right conferred on the European Parliament and on the Council under relevant Articles of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The Bill was sent to the third reading.

On the motion of the Finance Committee, the second reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Income Tax Act (275 SE), initiated by the Government, was concluded. The aim of the Bill is to eliminate unequal treatment of investment funds which has been highlighted by the European Commission within the framework of an infringement procedure which has revealed a difference in the taxation of real estate income received by contractual investment funds established in countries of the European Economic Area and the respective income received by comparable Estonian funds. With the amendments, the taxation conditions are harmonised. The Bill was sent to the third reading.

On the motion of the Economic Affairs Committee, the second reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Planning Act, the Immovables Expropriation Act and the Nature Conservation Act (247 SE), initiated by the Government, was concluded. The aim of the proposed amendments is to enhance and accelerate the processing of the county plans of infrastructures (line constructions) passing through several local governments. The Bill releases local governments from the obligation to transfer immovables occupied by buildings, as provided for in the Planning Act, and provides that, if a need to transfer appears, then either an agreement is entered into under the Law of Obligation Act, or the Immovables Expropriation Act is applied. This will help prevent the situations where local governments refuse to concert such plans and to enter the location of a line construction in the comprehensive plan because this may bring along a situation where a local government will have to unjustifiably transfer an immovable while the obligation to transfer should lie with the person interested in the construction of the line construction planned by the plan. The Government has set as its aim the acceleration of the processing of land use permits in the case of large infrastructure projects, and one of the aims of the Government is also to improve the functioning of the legal system. The Bill was sent to the third reading.

On the motion of the Finance Committee, the Bill on Amendments to the Value Added Tax Act (292 SE), initiated by the Estonian Centre Party Faction, was rejected at the first reading. 47 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion to reject and 30 members voted against. The Bill was dropped from the legislative proceeding.

On the motion of the Economic Affairs Committee, the Bill on Amendments to the Electricity Market Act (296 SE), initiated by Rainer Vakra, Lembit Kaljuvee, Inara Luigas, Deniss Boroditsh and the Social Democratic Party Faction, was rejected at the first reading. 48 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion to reject and 32 members voted against. The Bill was dropped from the legislative proceeding.

On the motion of the Social Affairs Committee, the Bill on Amendments to the Health Care Services Organisation Act (277 SE), initiated by the Social Democratic Party Faction, was rejected at the first reading. 43 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion to reject and 26 members voted against. The Bill was dropped from the legislative proceeding.

On the motion of the Economic Affairs Committee, the Bill on Amendments to the State Assets Act (301 SE), initiated by the Estonian Centre Party Faction, was rejected at the first reading. 39 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion to reject, 15 members voted against and one member abstained. The Bill was dropped from the legislative proceeding.

The Riigikogu Press Service

 

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