The Act on Amendments to the International Military Cooperation Act (523 SE), initiated by the Government, which specifies the legal regulation concerning sending of members of the Defence Forces on assignment to an international organisation or to international military headquarters and participation of such members of the Defence Forces in international military operations as members of such headquarters, was passed with 83 votes in favour.

 

The European Union Common Agricultural Policy Implementation Act (540 SE), initiated by the Government, which provides the issues connected with simplification and the health check of the CAP in accordance with the EU law, was passed with 82 votes in favour. The Treaty establishing the European Community gives the legal basis for implementation of the European Union Common Agricultural Policy. The CAP has been created to fulfil its objectives and to guarantee the functioning and development of the common market of agricultural products. The CAP is financed from the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund and the related rural development measures are financed from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

 

The Act on Amendments to the Value Added Tax Act and Associated Acts (551 SE), initiated by the Government, which takes over the amendments to the Council Directive on value added tax concerning determining of the place of creating the supply of services, the procedure for refunding VAT to non-residents, and reporting of intra-Community turnover, was passed with 83 votes in favour. In order to prevent tax evasions with excise goods, 0% taxation rate was imposed on the transactions within excise warehouse, like in customs warehouse and tax warehouse, instead of the current 18% rate. To prevent tax evasions, the Act gives the tax administrator the right to request the provision of security from the handler of excise goods if there is a reason to suspect that the tax liability will not be observed. The Act amends the definition of supply by adding the compulsory purchase of goods.

 

The State Assets Act (437 SE), initiated by the Government, was passed with 84 votes in favour. For ensuring efficiency and making decisions, it is important that information concerning assets belonging to the state and transactions concluded therewith would be available, comprehensive and systematised. According to the new State Assets Act, the Ministry of Finance is the main authority who exercises supervision over the administration and use of state assets. Also, it is the duty of the Ministry of Finance to make proposals to the Government for developing the real estate policy of the state. For exercising supervision and making proposals, the Ministry of Finance needs objective information about the amount and condition of and transactions concerning the state real estate. State authorities as users of assets need an overview of the use of their assets and agreements entered into with regard to it. It is also important that administrators of state assets have an opportunity to forward offers and notices to other administrators of state assets through an electronic channel in order to stop the labour-consuming practice of sending circulars.

 

 

The Mediation Bill (487 SE), initiated by the Government, regulates the principles of conducting of the conciliation procedure in case of both conciliators who are natural persons and state or local government conciliation bodies operating in a permanent institutional form. The Bill regulates conciliation procedure in civil matters.

 

The Bill on Amendments to the Participation in Legal Persons in Private Law by the State Act (591 SE), initiated by the Economic Affairs Committee, is necessitated by the new European Union Directive on internal market in electricity according to which Member States have to ensure the independence of transmission operators from the activities relating to the generation or sale of electricity. In Estonian context, for implementation of the principles of the Directive, Elering Ltd has to be transferred from the ownership of Eesti Energia AS to direct ownership of the state.

 

On the motion of the Legal Affairs Committee, the second reading of the Police and Border Guard Act Implementation Bill (519 SE), initiated by the Government, was suspended.

 

 

the Bill on Amendments to the Infectious Animal Disease Control Act and the Veterinary Activities Organisation Act (600 SE), initiated by the Government;

 

the Bill on Amendments to the Food Act and the State Fees Act (608 SE), initiated by the Government;

 

the Bill on Amendments to the Explosive Substances Act and the State Fees Act (572 SE), initiated by the Government;

 

the European Union Services Directive Implementation Bill (603 SE), initiated by the Government;

 

the Bill on Ratification of the Agreement between the Republic of Estonia and the Isle of Man for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income (590 SE), initiated by the Government;

 

the Bill on Ratification of the Agreement between the Republic of Estonia and the State of Israel for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income and the Protocol Thereto (602 SE), initiated by the Government;

 

the Bill on Amendments to the State Budget of 2009 Act (611 SE), initiated by the Government, introduces amendments to the area of government of the Supreme Court, the Government and ministries. This will not affect the volume of the 2009 budget.

 

At Question Time, the Minister of Finance Jürgen Ligi answered the questions about the state budget, submitted by Kadri Simson and Eiki Nestor. The Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications Juhan Parts answered the question about employment policy, submitted by Mai Treial. The Minister of Agriculture Helir-Valdor Seeder answered the question about additional payments to farmers from the state budget, submitted by Toomas Varek.

 

The Riigikogu Press Service