On the motion of the Economic Affairs Committee, the Bill on Amendments to the Public Transport Act (781 SE), initiated by Members of the Riigikogu Kalev Kotkas, Eiki Nestor, Aleksei Lotman, Kalle Laanet, Indrek Saar, Toomas Trapido, Valdur Lahtvee, Marek Strandberg, Aivar Riisalu, Tarmo Kõuts, Ain Seppik, Hannes Rumm, Evelyn Sepp, Mark Soosaar, Sven Mikser, Kalvi Kõva, Jüri Tamm and Kadri Simson, was rejected at the first reading. 46 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 44 voted against, nobody abstained. Thus, the Bill was dropped from the legislative proceeding.

The Act on Amendments to the Medical Devices Act and the Euro Adoption Act (791 SE), initiated by the Government, was passed with 83 votes in favour. The amendments harmonise the Estonian legislation concerning medical devices with amendments to relevant European directives. Among other things, the marketing of measuring medical devices containing mercury intended for lay users is prohibited. The Act provides the obligation of the person who places a medical device on the market, distributes it or puts it into service to notify the Health Board of making available or putting into service of potentially dangerous medical devices. It also regulates in a greater detail the activities related to clinical investigations of medical devices. Clauses 1 24), 26) and 28) and § 2 of the Act enter into force on 1 January 2011 and clauses 19), 20) and 21) enter into force on 1 March 2011.
 
The Act on Amendments to the Railways Act (800 SE), initiated by the Government, was passed with 72 votes in favour. The Act regulates the working and rest time conditions of mobile railway workers engaged in cross-border services within the European Union. Estonian law is brought into conformity with the European Union Directive concerning the development of safe cross-border traffic which helps protect the health and safety of the mobile workers engaged in interoperable cross-border services. The employer will be required to keep and preserve working time records. It also provides the obligation of the Labour Inspectorate to exercise state supervision over compliance with the working and rest time conditions of mobile railway workers engaged in cross-border services within the European Union pursuant to the procedure and under the conditions provided in the Occupational Health and Safety Act. In addition, the Act provides the liability for violation of the working and rest time conditions. Clause 1 5) of the Act enters into force on 1 January 2011.
 
The Consolidated Report of the Economic Year of 2009 of the State (820 OE), initiated by the Government, was approved with 71 votes in favour. According to the Accounting Act, the aim of submitting the annual report of the state is to enable the Riigikogu to exercise its auditing function with regard to the government, provide the government with the opportunity to explain its activities during the accounting year, and submit the information necessary for the Riigikogu to make new resolutions regarding the budget. The consolidated annual report consists of the management report and the annual accounts which in its turn contains the management’s declaration, the consolidated and the unconsolidated annual accounts of the state and additional information concerning local governments, public sector and government sector. The consolidated report includes the audit report of the National Audit Office.
 
The Act on Ratification of the Agreements necessary for Accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (830 SE), initiated by the Government, was passed with 65 votes in favour. With the Act, three agreements relating to accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are ratified: the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development of 14th December 1960 (the OECD Convention), the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Estonia and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on the Privileges, Immunities and Facilities granted to the Organisation and the Agreement on the Terms of Accession of the Republic of Estonia to the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (Accession Agreement). The Act enters into force on the following day after its publication in the Riigi Teataja.
 
On the motion of the Economic Affairs Committee, the second reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Support of Enterprise and State Loan Guarantees Act and the Euro Adoption Act (811 SE), initiated by the Government, was concluded. The amendments increase the maximum amount of loan guarantees for business loans by 500 million kroons because, in the initiator’s words, it no longer meets today’s demand of undertakings and may impede the development of the economy. In addition, the Bill extends the circle of recipients of the guarantee in order to eliminate unequal treatment of financial institutions operating on the leasing services market. The Bill was sent to the third reading.
 
On the motion of the Constitutional Committee, the second reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Obligation to Leave and Prohibition on Entry Act (793 SE), initiated by the Government, was concluded. The transposed European Parliament and the Council of the European Union directive establishes common rules for returning, removing, detaining and applying entry bans with regard to illegally staying third-country nationals, ensuring at the same time protection of the fundamental rights of persons recognised in European Union and international law. The Bill was sent to the third reading.
 
On the motion of the National Defence Committee, the second reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Peace-Time National Defence Act and the Defence Forces Organisation Act (805 SE), initiated by the Government, was concluded. The purpose of the Bill is to update the terminology related to national defence and to rename the current strategic plan for military defence the national defence strategy. The Bill was sent to the third reading.
 
On the motion of the Legal Affairs Committee, the second reading of the Assistant Police Officers Bill (633 SE), initiated by the Government, was suspended. The Act provides the rights, obligations and the sphere of activity of assistant police officers with the aim of involving persons in the activities of the police in order to protect public order and to ensure social security. The second reading of the Bill will continue.
 
On the motion of the Finance Committee, the first reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Financial Supervision Authority Act, the Investment Funds Act, the Credit Institutions Act and the Securities Market Act (834 SE), initiated by the Government, was concluded. The main purpose of the Bill is to harmonise Estonian law with the European Parliament and Council directive on enhancing financial supervision cooperation with the aim of increasing financial stability all over the European Union as a whole. The management of the positions of large exposures (e.g. great loans granted by credit institutions) and the capital qualities of credit institutions is improved by establishing certain requirements for equity capital and securities which have characteristics of debt instruments, and the requirements for liquidity risk management are also improved. The Bill was sent to the second reading.
 
On the motion of the Constitutional Committee, the first reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Local Government Organisation Act (835 SE), initiated by the Government, was concluded. The Local Government Organisation Act is brought into conformity with the legal provisions regulating education requirements. The amendments concern the education requirements set and functions assigned to the rural municipality or city secretary. The Bill was sent to the second reading.
 
On the motion of the Finance Committee, the first reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Notaries Act, the Rescue Act, the State Fees Act, the Fire Safety Act, the Commercial Code and the Euro Adoption Act (833 SE), initiated by the Government, was concluded. The amendments are connected with the adoption of the euro. Notarial acts with fixed fee rates in euro are provided in these Acts. The Bill was sent to the second reading.
 
On the motion of the Constitutional Committee, the first reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Identity Documents Act and Other Acts (844 SE), initiated by the Government, was concluded. The purpose of the Act is to provide in Estonian law the implementation of the European Union residence permit card with a uniform format for third-country nationals. Implementation of the residence permit card as a stand-alone document is compulsory for Estonia. The Bill was sent to the second reading.
 
On the motion of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the first reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Consular Act and Other Acts (824 SE), initiated by the Government, was concluded. The purpose of the Act is to bring the Consular Act into conformity with the Civil Status Acts Act which entered into force on 1 July 2010. The Bill was sent to the second reading.
 
On the motion of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the first reading of the Participation in International Civil Missions Act (829 SE), initiated by the Government, was concluded. The purpose of the Act is to organise the system of participation in civil missions and to create a clear legal basis therefor. The Act is necessary for better organisation of the work within Estonia and it helps clarify the decision-making and regulate the issues necessary for the functioning of the sphere. The Bill was sent to the second reading.
 
 
At Question Time, Prime Minister Andrus Ansip answered Mark Soosaar’s question about equal treatment of residents of Estonia which concerned the connection between islands and the mainland and islands and large islands, and Raivo Järvi’s question about raising of subsistence benefits.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Paet answered Helle Kalda’s question about the debts of Estonia, Inara Luigas’ question about the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in bringing foreign investments to Estonia, and Evelyn Sepp’s question about Estonia and the European Union.
The Minister of Justice Rein Lang answered the question about Eesti Energia and competition, submitted by Lembit Kaljuvee.
 
See the verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian):
 
 
The Riigikogu Press Service
 
 
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