Riigikogu specified Land Improvement Act
The Riigikogu passed with 83 votes in favour the Act on Amendments to the Land Improvement Act and Associated Acts (189 SE), initiated by the Government, which specifies regulations of the Land Improvement Act and eliminates the failures which have surfaced in the implementation of the Act in practice. The bases for determining land improvement systems and the contents of the data to be entered in the register of land improvement systems are specified in the Act.
The Riigikogu concluded the second reading of five Bills:
The Bill on Amendments to the Probation Supervision Act, the Imprisonment Act and the Courts Act (169 SE), initiated by the Government, with the objective of enhancing the functioning of the prison and probation supervision system by merging organisations which have similar functions and purposes. The amendments to the Imprisonment Act are also intended to ensure that the Act reflects the general development in prison system and the changes in both the execution of imprisonment and prison service.
The Bill on Amendments to the Commercial Code and the Council Regulation (EC) No 2157/2001 on the Statute for a European Company (SE) Implementation Act (186 SE), initiated by the Government, which aims to transpose into the Estonian legislation the directive amending the Capital Requirements Directive. This directive simplifies and updates the Capital Requirements Directive in order to further enhance the efficiency of business activity and competitiveness without prejudice to the protection of shareholders and creditors.
The Bill on Amendments to the Food Act (191 SE), initiated by the Government, which aims to introduce additional items into the list of the food for particular nutritional uses which fall under the requirement that the Veterinary and Food Board be notified of placing of such food on the market.
The Bill on Amendments to § 1028 of the Aliens Act (173 SE), initiated by the Government, which aims to provide the possibility for school students who are third-country nationals residing in the European Union to participate in school trips without visa.
The Bill on Amendments to the Income Tax Act (181 SE), initiated by the Government, with the objective of bringing the procedure for taxation of Estonian enterprises with income tax into full conformity with the European Union directive on parent and subsidiary companies, retaining however a distinctive feature of the income tax system which has been used in Estonia since 2000, that is, postponement of taxation in cases where the profit of a company is used in enterprise. The purpose of the specified directive is to create within the European Community conditions analogous to those of an internal market and to avoid double taxation upon distribution of the profits of a subsidiary in a Member State to a parent company of another Member State. The Estonian Centre Party Faction moved to suspend the second reading. The motion was not supported: 32 votes in favour, 46 against.
The Riigikogu concluded the first reading of the Bill on Determining of Annexes to Convention on Privileges and Immunities of Specialized Agencies of the United Nations applicable to the Republic of Estonia and on Approval of Revised Annexes (187 SE), initiated by the Government. The purpose of the Bill is to provide by an Act the Annexes to the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized Agencies of the United Nations which the Republic of Estonia is going to apply.
At Question Time, the Prime Minister Andrus Ansip answered questions about the state budget and European Union policy. The Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Paet answered questions about closing of Ignalina nuclear station and the situation in Tibet. The Minister of Social Affairs Maret Maripuu answered questions about Estonian Human Development Report and financing of health care.
The Riigikogu Press Service
