The Riigikogu approved withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel landmines
At today’s sitting the Riigikogu passed the Act according to which, due to the deteriorated security situation, Estonia withdraws from the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel landmines.
The explanatory memorandum of the Act points out that, since Estonia ratified the Ottawa Convention more than 20 years ago, the security environment in Europe and in the Baltic Sea region has deteriorated significantly and the military threat to NATO member states has increased. At the same time, Russia is continuing its military aggression against Ukraine and is in serious breach of its international obligations, including the standards of international humanitarian law. Russia has not acceded to the Ottawa Convention and is using anti-personnel mines extensively in the war against Ukraine.
There have been discussions in the Baltic States, Finland, and Poland since last autumn whether, alongside other measures that strengthen defence capabilities, the reintroduction of anti-personnel landmines and, consequently, withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention should be considered, and by now all five countries have started the legal procedures necessary to withdraw from the Convention. According to the explanatory memorandum, the countries located on NATO’s eastern flank are sending a clear message that they are ready and able to use all necessary measures to protect their territory and freedom.
According to the explanatory memorandum, withdrawal from the Convention will give the Estonian Defence Forces greater flexibility and freedom to choose the weapons systems and weapon solutions to be used when necessary. The Convention entered into force in 1999, and Estonia acceded to it in 2004. Withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention takes effect six months after giving relevant notice, provided that, on the expiry of that period, the state is not engaged in an armed conflict.
Rene Kokk from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, Peeter Tali from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group, Meelis Kiili from the Reform Party Group, Riina Sikkut from the Social Democratic Party Group and Helir-Valdor Seeder and Tõnis Lukas from Isamaa Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate. Non-attached Members of the Riigikogu Leo Kunnas, Kalle Grünthal and Henn Põlluaas also made speeches.
81 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Act on the Withdrawal from the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (642 SE), initiated by the Government. There was one abstention.
The Riigikogu approved another Act
The Riigikogu also passed the Act on Amendments to the Identity Documents Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (572 SE), initiated by the Government. It strengthens measures to ensure that a national identity document is issued only to the person entitled to it.
The Act creates a legal basis according to which an application for a digital identity card of an e-resident will be returned without review if the applicant is a citizen of a country with a higher risk of money laundering or terrorist financing or with which Estonia has no cooperation relationship in the field of justice, security or law enforcement.
Under the Act, the Police and Border Guard Board will have the right to request a DNA examination if a person applies for an Estonian citizen’s identity document for the first time and a reasonable suspicion arises that a document to enable the establishment of Estonian citizenship issued in a foreign country is not genuine or the underlying data is incorrect.
In addition, the Act creates the possibility of verifying identity through the Estonian open data portal mobile application.
75 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Act and seven were against it. There was one abstention.
The second reading of a Bill was suspended
The purpose of the Bill on Amendments to the Atmospheric Air Protection Act (393 SE), initiated by the Environment Committee, is, on the basis of instructions from the Chancellor of Justice, to more clearly provide the definition of the target value for environmental noise and to eliminate the problems that have arisen in the implementation of the Act.
The implementation of the noise target value may determine whether, for example, residential buildings or buildings with both commercial and residential spaces can be planned in a certain location. The amendment will affect in particular real estate developers and their cooperation with local governments as the bodies who organise the drafting of spatial plans and with the Health Board as the body who approves spatial plans.
According to the data of the European Environment Agency, high levels of environmental noise affect more than 300,000 people in Estonia. According to the explanatory memorandum, observance of the target values of noise will help ensure that the health risks of Estonian inhabitants due to noise are minimised in spatial planning.
The Environment Committee has made amendments to the Bill which specify the original noise regulation and better formulate the content, nature, and implementation of the noise target value. The committee had decided to move to suspend the second reading of the Bill so that the members of the Riigikogu could also submit their motions to amend the new version of the Bill.
Priit Sibul from Isamaa Parliamentary Group and Yoko Alender from the Reform Party Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
The second reading of the Bill was suspended on the motion of the lead committee. The deadline for submission of motions to amend is 5.15 p.m. on 18 June.
Riigikogu rejected eight drafts
The Riigikogu did not support the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Making a proposal to the Government of the Republic to initiate a Bill to amend the Traffic Act to give local governments the right to restrict or prohibit the use of rental personal light electric vehicles and light mopeds” (618 OE), submitted by Isamaa Parliamentary Group. It was intended to give the government the task of drafting and submitting to parliament a bill that would give municipalities the right to restrict or prohibit the use of rented personal light electric vehicles and light mopeds within their territory. According to the proposers, this would allow municipalities to better regulate traffic congestion and safety and, where necessary, reduce the excessive number of rental personal light electric vehicles, light mopeds, and bicycles in high-traffic areas and on narrow pavements.
During the debate, Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart took the floor on behalf of the Centre Party Group and Aivar Kokk on behalf of Isamaa Parliamentary Group.
At the final vote, 22 members of the Riigikogu supported the draft Resolution. A majority vote of the members of the Riigikogu, that is, at least 51 votes in favour, would have been needed for it to be passed. Thus, the Resolution was rejected.
The purpose of the Bill on Amendments to the Environmental Charges Act (615 SE), initiated by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, was to ensure that wind turbines have equal bases for environmental impact assessment, given that the technical parameters of onshore wind turbines, i.e. height and capacity, have reached the level of offshore wind turbines. The bill would have established a 20-kilometre area of influence for all wind turbines at least 250 meters high, regardless of whether they are located at sea or on land.
During the debate, Andres Metsoja took the floor on behalf of Isamaa Parliamentary Group, Peeter Ernits on behalf of the Centre Party Group, Rain Epler on behalf of the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group and Yoko Alender on behalf of the Reform Party Parliamentary Group.
The lead committee moved to reject the Bill. 45 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 18 voted against. Thus, the motion was supported, and the Bill was dropped from the legislative proceedings.
The Bill on Amendments to the Industrial Emissions Act (628 SE), initiated by Isamaa Parliamentary Group, was intended to establish the obligation to apply for and hold an integrated environmental permit also for developers and operators of renewable energy production capacities, such as wind farms. According to the initiators, in recent years, a large number of planning initiatives have been launched in Estonia for the development of renewable energy capacities, which is why their impact on local residents and the environment should be better assessed than before.
The lead committee moved to reject the Bill. 41 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 11 voted against. Thus, the motion was supported, and the Bill was dropped from the legislative proceedings.
The Bill on Amendments to the National Audit Office Act, the Political Parties Act and Other Acts (body to monitor the financing of political parties) (599 SE), initiated by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, was intended to transfer the task of controlling the funding of political parties, election coalitions and individual candidates from the Political Parties Financing Surveillance Committee to the National Audit Office, in order to ensure more professional control over the funding of the activities of political parties.
During the debate, Mart Helme took the floor on behalf of the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group and Helir-Valdor Seeder on behalf of Isamaa Parliamentary Group.
The lead committee moved to reject the Bill. 43 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 19 voted against. There was one abstention. Thus, the motion was supported, and the Bill was dropped from the legislative proceedings.
The purpose of the Bill on Amendments to the Public Health Act (617 SE), initiated by Member of the Riigikogu Kalle Grünthal, was to provide for a year-round permanent time zone in Estonia, including to end the transition to daylight saving time. According to the initiator, changing the clocks has a number of negative effects on public health.
During the debate, Anti Poolamets took the floor on behalf of the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, Signe Riisalo on behalf of the Reform Party Group and Aivar Kokk on behalf of Isamaa Parliamentary Group.
The Reform Party Group moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 42 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and ten voted against. Thus, the motion was supported, and the Bill was dropped from the legislative proceedings.
The Bill on the Repeal of the Increases in the Excise Duties on Energy Carriers (627 SE), initiated by Isamaa Parliamentary Group, was intended to repeal excise duty increases on energy carriers so as not to worsen the economic security of Estonian residents and the competitiveness of businesses in a situation of rapid price increases. The Bill was intended to cancel excise duty increases on liquefied petroleum gas, diesel fuel, shale-derived heating oil, natural gas, motor natural gas, electricity, unleaded petrol, and other fuels subject to the same rate of excise duty as unleaded petrol.
The lead committee moved to reject the Bill. 42 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and nine voted against. Thus, the motion was supported, and the Bill was dropped from the legislative proceedings.
The Bill on Amendments to the Traffic Act (regulation of personal light electric vehicles, light mopeds and cycles) (614 SE), initiated by Member of the Riigikogu Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart, was intended to give local governments the right to limit the number of personal light electric vehicles, light mopeds and cycles for rent and lease within their territory. The bill would also have given municipalities more rights to regulate cooperation with rental companies. According to the initiator, the amendments would reduce the number of accidents involving personal light electric vehicles and light mopeds and ensure a city space where it would be safe for pedestrians as well as people riding bicycles, light mopeds, and personal light electric vehicles to move around.
Vadim Belobrovtsev took the floor on behalf of the Centre Party Group during the debate.
The lead committee moved to reject the Bill. 42 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 15 voted against. Thus, the motion was supported, and the Bill was dropped from the legislative proceedings.
The Bill on Amendments to the Traffic Act (616 SE), initiated by the Social Democratic Party Parliamentary Group and Members of the Riigikogu Andre Hanimägi, Jaak Aab, Tanel Kiik and Ester Karuse, was intended to expand the possibilities of local governments to regulate the sharing and use of personal light electric vehicles, light mopeds, and bicycles in urban areas. To achieve this, the bill was intended to give municipalities the right to establish a limit on the number of vehicles a company may provide for use in their territories, as well as the minimum age for persons to whom a company would be allowed to grant use of a vehicle. According to the initiators, the amendments would contribute to greater road safety and the sensible and safe use of public space.
The lead committee moved to reject the Bill. 39 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 12 voted against. Thus, the motion was supported, and the Bill was dropped from the legislative proceedings.
The sitting ended at 11.04 p.m.
Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)
Video recording of the sitting will be available to watch later on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.
Riigikogu Press Service
Merilin Kruuse
+372 631 6592; +372 510 6179
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