The second reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Veterinary Supervision over Trade in Animals and Animal Products and the Import and Export Thereof Act (1072 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic, was concluded. The purpose of the Bill is to harmonise the text of the Act with the legal acts of the EU and, with the help of changing the wording of some provisions, to simplify the implementation of the Act. As a more extensive change, the possibility is created to import to Estonia animals and animal products on which the European Commission has not established common import requirements and whose supply is marginal (circus animals, invertebrates used in medicine and plant protection etc.) The Bill was sent to the third reading.

The second reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Waste Act (1044 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic, was concluded. The amendments to the Act specify the Waste Act, passed in 2004. The need to make amendments to the Act was caused, on one hand, by the rapid development of the waste management in Estonia during the last years, on the other hand, by several inaccuracies and blanks which emerged during the implementation of the Waste Act and which need to be eliminated. Large part of the Bill consists of the regulatory provisions which involve terminological details and explanatory supplements. The Bill was sent to the third reading.

The first reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Estonian Health Insurance Fund Act, Health Insurance Act and Healthcare Services Organisation Act (1093 SE), initiated by the Estonian Centre Party Faction and Estonian People’s Union Faction, was concluded. The purpose of the Bill is the funding of capital expenditure of healthcare services from the state budget pursuant to the procedure and conditions established by the Government of the Republic. The Bill also makes amendments to the Estonian Health Insurance Fund Act, allowing to take into use the surplus of expenditure of the previous periods in a greater extent than before or in the amount of 50 percent instead of the earlier 20 percent. The changed wording also enables to use that surplus more extensively than for the improvement of availability of the healthcare services which is provided for by the present wording of the Act. The Bill was sent to the second reading.

The first reading of the Bill on Amendments to § 10 (2) of the Environmental Charges Act (1098 SE), initiated by the Environmental Committee, was concluded. The amendment to the Act was due to the need to harmonise it with the Water Act and the rest of provisions regulating the payment of fees for the special use of water in the Environmental Charges Act. The Bill was sent to the second reading.

The Riigikogu Press Service