19 April 2006

The Riigikogu passed four Acts:

The Riigikogu passed with 67 votes in favour the Act on Amendments to the Aliens Act and Associated Acts (829 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic, which introduced the notion of long-term resident into the Act. Pursuant to the Act, the issuing of permanent residence permits will be terminated. Aliens, who have permanent residence permits, get long-term residence permits. Pursuant to the Act, there are two kinds of residence permits: a temporary residence permit and a long-term residence permit. Pursuant to the Act, an alien, who applies for a long-term residence permit, must know Estonian at least on a basic level.

The Riigikogu passed with 64 votes in favour the Prosecutor’s Office Act, Penal Code, Code of Misdemeanour Procedure, Code of Criminal Proceedings and Information Society Services Act Amendment Act (791 SE), which brings the Penal Code into conformity with the requirements of the Criminal Law Convention on Corruption. The Penal Code was, among other things, amended with new necessary elements of misdemeanour, pursuant to which commercial manufacturing, forwarding, placement, maintaining, possession or advertising of the equipment or software enabling illegal access to fee-charging service of the information society or to television or radio programme or broadcasting or to the service enabling access to them, are prohibited. The penalty is fine up to 300 fine units.

The Riigikogu passed with 62 votes in favour (1 against) the Metrology Act, State Fees Act and Public Transport Act Amendment Act (852 SE), which introduced into the Act several provisions, proceeding from the Directives of the European Union and which improve and make amendments to the regulation of metrological control of measuring instruments. The positive impact of the Act is quicker movement of measuring instruments from producers to users, due to which the measuring instruments fall in price to some extent.

The Riigikogu passed with 51 votes in favour the Act on the Ratification of the Convention on the Law Applicable to Contractual Obligations and the Protocols Thereto (865 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic. Pursuant to the Act, Estonia acceded to the Convention on the Law Applicable to Contractual Obligations, which was opened for signing in Rome on 19 June 1980. The ratified accession convention also regulates the technical aspects on the accession to the Rome Convention: the appointment of courts with the right to apply for preliminary conclusions, the forwarding of the texts of the agreement and the enforcement provisions.

The Riigikogu concluded the second reading of three Bills:

The Bill on Amendments to the Police Act and Police Service Act and to Other Acts Arising therefrom (500 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic;

The Bill on Amendments to the Radiation Act and State Fees Act (853 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic;

The Foreign Relations Bill (365 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic.

On the motion of the Reform Party Faction, the Riigikogu suspended the second reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act, Private Schools Act, Vocational Educational Institutions Act and Pre-school Child Care Institutions Act (828 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic. The results of voting: 42 votes in favour, 4 abstentions.

The Riigikogu concluded the first reading of two Bills:

The Bill on Amendments to the Copyright Act (866 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic;

The Citizen of the European Union Bill (864 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic.

The Riigikogu withdrew two Bills from legislative proceeding:

The Bill on Amendments to § 28 of the State Pension Insurance Act (839 SE), initiated by Member of the Riigikogu Kadi Pärnits. The result of voting: 49 votes in favour, 26 against.

The Bill on Amendments to the Collective Labour Dispute Resolution Act (841 SE), initiated by the Social Democratic Party Faction. The result of voting: 56 votes in favour, 6 against.

At Question Time Prime Minister Andrus Ansip answered the questions about the transition to Euro, Tallinn – Tartu highway, national defence, healthcare and the administration of the state. Minister of Finance Aivar Sõerd answered the question about state finances.

The Riigikogu Press Service