The Riigikogu passed 28 Acts and discussed lowering the voting age for European Parliament elections

At today’s sitting, the Riigikogu passed 28 Acts. In addition, a Bill to lower the voting age for European Parliament elections passed the second reading.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure and Other Acts (optimisation of court proceedings and public access to court decisions) (560 SE), initiated by the Government. It will make court proceedings more flexible and faster, and resolve the main ways of malicious procrastination, such as absences from hearings without reason, the presentation of surprise evidence during the proceedings and the frequent change of defence counsel.

The Act expands the possibilities of court hearings in situations where the accused evades the court. At present, a hearing cannot normally be held without the accused, but according to an amendment it will also be possible to hold a hearing without the accused being present in the courtroom all the time. The Act provides for the possibility of appointing a substitute defence counsel by way of state legal aid so that proceedings do not remain pending because of substitutions.

The Act also allows parties to agree on aspects in which they do not have a dispute and which do not need to be investigated within the framework of court proceedings; gives the court the opportunity to set a reasonable time for speeches made at court hearings; specifies the rules of adversarial examination to avoid disputes over the order of questioning, and makes it easier to conduct trials via video bridge.

74 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act, and one was against it.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Courts Act and Other Acts (speeding up court proceedings) (854 SE), initiated by the Government. It makes amendments to courts administration, civil and administrative court proceedings, and court fees to speed up court proceedings. The amendments to procedural law are intended to simplify the hearing of simple cases in order to optimise and reduce the workload of the courts. For example, in administrative court procedure, in clear-cut cases, the court will be able to make a decision during the preliminary procedure without holding a hearing.

The aim of the changes to the court system is to streamline court administration and improve the organization of the work and specialization of the courts in order to speed up the hearing of more complex cases. According to the Act, the courts of first instance and the courts of appeal will become independent constitutional institutions alongside the Supreme Court in terms of court administration and budgetary procedure. The strategic management of the court system will be directed by the council of courts, and the day-to-day support services for the courts will be organised by a new court administration service. In order to increase the specialisation of judges, the Act provides for nine areas of specialisation instead of the current two. In addition, the system of lay judges is abolished.

According to the explanatory memorandum, raising the rates for statutory fees in civil and administrative court proceedings will help at least partially cover the increase in operational costs of courts, prevent malicious and non-viable legal recourse applications, and encourage parties to disputes to reach a compromise. Fees will increase by an average of 50 per cent in civil cases, and by an average of 200 per cent for appeals to administrative courts. Less well-off people will retain the opportunity for financial aid, and applicants for international protection will be exempt from statutory fee.

During the proceedings, several amendments were incorporated into the Act, one of which provided that there would be a total of 164 judge positions in district courts, 47 in circuit courts of appeal, and 25 in administrative courts. The amendment will not preclude a temporary increase in the number of judges in exceptional cases provided for by law but will ensure that the normal functioning of the court system is based on a clearly defined number of judges. In addition, the maximum age limit for judges is raised to 71 years and the procedure for extending the age limit is abolished.

During the debate, Ando Kiviberg from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor and Peeter Ernits spoke on behalf of the Centre Party Group.

56 members of the Riigikogu were in favour of passing the Act and eight were against.

The Riigikogu passed the Nuclear Energy and Safety Act (856 SE), initiated by the Government. It establishes a legal framework for the production and use of peaceful nuclear energy in Estonia. The Act sets out the rules for selecting the location of a nuclear power plant and for its construction, testing, and operation, as well as the rules for its decommissioning, and the final disposal of nuclear waste.

The function of the national nuclear regulator, along with all the rights and obligations associated with that role, will be established under the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority. Among other things, a phased licensing system is established for the construction of a plant, consisting of a preliminary assessment, a construction license, a testing license, an operating license, and a decommissioning license. The nuclear regulator will begin operations on 1 January 2027.

The Act also establishes the principle that the developer and operator of a nuclear power plant bears full responsibility for the safety of the facility and for the costs incurred at the end of its life cycle. A national decommissioning fund will be established for the decommissioning of the nuclear power plant; during the plant’s operational life, the operator will contribute funds to it for dismantling the plant and the final disposal of waste. The Act also provides for the principles of nuclear security, physical protection, emergency preparedness, and the implementation of international safeguards.

During the proceedings, the Riigikogu amended the Act by introducing an additional level of political decision-making to the procedure for constructing a nuclear power plant – in addition to the nuclear regulator and the government, the Riigikogu will also have to give its approval when a decision on the construction of a nuclear power plant is made.

Mario Kadastik from the Reform Party Group, Rain Epler from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group and Riina Sikkut from the Social Democratic Party Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.

63 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act, 10 were against and there was one abstention.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on the State’s Supplementary Budget for 2026 (910 SE), initiated by the Government. According to it, state revenues will reduce by EUR 24 million, and expenditures will increase by EUR 4.4 million. Investments will decrease by EUR 1.5 million and the budget for financing transactions will increase by EUR 37.9 million.

The Act will direct EUR 10.98 million in expenses and investments to the projects of the Estonian artificial intelligence development programme Eesti.ai, which, among other things, aim to improve people’s AI skills and make the public sector more efficient. EUR 17 million will be allocated for the construction of the eastern border to pay for contractual obligations already undertaken. The investments of the State Real Estate Ltd and Hexest Materials Ltd are also specified. The allocation to the Estonian Cultural Endowment will be increased by the amount of voluntary payments made to the state budget by gambling operators and the income tax paid on those payments.

The cancellation of the fuel excise duty increase, which started from 1 May, will lead to the largest decrease in revenue, amounting to EUR 36 million. An additional 20 million in dividends will be taken from the net profit of the State Forest Management Centre to increase revenues.

The budget deficit will remain at 4.3 percent of GDP, i.e. at the same level as in the Ministry of Finance’s spring forecast. Next year’s budget deficit will decrease by 0.1 percent of GDP as a result of the proposals.

During the proceedings, an amendment was made to the supplementary budget that increased the single parent’s child allowance from 80 to 100 euros per month as of 1 September. The amendment will result in additional expenditure of EUR 600,000 which will be covered from the budget for IT investments in the area of government of the Ministry of Social Affairs. The additional expenditure will be taken into account when preparing the state budget strategy as of 2027.

Revenues totalled EUR 18.6 billion and expenditures 19.5 billion, while investments totalled EUR 1.3 billion and financing transactions 1.5 billion in the 2026 state budget adopted by the Riigikogu last December.

Andrei Korobeinik from the Centre Party Group, Õnne Pillak from the Reform Party Group, Riina Sikkut from the social Democratic Party Group and Aivar Kokk from Isamaa Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.

49 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act and 31 voted against.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Nature Conservation Act and Other Acts (612 SE), initiated by the Government. It specifies the procedure for placing natural objects under protection and makes derogations in nature conservation restrictions to meet the national defence objectives.

During the proceedings, amendments were made to the Act, the most important of which arise from the Chancellor of Justice’s recommendation to create legal clarity in shore and bank protection. Nature conservation restrictions must be justified and clearly worded. Local governments will gain more decision-making freedom in designating shore and bank protection zones in cities, towns and small towns, which aligns with the direction of the national spatial plan to densify existing densely populated areas.

The Act provides how compensation and mitigation areas will be designated the purpose of which will be to offset the impact of activities that harm a species or habitat. Compensation and mitigation areas will be coordinated with the Environmental Board and entered into the Estonian Nature Information System.

The role of the local government as the entity bringing comprehensive plans into effect is to balance various interests so that construction does not jeopardize the objectives of shore and bank protection. In certain cases, it is necessary to provide for the determination of the value of a plot of land and the forest growing on it.

The Act specifies the extent of the building exclusion zone on banks and shores in areas at risk of flooding. It is specified that all restrictions begin at the shoreline, and if a flooding extends beyond the width of the building exclusion zone established by law, the boundary of the flooding area will be the boundary of the zone. Under the Act, the building exclusion zones of shores and banks may be reduced only with the consent of the Environmental Board outside cities, towns and small towns.

According to the Act, for the purpose of public good, it will be possible to permit, by a discretionary decision which means a lower time and resource cost, sports and recreational facilities intended for public use for which it is not necessary to reduce the building exclusion zone by spatial planning to be built in building exclusion zones, and in the future the local government will decide on permitting them in a building exclusion zone in a city, town or small town. Local authorities may extend the building exclusion zone of a shore or bank by a comprehensive plan.

The Act provides the possibility that nature conservation work does not always have to be carried out with the permission of the Environmental Board in areas important for national defence. For example, restoration of mire habitats may be waived for reasons of national defence if it does not have a major impact on nature conservation and the damage to nature can be mitigated in other ways. During increased defence readiness, mobilisation, demobilisation, state of emergency or state of war, buildings may be constructed in building exclusion zones without the consent of the Environment Board.

The Hunting Act is also amended to allow for the issuance of electronic hunting permits. The management of hunting-related data will be consolidated into a hunting information system.

48 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act, seven were against and there were two abstentions.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Language Act, the statutory fees Act and the Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act (740 SE), initiated by the Government. It centralizes the organization of language learning into the area of administration of the Ministry of Education and Research in order to end fragmentation between several ministries and ensure more functional solutions for society and the labour market.

The purpose of the amendments is to improve compliance with the requirements for the use of the Estonian language and to enhance supervision. Supervision of compliance with language requirements will become stricter and non-compliance levies and fines will be increased. The Act increases the upper limit of non-compliance levy from EUR 640 to EUR 1,280 for private individuals, and to 9,600 for legal entities. The rates of the fines for legal entities for violating the obligation to use the Estonian language are also adjusted. An upper fine limit of EUR 10,000, and up to EUR 15,000 in certain cases with a wider impact, is provided for. Currently, non-compliance levies and fines are small, which often means that non-compliance levies and fines are paid where necessary, but the activity is not corrected.

The amendments introduce a broader definition of the language of administration into the Act. Estonian-language administration will be required in all bodies providing public sector services, as well as in bodies governed by public law, and in municipalities. Thus, administration will be expected to be in Estonian, for example, in universities and municipal councils and committees where discussions will have to be held in Estonian. Exceptions to language requirements remain in place for top specialists and teachers temporarily arriving from abroad in international and foreign-language curricula.

The Act establishes a statutory fee of EUR 50 for taking a language exam at the same level for the third or subsequent time so that the exam is not used as a learning tool. Currently, many appeals are filed in the hope that the exam result will improve. The possibility that the result may also fall is included in the Act.

The distribution of grants and scholarships will also be consolidated into a single system in order to reduce administrative burden and improve the targeting of funding.

During the proceedings, it was decided to specify two historical language varieties of the regional varieties of the Estonian language in the Language Act. The current provision according to which the state promotes the protection, use and development of the regional varieties of the Estonian language is thereby given clearer content. According to an amendment, language varieties that have developed in the historical language areas of North and South Estonia are regional varieties of the Estonian language. In a traditional usage area of a regional variety of the Estonian language, a text in accordance with the Literary Standard may be accompanied by a text of the same content in the corresponding variety.

The motion to amend is based on requests from communities and linguists to grant regional language varieties stronger legislative status and to distinguish between the North Estonian and South Estonian varieties of the Estonian language, while treating all language varieties equally.

Margit Sutrop from the Reform Party Group, Anti Allas from the Social Democratic Party Group, Tõnis Lukas from Isamaa Parliamentary Group and Vadim Belobrovtsev from the Centre Party Group took the floor during the debate.

59 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Building Code and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (743 SE), initiated by the Government. It updates construction law and makes construction and planning processes simpler, faster, and more flexible.

The major amendments concern design specifications. According to the Act, it will no longer be necessary to amend the detailed spatial plan and instead it will be sufficient to specify the design specifications if a smaller outbuilding such as a sauna, shed, or garage is to be added to the plot. It will also be sufficient to specify the design specifications if a person wishes to change the ground projection area or number of floors of a building to be constructed, specify the type of civil engineering works, for example, replace electric heating with ground source heating, or build a shelter next to a new building. Every new building will need to have a shelter in the future.

It is planned to abandon the requirement to apply for a use and occupancy permit in the case of private houses and semi-detached houses. According to the Act, a simplified use and occupancy notice in the register of buildings which reflects the basic data of the building will be sufficient. According to an amendment, the validity of the building notice will be extended to four years. This will mean that, in the event of a delay in construction, it will not be necessary to notify the local government several times.

The Act also introduces changes to the legalization of old buildings in the register. The entry of buildings without a legal basis into the register will become clearer, giving people the opportunity to enter their registered immovables and buildings into the register correctly. The safety of a building will be the prerequisite for legalization for buildings constructed before 1 July 2015, and buildings constructed before 22 July 1995 will automatically be deemed to be legal. In addition, the previous statutory fee of EUR 500 which had to be paid when entering unauthorized buildings into the register is abolished.

During the proceedings, an amendment was made to the Act, specifying the definition of the remodelling of a utility network line or utility work and providing that, among other things, a situation where a utility network line or utility work is demolished and an essentially similar utility network line or utility work is built in its place would also be deemed to be remodelling.

The Act was also amended to include a section that allowed for electronic communications infrastructure to be deployed as part of public roads. The purpose of the amendment is to ensure the cost-effective deployment of electronic communications infrastructure and to exploit the benefits of joint construction. The explanatory memorandum states that this way it will be possible to avoid later additional costs and the possibility that roads that have already been built will have to be rebuilt later.

66 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act and three voted against it.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Consumer Protection Act and the Explosives Act (779 SE), initiated by the Government. Its idea is to protect consumers from unfair commercial practices and to ensure that green-related claims used as sales arguments for products are actually true.

If a trader wants to use claims such as “environmentally friendly,” “biodegradable,” or “energy efficient” when marketing their products, then they will have to prove the truthfulness of their claims and obtain confirmation from an expert. The Act prohibits self-invented sustainability labels and claims that mislead consumers about products’ lifespan and repairability. Labels will have to be based on a certification scheme or be established by public authorities. The Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority, which is already exercising supervision over the use of unfair commercial practices, will begin to exercise supervision.

During the proceedings, the Act was amended to specify that producers and traders may use a corrective label for one year for goods and packaging produced before the entry into force of the new requirements, that is, before 27 September of this year, if the environmental claims or sustainability labels presented on the packaging of goods do not comply with the new requirements.

65 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Act and one was against it.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Postal Act, the Competition Act and the Statutory Fees Act (781 SE), initiated by the Government. It modernizes the Estonian postal market.

In the area of traditional postal services, it is essentially a monopoly market, while there is active competition in courier services. The changing market and international trends necessitate a renewal of the organization and financing of the universal postal service and the requirements applicable to the entire postal market. The Act simplifies the licensing procedure for the provision of postal services and licensing will remain mandatory only for the provision of the universal postal service. Submission of a notice of economic activity will be sufficient for other postal services.

During the proceedings, an amendment was made to the Act which included the service of delivering periodical publications within the scope of the universal postal service. This will ensure that newspapers and magazines are available throughout the country, including in areas where the market does not function and the service is not economically viable. In addition, the establishment of a maximum affordable price for the universal postal service will be abandoned and replaced with a justified price coordinated by the Competition Authority and established by the minister, where the principle of cost-based pricing will be taken into account.

Lauri Laats from the Centre Party Group, Anti Allas from the Social Democratic Party Group and Urmas Reinsalu from Isamaa Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.

49 members of the Riigikogu were in favour of passing the Act and 34 voted against.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Energy Sector Organisation Act (812 SE), initiated by the Government. It implements the European Union regulation on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure.

The Act will enable the creation of a comprehensive overview of the locations of recharging and refuelling points for electric and other alternative fuels and their availability, including whether chargers are currently vacant. This will improve consumers’ ability to plan their movement and will support the development of mobility services and digital solutions.

The amendments concern operators of recharging and refuelling infrastructure as well as providers of digital services that aggregate and display movement information to consumers. The amendment will primarily affect larger energy and fuel companies and infrastructure operators, including Enefit, Eleport, Alexela, Elektrum, Terminal, Neste, Ignitis, and Circle K. They will have an obligation to make infrastructure data available in a standardized manner which will increase their administrative burden to some extent but will improve the quality of services and the reliability of the data.

The Act designates the Transport Administration as the competent authority and proposes the Estonian open data portal as the national access point. The establishment of the national access point function will be funded within the framework of the data management reform of the Estonian Recovery and Resilience Plan.

70 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act, five were against and there was one abstention.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Estonian Public Broadcasting Act (819 SE), initiated by the Social Democratic Party Parliamentary Group and Members of the Riigikogu Jaak Aab, Ester Karuse, Tanel Kiik, Andre Hanimägi and Züleyxa Izmailova. Its aim is to improve the gender balance and political independence of the Estonian Public Broadcasting Council.

According to the Act, the Estonian Public Broadcasting Council will have to include people of both sexes. According to the initiators, representatives of both genders bring different experiences, perspectives, and knowledge to the decision-making process of the council, which reduces the risk of bias and increases the credibility of the Public Broadcasting and its council.

During the proceedings, five amendments were made to the Act, three of which would enhance the political independence of public broadcasting. The Committee amended the Act to include a provision according to which the number of representatives elected from among recognized experts in the field of activity of the Estonian Public Broadcasting on the Supervisory Board would have to exceed the number of parliamentary groups in the Riigikogu by one, in order to ensure the independence of public broadcasting. According to the current Act, four experts are appointed to the council, but there are currently six parliamentary groups in parliament. It is also provided that the Riigikogu must appoint recognized experts in the field to the Estonian Public Broadcasting Council through an open competition.

The Act was also supplemented with a provision according to which a sectoral expert may not be a member of the governing body of a political party, and it was specified what kind of working relationship a council member may have with a media service provider. According to an amendment, a member of the council is not allowed to work in a management position at a media service provider or perform work where he or she can decide on the media service provider’s activities, programme, or editorial content, for example as an editor-in-chief or news director. At the same time, the wording will not prevent individual contributions or participation in discussions.

In addition, the Act was supplemented with the principle according to which members of the council would be remunerated according to their attendance at council meetings. An amendment also provides that if no meeting is held in a calendar month, no remuneration will be paid to members of the council.

Liina Kersna from the Reform Party Group, Martin Helme from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, Urmas Reinsalu from Isamaa Parliamentary Group, Vadim Belobrovtsev from the Centre Party Group and Marek Reinaas from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate. Tanel Kiik made a speech on behalf of the Social Democratic Party Group.

60 members of the Riigikogu were in favour of passing the Act and 25 were against.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Traffic Act (835 SE), initiated by Members of the Riigikogu Valdo Randpere, Madis Timpson and Marek Reinaas. According to it, indication signs must be installed before areas where automated traffic enforcement systems are used.

Currently, there is no uniform and binding legal obligation to inform road users about speed measurements carried out using an automated traffic enforcement system. According to the initiators, this has led to a situation where speed is measured covertly, which undermines the sense of justice and erodes trust in law enforcement.

The aim of the amendment is to ensure the transparency, preventive nature, and legality of traffic enforcement, insofar as the main purpose of speed enforcement is not to punish, but to improve road safety and encourage law-abiding behaviour.

During the debate, Andre Hanimägi took the floor on behalf of the Social Democratic Party Group and Valdo Randpere spoke on behalf of the Reform Party Parliamentary Group.

57 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act and 12 voted against.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Employment Contracts Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (837 SE), initiated by the Government. Its aim is to simplify the rules for the employment of minors so that minors could be employed more flexibly than before and they had better opportunities to gain early work experience and develop work habits. Early work experience helps improve young people’s starting position in the labour market and thereby helps prevent their long-term unemployment in the future.

Under the Act, young people are allowed to work more during school holidays. Under the current rules, a young person may work for half of their school holiday but in the future they will be able to work for up to two months during their summer holiday; they will be able to work for five days during a one-week school holiday and for ten days during a two-week school holiday.

While currently young people, depending on their age, may work in family businesses only in the fields of culture, art, sports, and advertising, according to an amendment, this restriction will disappear and young people will be able to work in family businesses in any field. The period for processing the Labour Inspectorate’s permit required before hiring a minor aged 7–12 is also shortened to allow, for example, the organizer of a youth work camp to quickly hire a young person on the camp’s waiting list if a young person who has been accepted into the camp withdraws from participation in the camp immediately before the work begins. The annual basic leave for minor employees is also brought in line with that of adults—it will be 28 calendar days.

The content of the amendments was significantly expanded during the proceedings. In addition to simplifying the conditions for the employment of minors, the Act was amended by including extensive and fundamental changes to labour law, including the transposition of EU directives, a regulation on wage transparency, and the creation of a salary comparison tool as a new national digital solution. The salary comparison tool will be for voluntary use by employers.

During the debate, Tanel Kiik took the floor on behalf of the Social Democratic Party Group and Signe Riisalo made a speech on behalf of the Reform Party Parliamentary Group.

58 members of the Riigikogu were in favour of passing the Act, one was against and there was one abstention as well.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Credit Institutions Act and Other Acts (governance and operational requirements for credit institutions) (848 SE), initiated by the Government. It updates the governance and operational requirements for credit institutions and investment firms in accordance with the European Union banking package.

The Act specifies the rules for the governance and risk management of banks and establishes clearer requirements for the selection of managers and key function holders as well as for compliance. The system of committees of banks is also streamlined to make their tasks and the formation of the committees clearer. During the proceedings, an amendment was made to the Act that would grant credit institutions additional time to establish the necessary committees and comply with the requirements.

In addition, the Act specifies the rules for bank mergers, the transfer of assets, and the establishment of branches of third-country banks and grants the Financial Supervision Authority additional supervisory tools.

61 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act and two voted against it.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Higher Education Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (849 SE), initiated by the Government. It will strengthen the sustainability of the financing of higher education institutions by providing them with additional opportunities to attract private funding.

According to the Act, higher education institutions will be able to charge tuition fees for studying in Estonian-language master’s programmes lasting less than two years; there are currently 30 such programmes. The Act also allows for requiring reimbursement of student expenses from third-country nationals who come here for doctoral studies. 40 percent of people studying for a doctorate are foreigners, three-quarters of whom are from third countries. Currently, they cannot be charged tuition.

The Act also updates the pharmacy study programme so that it would better meet the needs of the labour market. In the future, the pharmacy study programme can be organised on the basis of separate bachelor’s and master’s study programmes. Currently it is an integrated study. After completing a bachelor’s study programme of assistant pharmacist, graduates can start working in general and hospital pharmacies. In order to work as a pharmacist, they will have to complete a master’s study programme, which will enable them to also assume employment as researchers in pharmaceutical industry.

The regulation of the Higher Education Quality Agency is brought to the level of law and supervision to be exercised over higher education institutions is provided for. The parliament specified by law that the career model for vocational teachers would not be applied in professional higher education institutions in order to avoid duplicative quality assessment in higher and vocational education.

63 members of the Riigikogu were in favour of passing the Act.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Atmospheric Air Protection Act, the Environmental Charges Act and the Statutory Fees Act (861 SE), initiated by the Government. Its purpose is to bring national law into line with the European Union’s updated air quality framework and to reduce the administrative burden on companies with a lower environmental impact as well as the workload of the Environmental Board.

An EU directive establishes stricter air quality limit values than before and specifies requirements for air quality monitoring, data availability, and public information. The implementation of the Act will help improve the living environment of Estonia’s residents, reduce health damage caused by pollution, and meet the EU’s climate and environmental objectives.

The Act mainly introduces new requirements for the state and, to a lesser extent, for local governments. From 2030, operators will have to comply with new air quality limit values, which means that companies will have to assess whether their activities comply with the new air quality limit values and, if necessary, implement measures to ensure compliance. The amendments also concern the role of municipal governments in improving air quality. If air quality limit values or target values are exceeded or there is a risk of them being exceeded, the municipal government will have to draw up an air quality plan or roadmap and involve the operators of emission sources in it.

For making the monitoring and data public, an air quality index is provided which will be based on the methodology of the European Environment Agency and will be updated once an hour. Since stricter air pollution limit values will start to apply to existing 1–5 MWth combustion plants, this will bring about a need to amend the air pollution permits for 449 boiler plants. In this regard, an amendment to reduce bureaucracy is made which will allow small boiler plants to switch to simple registration instead of applying for an air pollution permit.

53 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act, and one was against it.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Electronic Communications Act and the Information Society Services Act (862 SE), initiated by the Government. Its aim is to ensure more effective functioning of criminal proceedings and international cooperation.

The Act transposes into Estonian law a European Union directive that is part of the so-called electronic evidence package. The purpose of the regulation that is part of the package is to enable decisions and orders in criminal proceedings to be submitted to service providers established in other Member States. The purpose of the Directive, however, is to ensure that service providers designate or appoint, as appropriate, either companies or legal representatives to receive and enforce such decisions and orders.

Information on the appointment of companies and representatives will be forwarded to the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority which cooperates with the central authorities of other Member States and the European Commission.

57 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act, and one voted against it.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Administrative Procedure Act and the Public Information Act (866 SE), initiated by the Government. Its aim is to establish a clear and technology-neutral legal framework for automated administrative procedures.

An automated administrative procedure is a procedure in which decisions are made and acts are performed automatically, without direct human intervention, using information technology solutions. Automated procedures are already used in several fields, but there is no explicit legal framework that would define the limits of implementing automated administrative proceedings.

The purpose of the amendments is to ensure the speed, efficiency, and legitimacy of administrative proceedings in order to provide better-functioning and more person-centred services and to strengthen trust in the state. The Act provides for clear notification regarding the functioning of automated administrative procedure so that a person would know why a decision is made regarding them and what options they have to challenge the decision.

46 members of the Riigikogu were in favour of passing the Act, seven were against and there were two abstentions.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Riigi Teataja Act (879 SE), initiated by the Government. It establishes the legal basis for a new database of draft legislation, Sätla, so that the entire life cycle of a legislative act, from its initiation to its publication in the Riigi Teataja, could be followed in a single environment. The new database will make it possible to involve various parties and stakeholders in policy-making at an early stage.

According to the specified wording, the state co-creation environment Sätla is a database where draft legislation and drafts of other documents are prepared and processed, and the relevant procedural information is disclosed until the documents are approved or signed and published in the Riigi Teataja or pursuant to another procedure provided by legislation.

Once the environment is ready, the database will also replace the current draft legislation information system. With the help of the new functions, the officials involved in legislative drafting will save an estimated 1,855 working days per year on technical work. In addition, the new database will support the transition from document-based legislative drafting to a data-based approach, which will improve the usability of data and create conditions for further automation.

56 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act, three were against and there was one abstention.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Securities Market Act and Other Acts (882 SE), initiated by the Government. Its aim is to develop the Estonian capital market, simplify the raising of financing for companies and expand investment opportunities. The amendments are largely based on European Union regulation.

The Act will make going public on the stock exchange more flexible for companies by reducing the requirement for freely tradable shares from 25 percent to 10 percent. If this condition is not met either, the market operator will be able to assess adequacy based on other criteria, such as the number of investors or the market value of the company. This will create an opportunity for more companies to go public.

The availability of investment research is also improved so that investors would have more reliable information. To this end, restrictions on the funding of research reports are eased, and a clearer framework is established for issuer-funded research reports to ensure their transparency.

In addition, the creation of growth markets intended for small and medium-sized enterprises is simplified which will help them raise capital at an earlier stage of development and will support the development of entrepreneurship.

59 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act; one was against and there was one abstention.

The Riigikogu passed the Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control Act (889 SE), initiated by the Government. The new consolidated text of the Act addresses the problems associated with the shortcomings of the previous Act which is more than 20 years old that emerged during the COVID pandemic. The new Act updates the definitions related to infectious diseases, defines a particularly dangerous infectious disease, and establishes requirements for conduct and responsibility in the event of crises related to infectious diseases.

Among other things, the Act will reduce bureaucracy related to vaccination in schools. The Act changes the organisation of the vaccination of children in schools and provides that parents who agree to their child being vaccinated will no longer have to submit a separate written consent to the school nurse. Vaccination remains voluntary, and parents who do not wish to have their child vaccinated may continue to refuse.

The Act abolishes the requirement for a health certificate for catering establishments. The health certificates currently required are formal in nature and may not reflect the real situation or provide protection. Employers remain responsible for preventing the spread of infectious agents and protecting at-risk groups in the workplace.

The Act also increases the protection of people’s health in nursing homes. Infection control requirements are expanded from healthcare institutions to other high-risk environments as well, including 24-hour care facilities, to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

Evelin Poolamets from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, Irja Lutsar from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group and Riina Sikkut from the Social Democratic Party Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.

51 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Act and six were against it.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Estonian Defence Forces Organisation Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (898 SE), initiated by the Government. It aims to improve situational awareness at sea, enhance the measures to protect the restricted military areas of the Defence Forces, and create opportunities and clear terms for involving Allies in Estonia’s state border control and law enforcement activities where necessary.

The Act provides for measures to ensure the Defence Forces’ situational awareness at sea in Estonia’s maritime area. The Defence Forces are granted the right, in the event of an increased threat to the constitutional order or national security, to regulate vessel traffic and to impose restrictions, or to instruct the Transport Administration to do so. A Maritime Safety Commission will be established at the Defence Forces. The rate of the statutory fee for the inspection of vessels is also specified.

The Defence Forces are also provided with better opportunities to protect facilities that are important from a security perspective. Among other things, the extent of the immediate vicinity of a restricted military area of the Defence Forces is defined—300 metres—to expand and more precisely delineate the Defence Forces’ rights to monitor activities there.

58 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Anti-corruption Act, the Penal Code and the Taxation Act (900 SE), initiated by the Government. It specifies the regulation relating to procedural restrictions for officials, including the necessary elements of the crime of violation of a restriction.

The Act formulates more clearly the definitions of “procedural restriction” and “connected person” and amend the procedures for notifying of exceptions and for disclosure. Among other things, it is specified that an official must withdraw themselves even when they are required to make a decision regarding themselves as a private individual or in a matter involving a benefit related to themselves.

Exceptions are created for health care professionals, researchers, and lawyers in cases where the current restrictions unreasonably hinder their professional work. Health care professionals will not have to apply procedural restrictions in respect of connected persons where the provision of a healthcare service does not create a significant undue advantage for them or a person connected to them. Nor will procedural restrictions be applied to attorneys-at-law and assistant attorneys-at-law when they provide legal services, or to employees of public universities and state-owned professional higher education institutions when research results are implemented in practice in the process of knowledge transfer.

The Act specifies the necessary elements of the crime of violation of a procedural restriction so that criminal liability applies only in cases where the conduct of an official creates unequal or unjustified advantages from the point of view of public interest. In addition, the Act imposes an obligation on people who submit declarations of interests to declare their holdings and claims in crowdfunding projects, as well as whether they are beneficial owners of companies.

47 members of the Riigikogu were in favour of passing the Act, seven were against and there was one abstention.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Child Protection Act and Other Acts (901 SE), initiated by the Government. Its aim is to ensure that the assistance provided for children is based on their actual needs and interests and that the provision of assistance is coordinated and transparent.

The amendments will more clearly distinguish between situations where intervention requires a leading role by a local government child protection worker, and cases where support for the child’s welfare can be provided primarily in the area where the child’s difficulties arose. The Act will support networking in child protection and amend the grounds for initiating child protection case management by child protection workers, thereby reducing the workload of child protection workers.

In addition, the Act specifies the duties of child protection workers in assessing a child’s need for assistance and providing assistance to them, including in enforcement procedures regarding the transfer of a child and allowing communication with a child. The Act also specifies the roles of enforcement agents and the police in such enforcement procedures and establishes grounds for suspending enforcement acts in cases where continuing them may harm the child’s well-being.

During the proceedings, an amendment was incorporated into the Family Benefits Act according to which the single parent’s child allowance would increase from the current 80 euros to 100 euros per month, in order to reduce the risk of poverty and help single parents better provide for their children.

Reili Rand from the Social Democratic Party Group, Urmas Reinsalu from Isamaa Parliamentary Group and Signe Riisalo from the Reform Party Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.

70 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Law Enforcement Act and Amendments to Other Acts arising therefrom (role allocation for the monitoring and countering of unmanned vehicles) (902 SE), initiated by the Government. It expands the opportunities for monitoring and countering unmanned aerial vehicles, including drones and balloons, in peacetime.

The Act establishes the allocation of roles among agencies in responding to threats arising from unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as in monitoring and detecting such threats. Among other things, the Act provides which actions and coercive measures various agencies will be authorised to apply in the event of threats posed by unmanned aerial vehicles. The Act also provides for the mutual exchange of information between parties involved in airspace surveillance to create a common surveillance picture.

As a result of the amendments, the Defence Forces will be better able to detect and counter drones with military purposes, as well as actively participate in the monitoring and countering of unmanned aerial vehicles that pose a threat to law enforcement. The Police and Border Guard Board will be able to respond more effectively than before to risks arising from new drone threats.

The Estonian Internal Security Service and the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service is granted the right to counter unmanned aerial vehicles within their fields of activity. The Defence League is also granted the right to respond to dangerous drones in order to protect itself and the facilities under its guard; in the future, it will also be possible to call upon both the Defence Forces and the Defence League to help maintain public order in the case of drone threats at large events.

In addition, the Act creates opportunities for the owners of national defence facilities, particularly companies providing essential services of key importance, to better protect their infrastructure, including by using surveillance equipment. Security firms and internal security service providers responsible for protecting national defence facilities are granted the right to counter drones at the facilities guarded by them and to use special equipment for this purpose.

During the proceedings, several amendments were made to the Act. Amongst other things, a provision was added under which a fine of up to EUR 400,000 can be imposed on a legal person for violating the requirements for operating unmanned aerial vehicles.

66 members of the Riigikogu were in favour of passing the Act.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Estonian Defence Forces Organisation Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (alert duty) (907 SE), initiated by the Government. Its purpose is to regulate alert duty and the tasks performed during it as part of overall defence readiness.

According to the Act, alert duty is defined as a peacetime activity of the Defence Forces, the purpose of which is to keep Defence Forces units in readiness in order to ensure a rapid response to heightened threats and attacks and to repel them, thereby increasing the Defence Forces’ overall preparedness and capability to defend the country.

According to the amendments, conscripts and reservists will be able to perform real service duties while performing their mandatory duty to serve in the Defence Forces, in addition to training. The performance of duties within the framework of standing readiness of the Defence Forces will take place only if the necessary training is available, under the command of an active-duty commander, and on the bases of and pursuant to the procedure provided by law.

The Act also specifies the rights and obligations of conscripts and reservists when participating in alert duty, including the bases for the use of force, direct coercion, special measures, and special equipment. The amendments to the Estonian Defence League Act specify the involvement of the Estonian Defence League in the activities of the Defence Forces.

In addition, the Act makes the procedure for catering conscripts and reservists more flexible and exempts reimbursements for travel and catering expenses related to the performance of national defence obligation from income tax.

During the proceedings, the Act was amended to specify what conditions would need to be met for a conscript or a reservist to be assigned an alert duty task. In order to be assigned such a duty, a conscript or reservist must have previously completed the necessary training in the application of special measures and direct coercion, as well as at least basic military training. According to an amendment, the Commander of the Defence Forces will establish the requirements for the necessary training and the procedure for carrying it out.

Meelis Kiili from the Reform Party Group, Peeter Tali from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group and Urmas Reinsalu from Isamaa Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.

67 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Prosecutor’s Office Act (909 SE), initiated by the Government. It modernizes the organization of the work of the prosecutor’s office, strengthens the management system, and makes the career and accountability system more transparent.

The Act provides that the term of office of the Prosecutor General is limited to a single seven-year period with no possibility of running for a second consecutive term. A five-year term is established for the positions of chief state prosecutors and senior prosecutors, and the possibility is created to transfer prosecutors from one position to another more flexibly within the territorial jurisdictions of district prosecutor’s offices. The Act also creates the possibility of increasing the salaries of prosecutors in Ida-Viru County by up to 20 percent in order to support the retention and recruitment of qualified staff in the region.

The Act provides that filing an appeal to the Supreme Court will require even more serious substantive consideration, as well as the approval of a chief prosecutor and the Prosecutor General in order to improve the organization of the Prosecutor’s Office. The purpose of the amendment is to ensure consistent decisions in criminal proceedings, especially in matters of appeal, which is an institutional responsibility of the prosecutor’s office rather than that of individual prosecutors. In addition, longer probationary periods are established for prosecutors, the procedure for disciplinary proceedings is specified, and new grounds for release from office are provided for.

Urmas Reinsalu from Isamaa Parliamentary Group and Madis Timpson from the Reform Party Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate. Andres Hanimägi made a speech on behalf of the Social Democratic Party Group.

48 members of the Riigikogu were in favour of passing the Act and 14 were against.

The Riigikogu also passed the Act on the Ratification of the Agreement on the Interpretation and Application of the Energy Charter Treaty (921 SE), initiated by the Government. The Act ratifies the Agreement on the Interpretation and Application of the Energy Charter Treaty which was approved by the Government and signed in February of this year.

The purpose of the agreement is to agree among the Member States of the European Union on the interpretation of the Energy Charter in the resolution of international disputes in arbitral tribunals and other dispute resolution bodies.  The agreement aims to ensure the primacy of EU law and to follow the established practice in the application of EU law.

Urmas Reinsalu from Isamaa Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.

50 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Act.

A Bill to lower the voting age for European Parliament elections passed the second reading

The Bill on Amendments to the European Parliament Election Act (lowering of the voting age and the age for standing as a candidate) (414 SE), initiated by 45 Members of the Riigikogu, passed the second reading in the Riigikogu. It will allow people aged at least 16 to vote and people aged at least 18 to stand as candidates in the European Parliament elections from 2029.

While currently people aged at least 18 can vote and people aged at least 21 can stand as candidates in European Parliament elections, the bill will lower the voting age to 16 and the age for standing as a candidate to 18. Estonian citizens, as well as European Union citizens without Estonian citizenship who have their permanent residence in Estonia, have the right to vote and stand as candidates.

With the amendment, the initiators wish to involve more young people than before in the discussion and deciding of European issues. They point out in the explanatory memorandum that, as Estonia’s population is ageing, political engagement and decision-making is increasingly skewed towards the elderly electorate. According to the initiators, the amendment will put youth issues more in the public spotlight, encourage young people to participate in social life as active citizens, as well as help influence European-level decisions concerning young people’s interests, needs, and future.

According to the bill, the amendment will be implemented for the first time in the European Parliament elections in 2029.

Irja Lutsar, Lauri Hussar and Peeter Tali from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group, Hanah Lahe from the Reform Party Group, Urmas Reinsalu from Isamaa Parliamentary Group, Lauri Läänemets, Madis Kallas and Anti Allas from the Social Democratic Party Group and Vadim Belobrovtsev from the Centre Party Group took the floor during the debate. Non-attached Members of the Riigikogu Peeter Ernits and Tanel Kiik also took the floor.

Isamaa Parliamentary group and the Centre Party Group moved to suspend the second reading of the Bill, but the plenary did not support the motion. 14 members of the Riigikogu supported suspension but 47 were against it. Thus, the motion was not supported.

A bill was dropped from the proceedings

The Riigikogu rejected at the first reading the Bill on the Repeal of the Motor Vehicle Tax Act and the Repeal of the Registration Fees for Passenger Cars in the Road Traffic Act (850 SE), initiated by Isamaa Parliamentary Group. It was intended to repeal motor vehicle tax and passenger car registration fees which, in the opinion of the initiators, worsened the economic security of Estonian people and the competitiveness of companies.

Priit Sibul from Isamaa Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.

The Finance Committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 35 members of the Riigikogu supported the rejection, and 12 were against it. The bill was dropped from the legislative proceedings.

The sitting ended at 12.11 a.m.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

Video recording will be available to watch later on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.

Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
+372 631 6356, +372 520 0323
[email protected]
Questions: [email protected]