The Riigikogu passed an Act to speed up spatial planning proceedings
The Riigikogu passed two Acts at today’s sitting. One of them will simplify and speed up spatial planning proceedings and the other amends the taxation of remunerations upon the provision of services between private individuals.
The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Planning Act and an Act to Implement the Building Code and the Planning Act (683 SE), initiated by the Government. It will simplify and speed up spatial planning proceedings.
The amendments will enable local governments to respond to developments more quickly and flexibly, to terminate outdated and stalled spatial plans, and to reduce formal and time-consuming obligations. For example, in future, the effect of a detailed spatial plan will automatically expire if no development activity is started on the basis of it within 10 years. If the period of effect still needs to be extended, this can be done without a new public procedure.
The Act abolishes municipal designated spatial plans which have so far been used, for example, in the planning of wind farms and in the future such construction works with a significant impact can be planned on the basis of detailed spatial plans. While the average processing time for a municipal designated spatial plan has been four years, the same result can be achieved in an average of 2.2 years with a detailed spatial plan. At the same time, the stage of approving county-wide spatial plans will be omitted.
Several amendments were included in the Act during the proceedings which would allow the authority that organises spatial planning work to set a reasonable deadline for carrying out an operation in spatial planning proceedings where it has not been provided for in law or other legislation. Provisions preparing for the introduction of a new information system of spatial plans on the basis of which the collection and storage of personal data would begin to take place were also included. In the future it will be possible to send mass notifications about the initiation of spatial plans and other procedural operations related to spatial plans to people within planning areas and the impact areas thereof through an information system being established in order to ensure better engagement.
The amendments give the Land and Spatial Development Board the right to monitor the timeliness of the activities of both local governments and other authorities that organise spatial planning work and authorities, as well as the activities of local governments in conducting spatial planning proceedings by requesting information and, if necessary, issuing precepts to eliminate wrongfulness and unjustified delays. In addition, the obligation to take into account utility lines and civil engineering works in both comprehensive spatial plans and detailed spatial plans is specified and the setting of a deadline for making decisions to bring detailed spatial plans into effect or to refuse to do so, as well as the inclusion of the possibility of amending detailed spatial plans are provided for. Among other things, the amendments that were planned to abolish the obligation to publish notices concerning spatial plans in nation-wide and county newspapers were abandoned.
Amendments were also introduced into the Act which leave the arrangement of the creation of national designated spatial plans and county-wide spatial plans within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications and provide that, upon failure to comply with a precept issued by the Land and Spatial Development Board in the course of administrative supervision, the upper limit for the non-compliance levy is EUR 9,600.
Evelin Poolamets from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group and Tarmo Tamm from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
51 members of the Riigikogu were in favour of passing the Act, seven were against and there was one abstention.
The Riigikogu also passed the Act on Amendments to the Social Tax Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (860 SE), initiated by the Government. It amends the rules for the taxation of remunerations where a service is provided on the basis of a contract under the law of obligations entered into between private individuals.
The current procedure provides that if a private individual purchases services, such as housing maintenance and repair services and childcare services, on the basis of a contract under the law of obligations from another private individual, they must enter the person providing the service in the employment register, submit an income tax and social tax declaration, and pay social tax and social insurance contributions on the remuneration. The Act eliminates these obligations and imposes the obligation to pay social tax and social insurance contributions, similarly to income tax, on the recipient of the service fee.
The burden on non-resident employers will also be reduced by exempting them from registration and tax obligations if their employee is staying in Estonia for a short period and the employer does not have a permanent place of establishment here. The amendments are primarily aimed at digital nomads, as well as short-term performers, trainers, athletes, and film crew members.
Martin Helme from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group and Aivar Kokk from Isamaa Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
47 members of the Riigikogu were in favour of passing the Act and 17 voted against.
Six Bills passed the second reading
The State of Crisis and National Defence Bill (668 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the second reading in the Riigikogu. Its aim is to increase crisis preparedness by creating a unified legal space. The Bill will combine three existing crisis law acts—the Emergency Act, the State of Emergency Act and the National Defence Act—into a single whole in order to improve crisis preparedness and the resolution thereof.
The bill will increase clarity regarding roles during a crisis, i.e., who does what during a crisis. This way, state agencies, municipalities, critical entities, and other critically important companies will know their role in preparing for and resolving crises. The principle remains that everyone prepares to perform their duties in different crises, and crisis resolution also begins at the same level.
The Prime Minister, as the head of the crisis situation, will intervene in the performance of crisis tasks by agencies if the decision affects the achievement of the goal of resolving the crisis situation or the unity and coordination of the government’s activities in resolving the crisis situation. In terms of military defence, the Defence Forces will have greater freedom of action in the event of an immediate threat, including in order to bring allies to Estonia more quickly.
According to the bill, local governments will be assigned specific crisis tasks. They will include ensuring the provision of essential services such as water supply, sewage disposal, district heating, and road maintenance; preparing evacuation sites and supporting evacuation; providing essential social and educational services; and informing local residents.
To increase clarity of roles, the government will create a nationwide crisis plan that will bring together preparations for and resolution of crises, and on the basis of which other agencies will draw up their own plans.
During the proceedings, extensive amendments were introduced into the bill, including amendments to several chapters and provisions, as well as the title and the date of entry into force of the bill. According to an amendment, the bill will enter into force on 1 October instead of 1 July so that the executive branch has time to prepare the necessary implementing acts.
Among other things, the bill was amended to include the responsibilities of the Riigikogu and the President of the Republic, the existing national security concept was transformed into a security strategy, and the composition of the National Defence Council was specified. The procedure for the appointment of the Commander of the Defence Forces will also change: in the future, the appointment of the Commander of the Defence Forces will require the consent—that is, substantive and binding approval—of the National Defence Committee of the Riigikogu, preceded by a presentation by the candidate for Commander of the Defence Forces before the plenary assembly of the Riigikogu. Among other amendments, a separate chapter on the treatment of prisoners of war was included in the bill.
Meelis Kiili from the Reform Party Group, Kalev Stoicescu from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group, Lauri Läänemets from the Social Democratic Party Group and Urmas Reinsalu from Isamaa Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
Isamaa Parliamentary Group moved to suspend the second reading of the Bill, but the plenary did not support the motion. 11 members of the Riigikogu supported suspension of the deliberation but 53 were against.
The Bill on Amendments to the Study Allowances and Study Loans Act and the Credit Institutions Act (767 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the second reading in the Riigikogu. It will make the student loan system more flexible and student loans more available to students.
The bill will abolish the requirement for a surety or an immovable property guarantee when applying for a student loan from September 2026, so that young people who have so far not been able to find a suitable surety can also apply for a loan. Instead of guarantee, the loan applicant’s payment behaviour will be assessed in the future, and if they have not fulfilled their other obligations to the bank or another lender, the bank may refuse to grant a student loan.
The bill will also make loan terms more favourable. According to the Bill, the interest rate for student loans will be up to 1.5 percent instead of the current up to three percent, plus six-month Euribor. The state will continue to guarantee both the maximum student loan rate, which is up to EUR 6,000 from this academic year, and the interest payable.
While until now a student loan had to be repaid within twice the standard period of study, according to the bill, the term will be extended four times, and the maximum repayment period will increase from 20 to 25 years. A longer repayment period makes it possible to reduce monthly loan payments and spread the financial burden over a longer period. Currently, about 1,800 students take out student loans annually, which is four percent of potential recipients of loan. The number of recipients of loans is expected to increase as a result of the amendments.
Parliament incorporated specifications into the bill at the second reading to more clearly regulate the transition to the new student loan system. An amendment provides that student loan agreements concluded before the 2026/2027 academic year will generally remain valid under the terms in force at the time they were concluded. However, if the repayment obligation has not yet arisen for a recipient of a loan, they may, by agreement with the credit institution, transfer their agreements to the new regulation. A person for whom the repayment obligation has already arisen and who has not continued their studies will not be granted such a right, but they retain the option to change the interest rate by agreement with the credit institution.
Madis Kallas from the Social Democratic Party Group, Helle-Moonika Helme from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group and Vadim Belobrovtsev from the Centre Party Group took the floor during the debate. Non-attached Member of the Riigikogu Jaak Valge also took the floor.
The Bill on Amendments to the Fishing Act (859 SE), initiated by the Rural Affairs Committee, passed the second reading. Its aim is to ensure the sustainable use of the fish stocks of Lake Peipus, Warm Lake and Lake Pskov and to avoid situations where fishing is concentrated in unsuitable conditions solely due to a general restriction on vessel departures.
Currently, a total of up to 600 fishing vessel departures per year are allowed on Lake Peipus, including 300 using small-mesh fishing gear and 300 using large-mesh fishing gear, under an intergovernmental agreement. However, the individual quotas implemented from 2023 have shown that the general cap on departures is not compatible with the new system: it can create pressure to catch the allowed catch as quickly as possible, which in turn increases the risk of overfishing, discards, and concealment.
The bill will specify the data to be entered in the commercial fishing register, the conditions for issuing fishing authorisations and how departures to water areas with fishing gear will be counted. The amendments will allow fishermen to better choose when to fish based on weather and water conditions and reduce the need to fish as quickly as possible for fear of reaching the overall quota. The new fishing arrangement is planned to be implemented from the second half of 2026.
At the second reading, among other things, the exercise of the right to add a fishing vessel was specified in the bill and the validity of this right was extended to 66 months, including providing clarity on the retroactive application of the right. The distribution of fishing capacity was also specified, and clearer grounds were established for determining the number of departures to waters with fishing gear and how that was calculated, distinguishing them from fishing opportunities. In addition, the principles for allocating additional fishing opportunities were adjusted to better take into account the actual fishing usage by operators.
The Bill on Amendments to the Health Services Organisation Act and the Medicinal Products Act (886 SE), initiated by the Social Affairs Committee, passed the second reading. According to it, health care professionals will be given the right to prescribe medicinal products subject to medical prescription to themselves in exceptional circumstances for routine treatment of minor illnesses and for continuation of the treatment of previously diagnosed chronic diseases. The Act currently in force allows health care professionals to prescribe medicinal products subject to medical prescription only for the treatment of other persons.
According to the explanatory memorandum, the amendment is based on the presumption that, even when treating themselves, healthcare professionals must act professionally on the basis of the treatment guidelines in place, the regulations governing medicinal products, and the requirements of professional ethics. Health care professionals will have to assess the limits of their competence as objectively as possible even when treating themselves and, if necessary, turn to another health care professional as a patient.
The Bill will include a provision delegating authority in the Medicinal Products Act under which the minister will be able to establish the list of active substances of medicinal products that health care professionals will be able to prescribe to themselves as patients on a restricted basis or will be prohibited to prescribe to themselves as patients.
Diana Ingerainen from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
The Bill on Amendments to the Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Imprisonment Act (773 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the second reading. It will allow for vacant prison spaces in Estonia to be leased to foreign countries. According to the bill, prison sentences imposed by foreign courts can be enforced in Estonian prisons if a relevant international agreement has been concluded. The parliaments of both countries will have to ratify the agreement.
According to the explanatory memorandum, the maintenance of Estonian prison buildings is too costly as they are emptying out. Prison rental would help keep prisons operating, ensure jobs for trained prison staff, and reduce the state’s cost of maintaining empty prison spaces by making them generate revenue for the state budget.
According to the bill, it will be possible to take a prisoner to serve their sentence in an Estonian prison if similar crimes are punishable under Estonian law, the sentence to be enforced is not unreasonably severe, and the period between the entry into force of the court judgment and the start of its enforcement does not exceed three years. At the same time, the bill provides that the regulation for early release will not apply to foreign prisoners.
Lea Danilson-Järg and Urmas Reinsalu from Isamaa Parliamentary Group, Helle-Moonika Helme, Rene Kokk, Martin Helme, Evelin Poolamets, Siim Pohlak and Anti Poolamets from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group and Stig Rästa from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
Isamaa Parliamentary Group and the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group moved to suspend the second reading of the Bill, but the motion was not supported. 16 members of the Riigikogu supported suspension but 43 were against it.
The Bill on Amendments to the Code of Civil Procedure and the Law of Obligations Act (transposition of the directive on the protection from strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs)) (865 SE), initiated by the Government, also passed the second reading in the Riigikogu. It will transpose into Estonian legal space the directive on the protection from strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs).
The aim of the new regulation is to safeguard freedom of expression and protect democratic debate from strategic court proceedings against public participation. Until now, it has been difficult to distinguish strategic lawsuits against public participation from regular defamation lawsuits, which is why the European Union directive provides courts with clearer criteria for identifying manifestly unfounded claims.
The bill will give courts specific tools to stop malicious proceedings at an early stage. In the future, the court will be able to immediately dismiss an evidently unfounded claim, with all procedural costs being borne by the plaintiff, and the defendant gaining the right to claim compensation for damages caused by an abusive lawsuit. The court will also have the right to impose a fine of up to EUR 9,600 on the plaintiff and to publish the court decision along with the plaintiff’s personal data.
In addition, the bill will establish protection against third countries, which means that Estonian courts will not recognize, for example, court judgments made in Russia if they result from SLAPPs.
Annely Akkermann from the Reform Party Group took the floor during the debate.
11 Bills and draft Resolutions passed the first reading
The Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Approval of “The National Security Concept of Estonia”” (908 OE), submitted by the Government, passed the first reading in the Riigikogu. The draft Resolution will approve the updated National Security Concept of Estonia which describes the deteriorated security environment, the principles of Estonia’s security policy, and the actions necessary to counter threats and mitigate risks.
The national security concept sets goals for strengthening Estonia’s security in five areas: social cohesion and civil protection, economic security and essential services, internal security, military defence, and international engagement. The document addresses security based on the principle of comprehensive national defence, places greater emphasis than before on civil protection, and provides, among other things, that Estonia’s military defence expenditures must continue to be at least five percent of GDP.
The Riigikogu will decide the approval of the National Security Concept, drafted by the Government, in two readings. The Riigikogu adopted the last National Security Concept at the beginning of 2023.
The first reading of the draft Resolution began at yesterday’s sitting but was adjourned due to the end of working hours. Today the deliberation continued with the debate. Vladimir Arhipov from the Centre Party Group, Urmas Reinsalu from Isamaa Parliamentary Group and Lauri Läänemets from the Social Democratic Party Parliamentary Group participated. Alar Laneman made a speech on behalf of the Reform Party Parliamentary Group.
The Bill 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, passed its first reading. It will expand the opportunities for monitoring and countering unmanned aerial vehicles, including drones and balloons, in peacetime.
The Bill will establish 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 Bill provides which actions and coercive measures various agencies will be authorised to apply in the event of threats posed by unmanned aerial vehicles. The Bill 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 Bill will create opportunities for the Police and Border Guard Board to respond more effectively than before to risks arising from new drone threats.
Under the Bill, the Estonian Internal Security Service and the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service will be granted the right to counter unmanned aerial vehicles within their fields of activity. The Defence League will also be 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 Bill will create 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 will be granted the right to counter drones at the facilities guarded by them and to use special equipment for this purpose.
Andre Hanimägi took the floor on behalf of the Social Democratic Party Group in the debate. Urmas Reinsalu from Isamaa Parliamentary Group and Kristo Enn Vaga from the Reform Party Parliamentary Group also took the floor.
The Bill on Amendments to the Alcohol Act and Other Acts (reduction of bureaucracy) (853 SE), initiated by the Government, passed its first reading. Its purpose is to reduce the administrative burden on economic operators in various sectors.
According to the explanatory memorandum, alcohol retail trade companies, communications undertakings, transporters of explosives, travel agencies, manufacturers and importers of precious metal articles, and, with regard to the amendments concerning the Consumer Disputes Committee, all traders who provide services to consumers or sell goods, will be released from observing excessively bureaucratic requirements. In addition to reducing requirements, the Bill will amend several statutory fees.
Amendments to the Alcohol Act will, among other things, eliminate the requirement for sales areas for the retail sale of alcoholic beverages in e-commerce and at public events, and replace the obligation to have a cash register with a requirement to record the times of transactions. In the Electronic Communications Act, the validity periods of radio and frequency licenses will be harmonised, and reporting requirements will be reduced. The amendments to the Explosives Act will simplify the procedure for the domestic transport of explosives by replacing the licence obligation with a notification requirement.
In addition, the Bill will enhance the work of the Consumer Disputes Committee, make the registration of sponsor’s marks for precious metal articles a one-time process, and simplify the procedure for travel companies for submitting documents to the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority.
The Bill on Amendments to the Planning Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (express lane for strategic investments) (906 SE), initiated by the Government, passed its first reading. It will establish an accelerated procedure for strategically important investments to make the implementation of large-scale projects in Estonia faster and more predictable. The aim of the amendments is to strengthen the competitiveness of Estonia’s investment environment, support the attraction of foreign investment, the development of the defence industry, energy security, and the achievement of climate goals.
The Bill will establish criteria for determining the strategic investment status and create special procedures for projects whose location has not yet been finalised or that fit into existing spatial plans. The Bill will also simplify national designated spatial planning procedures: the separate initiation phase will be eliminated, duplicate assessments will be reduced, and earlier and more flexible environmental impact assessment will be allowed for.
In addition, the Bill will create a single point of contact for strategic projects, which will coordinate proceedings and monitor compliance with deadlines.
Tarmo Tamm from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
The Bill on Amendments to the Animal Protection Act and the Veterinary Act (899 SE), initiated by the Government, passed its first reading. It will prohibit the permanent keeping of dogs on chain, and zoophilia, in order to protect animal welfare, and increase the sanctions provided for violations of the Animal Protection Act.
The Bill will ban the keeping of dogs permanently on chain from 1 January 2027. As an exception, those who have kept their dogs on chain until now and cannot safely let them off the chain may continue this until 2032.
The Bill will establish stricter requirements for animal shelters, which will be subject to an operating license requirement from 2028. Among other things, the Bill will specify what data a shelter will have to provide to a new owner of an animal.
The Bill will also specify the role of a veterinarian in performing euthanasia on an animal and explicitly prohibit zoophilia and the production and distribution of material depicting it. The Bill will also increase the sanctions provided for violations of the Animal Protection Act.
Tiit Maran from the Social Democratic Party Group took the floor during the debate.
The Bill on Amendments to the Anti-corruption Act, the Penal Code and the Taxation Act (900 SE), initiated by the Government, passed its first reading. It will specify the regulation relating to procedural restrictions for officials, including the necessary elements of the crime of violation of a restriction.
The Bill will formulate 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 will be 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.
The Bill will create exceptions for health care professionals, researchers, and lawyers in cases where the existing 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 Bill will specify the necessary elements of the crime of violation of a procedural restriction so that criminal liability will apply 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 bill will impose 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.
Ando Kiviberg from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
The Bill on Amendments to the Child Protection Act and the Code of Enforcement Procedure (901 SE), initiated by the Government, passed its first reading. Its aim is to ensure that the assistance provided for children would be based on their actual needs and that the provision of assistance would be 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 Bill 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 Bill will specify 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 Bill will also specify the roles of enforcement agents and the police in such enforcement procedures and establish grounds for suspending enforcement acts in cases where continuing them may harm the child’s well-being.
The Bill on Amendments to the Estonian Defence Forces Organisation Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (898 SE), initiated by the Government, passed its first reading. It aims to improve situational awareness at sea, enhance the measures to protect the restricted military areas of the Defence Forces, and create opportunities to involve Allies in border guard and law enforcement.
The Bill provides for measures to ensure the Defence Forces’ situational awareness at sea in Estonia’s maritime area. According to the Bill, the Defence Forces would be granted the right to regulate vessel traffic in the event of an increased threat and to impose restrictions, or to delegate the relevant task to the Transport Administration. A Maritime Safety Commission will also be established at the Defence Forces.
The Bill will also provide the Defence Forces with better opportunities to protect facilities that are important from a security perspective. Among other things, the immediate proximity of the restricted military area of the Defence Forces will be defined to expand the Defence Forces’ rights to monitor the activities there.
In addition, the Bill will establish clear conditions for involving Allies in Estonian border guard and law enforcement activities where necessary.
Kalev Stoicescu from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group and Meelis Kiili from the Reform Party Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
The Bill on Amendments to the Estonian Defence Forces Organisation Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (alert duty) (907 SE), initiated by the Government, passed its first reading. Its purpose is to regulate alert duty and the tasks performed during it as part of overall defence readiness.
According to the bill, 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, 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 bill will also specify 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 will specify the involvement of the Estonian Defence League in the activities of the Defence Forces.
In addition, the bill will make the procedure for catering conscripts and reservists more flexible and exempt reimbursements for travel and catering expenses related to the performance of national defence obligation from income tax.
During the debate, Kalev Stoicescu took the floor on behalf of Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group and Alar Laneman spoke on behalf of the Reform Party Group.
The Bill on Amendments to the Cybersecurity Act (897 SE), initiated by the National Defence Committee, passed the first reading. It will specify the terms used in the Act following the transposition of the Network and Information Security Directive 2 as well as the scope of the implementation of security measures for network and information systems.
The Bill will harmonise the terms of the Network and Information Security Directive 2 and the Cybersecurity Act and will provide parties with a clearer understanding of the scope of the Information System Authority’s supervision regarding network and information systems. In addition, with the bill, the security requirements established by the implementing regulation of the directive will be more clearly linked to the services covered by the implementing regulation.
The European Union’s Network and Information Security Directive 2 transposed into Estonian law aims to harmonize the rules for managing cyber threats and enhance the level of cybersecurity in the EU.
The Bill on Amendments to the Anti-corruption Act (851 SE), initiated by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, also passed the first reading. It will expand the scope of the data to be disclosed in declarations of interests in order to increase transparency in the exercise of public authority.
The bill provides that, in their declarations of interests, officials will also have to provide data about which organizations registered in Estonia or other countries they belong to and whether they hold citizenship of any other country in addition to Estonian citizenship. According to the initiators, the amendment will help the public better understand the background of those exercising public authority and better assess their possible ties to organizations and other countries.
Anti Poolamets from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group took the floor during the debate.
A bill was dropped from the proceedings
The Riigikogu rejected at the first reading the Bill on Amendments to the Alcohol, Tobacco, Fuel and Electricity Excise Duty Act and the Value-Added Tax Act (844 SE), initiated by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group. It was intended to lower the excise duty on petrol, diesel, gas, and fuel oil to the European Union minimum rate and to lower the VAT rate on foodstuffs to five per cent. According to the initiators, the aim of the bill was to reduce the decline in purchasing power caused by the rise in fuel prices and to curb the rise in foodstuff prices.
The Finance Committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 35 members of the Riigikogu supported the rejection and eight were against. Thus, the Bill was dropped from the legislative proceedings.
The sitting ended at 12.04 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]
