The Riigikogu passed four Acts and appointed experts to the Estonian Public Broadcasting Council

At Wednesday’s sitting, the Riigikogu passed four Acts, appointed new members to the Estonian Public Broadcasting Council who are experts and decided to begin to amend the Churches and Congregations Act which the President had refused to promulgate.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Unemployment Insurance Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (519 SE),   initiated by the Government. According to it, the payment of unemployment allowance is terminated. In the future, in the event of job loss, a registered unemployed person will be paid either income-based unemployment insurance benefit or the new basic rate unemployment insurance benefit. The current unemployment insurance benefit is renamed income-based unemployment insurance benefit and the conditions for receiving it are not changed.

Basic rate unemployment insurance benefit will be granted to a person who has worked for at least eight months during the 36 months preceding their registration as unemployed. The benefit will be paid for up to 180 days and its amount will be 50 percent of the minimum remuneration in the previous calendar year – this year the benefit would therefore be EUR 374.5 per month. People who do not meet the requirements for the benefit will be able to apply for a subsistence benefit from their local government.

According to the forecast, the implementation of the Act will increase costs by EUR 2.3 million in 2026, because the unemployment allowances granted before 2026 and basic rate unemployment insurance benefits granted under the new system will be paid at the same time. In 2027 and 2028, there will be cost savings of around EUR 23.2 million and around EUR 25.3 million, respectively. The amendments are scheduled to enter into force on 1 January 2026.

In addition, the Act is intended to solve the problem raised by the Chancellor of Justice that a student up to the age of 24 living separately from their family can be paid subsistence benefit only in the case when their family is granted subsistence benefit in the previous or current month. An amendment creates the possibility to exceptionally pay subsistence benefit to a pupil or student up to the age of 24 who lives separately from their family even if their family has not been awarded a subsistence benefit but the pupil’s or student’s relations with their family members have broken or the parents of the pupil or student lack the ability to support their child.

An amendment made during the proceedings includes among the exceptions for calculating the amount of work ability allowance the possibility of including a situation where, in one calendar month, a person is paid both the previous month’s remuneration and, upon termination of the employment contract or service relationship, the remuneration earned in the same month which would normally have been paid in the following month. A person can apply for a recalculation of work ability allowance if they prove to the Unemployment Insurance Fund that their income exceeds 90 times the daily rate because, in one calendar month, they have been paid both the previous month’s remuneration and, due to the termination of their employment contract, the remuneration earned in the same month but not yet paid. For a person’s work ability allowance to be recalculated, they will have to submit to the Unemployment Insurance Fund an application and a certificate from the employer showing the remunerations received and the type of remunerations, and an extract from the employment contract showing the agreed time of receipt of remuneration.

During the debate Tanel Kiik took the floor on behalf of the Social Democratic Party Group, Andrei Korobeinik on behalf of the Centre Party Group and Signe Riisalo on behalf of the Reform Party Parliamentary Group.

49 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act, 28 voted against and there was one abstention.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Hunting Act (553 SE), initiated by Isamaa Parliamentary Group. Its purpose is to give the Environmental Board the right to organise hunting all year round to prevent damage caused by wild game. Until now, the Act enabled the Board to organise hunting outside the hunting season to prevent damage caused by game. However, during the hunting season, the Board cannot currently organise game hunting, including the hunting of problem individuals, after the hunting quota is filled.

During the proceedings, an amendment was also made according to which, if necessary, wounded game can also be tracked outside the hunting area where the wound was inflicted, with a hunting permit issued by the hunting area. When capturing game, monitoring data will also have to be submitted for only one permit. In this case, the user of the hunting area will have the obligation to ask for the consent of the other hunting area for tracking and killing the game, in order to avoid getting involved in a driven hunt in the other hunting area when tracking the wounded game.

Andres Metsoja from Isamaa Parliamentary Group, Tiit Maran from the Social Democratic Party Group and Yoko Alender from the Reform Party Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.

83 members of the Riigikogu were in favour of passing the Act and one voted against it.

The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Electricity Market Act (556 SE), initiated by the Government. It changes the concept of the charge for connection to the network. Under an amendment, half of the connection costs of the producers who wish to connect to the existing electricity network will be covered by electricity consumers and the other half by those connecting to the network, and a fixed price list is established separately for those connecting to the network. According to the explanatory memorandum, this will allow potential producers and consumers to better predict their costs relating to connecting to the electricity network. In places where there is no existing electricity network, the cost-based connection charge continues to apply.

Second, the Act expands the scope of the development obligation for Elering, as well as for other electricity network operators, which will allow, in particular, investments to be made in the transmission network in order to meet the renewable electricity target set by the Estonian state for 2030.

In order to facilitate optimal network use, the provisions relating to the application of the network under-utilisation charge are specified and, in certain cases, modifications to a previously requested electricity generation technology are allowed where this leads to a more efficient use of the electricity network. According to an amendment made during the proceedings, in the future it, will be permitted to change the technology if this does not increase generation-oriented capacity and the new electricity generation technology is based on fuel combustion, hydrogen, or storage. The length restriction that has previously applied to the construction of a direct line is also eliminated. According to the explanation of the amendment, the investor makes a final decision on the construction of a direct line on the basis of commercial considerations.

An amendment was also incorporated into the Act, according to which the producer will have to use at least 95 percent of the generation capacity specified in the connection contract instead of the previous 100 percent in order to avoid underutilization charge. According to the explanatory memorandum, flexibility is provided because achieving a 100-percent contracted capacity is difficult for producers. The amendment will reduce undue risk for producers but will still require near-maximum utilization of generation capacity.

Rain Epler from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, Mario Kadastik from the Reform Party Group, Aleksei Jevgrafov from the Centre Party Group and Aivar Kokk from Isamaa Parliamentary Group   took the floor during the debate. Jaak Aab made a speech on behalf of the Social Democratic Party Group.

58 members of the Riigikogu were in favour of passing the Act and 29 voted against.

The Riigikogu also passed the Act on the Accession to the Statutes of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance  (559 SE),  initiated by the Government. It provides for accession to the Statutes of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance so that Estonia can formally become a member of the Institute.

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) is an intergovernmental organization established in Stockholm in 1995. Its objectives are to promote democracy and to improve and consolidate democratic electoral processes worldwide. The Council of the Institute approved Estonia’s accession at the end of 2021, and since then Estonia has participated in Council sessions and events. IDEA has 35 members and two parties who have observer status.

Varro Vooglaid from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group took the floor during the debate.

50 members of the Riigikogu were in favour of passing the Act, 12 voted against and there was one abstention.

A Resolution was passed

The Riigikogu passed the Resolution of the Riigikogu “Appointment of Members of the Estonian Public Broadcasting Council from among the Acknowledged Experts in the Field of Activity of the Estonian Public Broadcasting” (643 OE), submitted by the Cultural Affairs Committee. Paavo Nõgene and Raul Rebane are appointed as members of the Estonian Public Broadcasting Council as acknowledged experts.

The amendment is due to the fact that the mandates of Peeter Espak and Viktor Trasberg, who were appointed as members of the council in 2020, will expire on May 27. The authority of the two remaining members who are experts – Chairman of the Council Rein Veidemann and Sulev Valner – began in 2022 and will continue until 2027.

The Public Broadcasting Council includes a representative from each parliamentary group of the Riigikogu until the date of termination of the authority of the composition of the Riigikogu and four experts from among the acknowledged experts in the field of activity of Public Broadcasting whose authority continues for five years.

Mart Helme from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, Reili Rand from the Social Democratic Party Group and Peeter Tali from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group   took the floor during the debate.

50 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Resolution and 11 were against it.

The Churches and Congregations Act will be amended

Today, the Riigikogu did not pass again without amendments the Act on Amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act (570 UA) which the President had refused to promulgate. It was decided to begin to amend it.

At the renewed deliberation of the Act, Chairman of the Constitutional Committee Ando Kiviberg, and member of the Legal Affairs Committee Andre Hanimägi made reports. The proposal of both committees to the Riigikogu plenary was not to pass the Act without amendments. The committees considered it necessary to make the necessary specifications to the Act, taking into account the President’s views, and to bring the Act into line with the Constitution.

Lauri Läänemets from the Social Democratic Party Group, Martin Helme and Varro Vooglaid from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, Vadim Belobrovtsev and Vladimir Arhipov from the Centre Party Group and Helir-Valdor Seeder from Isamaa Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate. Non-attached Member of the Riigikogu Peeter Ernits also took the floor.

At the plenary, no member of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act again without amendments and 85 voted against. As the Riigikogu did not pass the Act again, the deadline for submission of motions to amend it was set, which is 5.15 p.m. on 28 May, and the further proceedings on the Act will continue pursuant to the general procedure under the steering of the Legal Affairs Committee.

The Riigikogu originally adopted the Act on 9 April. Among other things, the Act was intended to ensure that religious organisations operating in Estonia cannot be used to incite hatred or violence. According to the explanatory memorandum, Estonia stands up for freedom of religion and everyone has the freedom to choose whether to follow a religion and which religion to follow. However, in addition to respecting freedom of religion, belief, and association, the state must also take into account the challenges that threaten national security and the security of society.

According to the Act, a church, congregation, or monastery operating in Estonia may not be guided in its activities by a person or association located in a foreign country and having significant influence. Nor may it be linked by statute, contract, or other documents, or economically, to a religious association, spiritual centre, governing body, or spiritual leader located in a foreign country if they pose a threat to the security or constitutional or public order of the Estonian state. Such a threat may occur, among other things, when a spiritual centre, governing body, spiritual leader, person, or association supports or has supported military aggression or has called for war, a terrorist crime, or otherwise unlawful use of armed force or violence.

The Act also specified who can serve as a minister of religion or be a member of the management board of a religious association in Estonia. A person who is not allowed to reside or stay in Estonia cannot be a minister of religion or a member of the management board of a religious association. In addition, the requirements for the statutes of a religious association were specified and the possibility was created to leave a church whose activities, statutes, or membership of the management board do not meet the requirements established. For this, the congregation or monastery will have to adopt new statutes and after that it will be possible to enter the amendments complying with the requirements into the register without the approval of the governing body of the church, in so far as obtaining such approval may not be realistic.

The President did not promulgate the Act on 24 April, considering that the restriction on religious freedom and freedom of association it created was not proportionate. He saw it necessary to discuss the Act again and to bring it into conformity with the Constitution.

Two Bills passed the second reading

The Bill on Amendments to the Social Benefits for Disabled Persons Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts  (561 SE),  initiated by the Government, passed the second reading in the Riigikogu. It will raise the upper age limit for a disabled child from 16 to 18 years of age, which means that it will be possible to determine the degree of severity of disability in children up to the age of 18, and the assessment of work ability will start from the age of 18.

The amendment will ensure equal treatment of children which at the same time will also be more understandable for parents because in the future a child will be a person under the age of 18 in the Child Protection Act, the Social Benefits for Disabled Persons Act as well as the Work Ability Allowance Act. The amendment is in line with the amendment to the Education Act, according to which a child is obliged to study until the age of 18.

The Social Affairs Committee made an amendment to the Bill for the second reading which will maintain the possibility for 16- and 17-year-olds to be placed on the waiting list for special care services, in order to provide greater reassurance to young people and their families. To this end, a provision intended to repeal the possibility of placing young people aged 16 or over on the waiting list was omitted from the Bill. Both the Estonian Chamber of Disabled People and the Association of Estonian Cities and Municipalities had drawn attention to the need for change.

In the future, the Social Insurance Board may continue to enter a person entitled to receive the service who is at least 16 years of age in the waiting list for a special care service if a need for the special care service has been established upon assessment of the person’s need for support.

Riina Solman Isamaa Parliamentary Group, Helmen Kütt from the Social Democratic Party Group and Signe Riisalo from the Reform Party Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.

The Bill on Amendments to the Securities Market Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (588 SE), initiated by the Government, also passed the second reading. It will transpose the European Union directive aimed at promoting gender balance in the management of listed companies. According to the Bill, in order to encourage gender balance, the general meeting of a listed company will have to approve one of two targets: at least 40 percent of the members of the supervisory board or at least 33 percent of the members of the management board and the supervisory board will have to be of the less represented gender. The chosen target will have to be met by mid-2026 and the Financial Supervision Authority will have to be notified thereof.

In Estonia, the proportion of women on the boards of listed companies has consistently been one of the lowest in the EU, while for example in Latvia the proportion of women has almost doubled over the past decade. In Denmark, the proportion of women in the management bodies of organisations is 40 per cent and in Germany, Sweden, and Finland the figure is over 33 per cent. In Estonia, the share of women among directors is one tenth.

The European Commission believes that, for successful governance, it is important that both women and men are represented in the decision-making circle. A diversity of talents, experience, and skills helps to make better decisions, improves corporate governance, and fosters economic growth. According to studies, greater gender balance in management also improves financial performance and profitability.

The scope of the directive applies only to large listed companies which employ more than 250 persons and have an annual turnover exceeding EUR 50 million or an annual balance sheet total exceeding EUR 43 million. There are currently 12 such companies in Estonia. The measures are of a temporary nature, as both the directive on which the Bill is based and the provisions transposing it will expire on 31 December 2038.

The Finance Committee had made an amendment to the Bill to specify the body that would have to set an individual quantitative target to improve gender balance on the company’s board. According to the proposal, the general meeting will set this target. It was also specified how shareholders were to be informed about gender balance targets and the means to achieve them, and it was provided that information on the setting and achievement of targets in the management bodies of issuers of shares would have to be submitted to the Financial Supervision Authority for the first time by 30 June 2026.

Reili Rand from the Social Democratic Party Group, Mart Maastik from Isamaa Parliamentary Group and Anti Poolamets and Helle-Moonika Helme from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate. Non-attached Members of the Riigikogu Peeter Ernits and Tanel Kiik also took the floor during the debate.

Four Bills passed the first reading

The Bill on the Accession to the Protocol to Amend the Convention on Offences and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Aircraft (587 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the first reading in the Riigikogu. It will improve the possibilities for aircraft crew members to deal with unruly passengers on board aircraft and, if necessary, deliver them to the authorities at the destination.

Accession to the Montreal Protocol will allow Estonia to implement the Convention more effectively. At present, it is difficult for aircraft crew to take action if, for example, a passenger travelling for a holiday breaks the rules, disturbs others, or disobeys orders on board aircraft. The amendment, which aims to improve the safety of air travel, is important because the number of offences on board aircraft has increased and many such cases remain unprosecuted because the aircraft is not registered in the country where it lands.

The purpose of the Protocol is to give the states the right to deal with unruly passengers on the aircraft landing on their territories regardless of the country of origin of the aircraft.

The Bill on Amendments to the Nature Conservation Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (Natura assessment) (610 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the first reading. It will   allow for a Natura assessment to be carried out separately from the environmental impact assessment and strategic environmental assessment in cases where there is no wider environmental impact.

An amendment aimed at reducing bureaucracy and administrative burden will allow the assessment of the impact of the activities on Natura 2000 sites to be separated from the environmental impact assessment where an activity or the implementation of a detailed spatial plan may have a significant impact on a Natura 2000 network site but the activity will not affect the wider environment. The Bill will also specify the stages of Natura assessment.

The bill will provide for strict protection of forest habitats in Natura 2000 areas and prohibit commercial logging. The amendment is linked to the infringement procedure launched by the European Commission which accuses Estonia of failing to adequately assess the negative impact of economic activities, including logging, on the natural values of Natura 2000. According to the bill, as an exception, for example, the harvesting of firewood will be permitted in the forest habitats falling within the limited management zones of protected areas and species protection sites. Up to five cubic meters of firewood per hectare but no more than 20 cubic meters of wood per immovable per year may be cut without submitting a forest notice. Firewood may not be cut in limited-conservation areas and conservation zones.

The bill will supplement the list of the areas for which land tax is not paid in the Land Tax Act. The areas of the limited management zones of the protected areas and species protection sites and the limited-conservation areas of Natura 2000 network where forest habitat types occur will be included in the list. The Bill will also provide that, in the future, the procedure related to forest notices will be carried out in the forest register where all procedural notifications and documents will be available.

Andres Metsoja from Isamaa Parliamentary Group, Tiit Maran from the Social Democratic Party Group, Rain Epler from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group and Yoko Alender from the Reform Party Parliamentary Group   took the floor during the debate.

Isamaa Parliamentary Group, the Social Democratic Party Group and the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group moved to reject the Bill at the first reading, but the plenary did not support the motion. 28 members of the Riigikogu supported rejection but 46 were against.

The Bill on Amendments to the General Part of the Environmental Code Act and Other Acts (611 SE),  initiated by the Government, passed the first reading. The Bill will simplify the administrative proceedings connected with services relating to environmental protection permits in order to reduce the administrative burden for economic operators and individuals. The aim of the amendments is to improve the environmental protection permits system so that the impact of an activity on the environment would be better balanced with the administrative burden relating to the permit.

The Bill contains amendments according to which it will no longer be necessary to issue environmental permits for minor activities, and in some cases, minor activities will no longer need to be registered. For example, road and bridge builders will no longer have to apply for registration of activities that pose a risk to the aquatic environment, such as the construction of a bridge or culvert as part of a road or railway. The amendment will help speed up the completion of important developments in the construction of, for example, the Defence Forces training areas and Rail Baltic.

Schools, kindergartens, and other legal entities will no longer have to apply for a registration as waste handler if they want to compost their bio-waste on site and the amount is less than one tonne per year. The Bill will also define the obligations of the parties involved in the protection of the environment more clearly, reduce the frequency of fulfilling the obligations, clarify monitoring processes and link environmental requirements, such as permit obligations and the application process, more fairly to the potential environmental impact of the activity.

The Bill on Amendments to the Nature Conservation Act, the Hunting Act and the State Assets Act (612 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the first reading. The Bill will specify the procedure for placing natural objects under protection and make derogations in nature conservation restrictions to meet the national defence objectives.

According to the Bill, only the Environmental Board can make a proposal for placing a natural object under protection; currently, everyone has the opportunity to do that. The Bill will establish requirements to ensure the protection of areas designated as compensation or mitigation areas where it is necessary to implement measures to compensate the damage to the species or habitat.

The Bill will introduce a condition to the Act that the state will not acquire an immovable about which the person already knew at the time of acquisition that it was to be taken under nature protection. However, if the protection regime is tightened later, the immovable will be acquired but the compensation will be half of its value. The Bill will provide a basis for local governments for acquiring an immovable located on a natural object placed under local protection. It will also reduce the extent of the building exclusion zone from the boundary of the flood risk area of coasts and banks.

The Bill will provide the possibility that, in areas important for national defence, nature conservation works will not always have to be carried out with the permission of the Environmental Board. For example, the 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 Bill is linked to an infringement proceedings launched by the European Commission which accuses Estonia of having failed to comply with all its obligations arising from the Habitats Directive and states that its conservation management plans and the conservation objectives and measures set out in them are not sufficiently detailed. The Bill will complement the list of plans which, in addition to the conservation management plan, specify the actions needed to restore the natural forest and mire habitats.

Tiit Maran from the Social Democratic Party Group, Andres Metsoja Isamaa Parliamentary Group and Rain Epler from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.

The Social Democratic Party Group, the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group and Isamaa Parliamentary Group moved to reject the Bill at the first reading, but the Riigikogu did not support the motion. 27 members of the Riigikogu supported rejection but 47 voted against it.

Four drafts were dropped from the proceedings

The Riigikogu rejected the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Making a proposal to the Government of the Republic to submit a negative supplementary budget bill to reduce government spending in 2025” (608 OE),  submitted by Isamaa Parliamentary Group. It requested the government to submit a negative supplementary budget bill in order to reduce state government spending to the extent of at least EUR 300 million this year. At the same time, the draft Resolution provided that national defence spending and the salaries of teachers, police officers, and rescue workers would not be reduced.

At the final vote, 14 members of the Riigikogu supported the draft Resolution while a majority of the votes of the members of the Riigikogu, that is, at least 51 votes, would have been needed for the Resolution to be passed.

The Riigikogu rejected the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Making a proposal to the Government of the Republic to submit an application to the European Commission to exempt energy production companies from the obligation to buy CO₂ quotas” (619 OE), submitted by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group. It was intended to make a proposal to the Government to immediately begin negotiations with the governments of Latvia, Lithuania and Poland in order to prepare a joint appeal to the European Commission and apply for a temporary exemption for energy production companies from the obligation to buy greenhouse gas emission allowances due to exceptional circumstances. According to the submitters, a temporary exemption would have lowered energy prices, supported the development of the military industry, and ensured the preservation of energy production capacities, strengthening the resilience of the EU’s eastern border.

Mart Maastik from Isamaa Parliamentary Group, Lauri Laats from the Centre Party Group, Martin Helme from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group and Hanah Lahe from the Reform Party Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.

At the final vote, 20 members of the Riigikogu supported the draft Resolution. A majority of the votes of the membership of the Riigikogu, that is, at least 51 votes, would have been needed for the Resolution to be passed.

The Riigikogu rejected at the first reading the Bill to Bring the State Budget Act into conformity with the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia (580 SE), initiated by Isamaa Parliamentary Group. It was intended to increase the transparency and understandability of the annual state budget and the role of the Riigikogu in the state budget process. The initiators found that the activity-based state      budget had become so general that it was difficult, if not impossible, to understand its expenditure.

The Finance Committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 45 members of the Riigikogu supported the rejection and 13 were against it.

The Riigikogu also rejected at the first reading the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Formation of the Riigikogu committee of investigation to investigate the circumstances of supporting a plan to build offshore wind farms” (586 OE), submitted by Isamaa Parliamentary Group. The draft Resolution was intended to set up a committee of investigation of representatives from all parliamentary groups to ascertain the circumstances under which the government had come up with a plan to subsidise the construction of offshore wind farms in Estonia from public funds with EUR 2.6 billion or more, and whether that plan had been in line with the public interest, good business practices, and the promotion of fair competition in the economy.

The Constitutional Committee moved to reject the draft Resolution at the first reading. 45 members of the Riigikogu supported the rejection and eight were against.

The first reading of the Bill on Amendments to the National Audit Office Act, the Political Parties Act and Other Acts (body to monitor the financing of political parties) (599 SE), initiated by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, was cancelled at Wednesday’s sitting due to the absence of the presenter.

The sitting ended at 1.27 a.m.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

The 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]