The Riigikogu passed the Act strengthening maritime security
At today’s sitting, the Riigikogu passed two Acts. One of them is intended to ensure that religious organisations operating in Estonia cannot be used to incite hatred or violence and the other will strengthen maritime security in the Estonian maritime area.
The Riigikogu passed the Act on Amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act (570 SE), initiated by the Government. The explanatory memorandum points out that 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 that was passed, 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 specifies 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 are specified and the possibility is 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, insofar as obtaining such approval may not be realistic.
Churches and congregations that need to bring their statutes, the membership of their management board, or their activities into line with the Act will have two months from the entry into force of the Act to do so.
During the debate, Varro Vooglaid took the floor on behalf of the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, Jaanus Karilaid on behalf of Isamaa Parliamentary Group, Lauri Läänemets on behalf of the Social Democratic Party Group, Anti Haugas on behalf of the Reform Party Group, Ando Kiviberg on behalf of Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group and Vadim Belobrovtsev on behalf of the Centre Party Group.
At the final vote, 60 members of the Riigikogu supported the passing of the Act and 13 voted against it.
TH e Riigikogu also passed the Act on Amendments to the Estonian Defence Forces Organisation Act and the Economic Zone Act (strengthening maritime security) (565 SE), initiated by the Government. Its aim is to strengthen maritime security in the Estonian maritime area. For this, the tasks of the Defence Forces and the use of direct coercion and military force are specified.
The Act ensures that the Defence Forces have sufficient flexibility to operate at sea so that the Defence Forces would be ready to respond quickly to threats arising from the sea. According to an amendment, the Defence Forces are given the right to respond to threats directed against the infrastructure ensuring the resilience of essential services in the Estonian maritime area, as well as national defence objects, ports and other civil engineering works and equipment.
The Act also specifies the measures that the Defence Forces can use in the performance of its tasks in the Estonian economic zone. Currently, the state supervision tasks of the Defence Forces in the Estonian maritime area are primarily related to guarding the state border.
Meelis Kiili from the Reform Party Group, Urmas Reinsalu from Isamaa Parliamentary Group, Raimond Kaljulaid from the Social Democratic Party Group and Peeter Tali from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
62 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Act.
A Bill passed the second reading
The Bill on Amendments to the Medicinal Products Act (hospital exemption) (532 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the second reading in the Riigikogu. Its purpose is to ensure better availability of medicinal products made by way of the hospital exemption. ‘Hospital exemption’ means the making and use of a custom-made advanced therapy medicinal product, e.g. a medicinal product intended for gene therapy, for the treatment of an individual patient where the usual authorised medicinal product is not available or there is no suitable clinical trial.
The hospital exemption regulation created in 2022 sets strict restrictions on the manufacture and use of advanced therapy medicinal products but, according to the explanatory memorandum, a need to relax them has become apparent. The bill will eliminate the restriction under which only one holder of authorisation can manufacture an advanced therapy medicinal product under hospital exemption and only for up to 10 patients. The amendments will also reduce administrative burden and shorten the terms for issuing permits.
However, all current requirements for the quality, efficacy and safety of the medicinal products manufactured and used will remain in place, and patient protection and safety will remain the primary consideration when assessing applications for authorisation. The hospital exemption promotes treatment options for patients with rare diseases and supports innovation and the development of high-technology therapies.
Two motions to amend the Bill were submitted in the second reading. Under one of them, the ethics committee will assess the ensuring of the protection of patients’ rights and their safety and well-being, in addition to the State Agency of Medicines. Under the other amendment, before issuing a hospital exemption authorisation, the State Agency of Medicines may involve non-staff experts and the Health Board in assessing the hospital-exemption medicinal product.
Riina Sikkut from the Social Democratic Party Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
Two Bills passed the first reading
The Bill on the Accession to the Statutes of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (559 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the first reading in the Riigikogu. 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.
The Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group moved to reject the Bill at the first reading, but the plenary did not support the motion. Four members of the Riigikogu supported rejection but 38 were against.
The Bill on Amendments to the Identity Documents Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (572 SE), initiated by the Government, also passed the first reading. It will strengthen measures to ensure that a national identity document is issued only to the person entitled to it.
The bill creates a legal basis according to which an application for a digital identity card of an e-resident will be returned without review if the applicant is a citizen of a country with a higher risk of money laundering or terrorist financing or with which Estonia has no cooperation relationship in the field of justice, security or law enforcement.
Under the Bill, the Police and Border Guard Board will have the right to request a DNA examination if a person applies for an Estonian citizen’s identity document for the first time and a reasonable suspicion arises that a document to enable the establishment of Estonian citizenship issued in a foreign country is not genuine or the underlying data is incorrect.
In addition, the Bill will create the possibility of verifying identity through the Estonian open data portal mobile application.
Three drafts were dropped from the proceedings
The Riigikogu rejected the Bill on the Repeal of the Motor Vehicle Tax Act (592 SE), initiated by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group. It was intended to repeal the motor vehicle tax which in the opinion of initiators had damaged people’s livelihoods and the competitiveness of businesses.
Rain Epler from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, Anti Allas from the Social Democratic Party Group, Andres Metsoja from Isamaa Parliamentary Group, Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart from the Centre Party Group and Toomas Uibo from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
The Finance Committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 47 members of the Riigikogu supported rejection and 25 were against it.
The Riigikogu rejected the Bill on Amendments to the Income Tax Act (566 SE), initiated by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group. It was intended to impose an additional income tax liability on extraordinary profits on banks operating in Estonia. In the opinion of the initiators, a higher tax liability would motivate credit institutions to change their interest rate policy and would also bring additional revenue to the state budget.
Lauri Laats from the Centre Party Group and Martin Helme from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate.
The Finance Committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 46 members of the Riigikogu supported rejection and 20 were against.
The Riigikogu also rejected the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Making a proposal to the Government of the Republic to temporarily suspend the processing of all plans initiated in connection with wind farms, with a deferral period until an updated methodology for measuring infrasound, and relevant sound pressure level limits will have been established” (569 OE), submitted by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group. The draft Resolution was intended to make a proposal to the Government to temporarily suspend the processing of all spatial plans for wind farms and to ban the initiation of new spatial plans until the methodology for measuring infrasound and the limits for sound pressure levels safe for human health would have been updated.
Martin Helme from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, Maris Kadastik from the Reform Party Group and Lauri Laats from the Centre Party Group took the floor during the debate.
At the final vote, 11 members of the Riigikogu supported the draft Resolution and three voted against. 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 sitting ended at 8.04 p.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
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