The Riigikogu passed with 70 votes in favour the Personal Data Protection Act and the Government of the Republic Act Amendment Act (1078 SE), initiated by the Estonian Centre Party Faction and the Estonian Reform Party Faction. Pursuant to the amendment to the Act, the independence of the Data Protection Inspectorate extends and the Inspectorate will be entitled to check the protection of personal data even in processing the data containing state secrets in the case when the obligation proceeds from foreign contracts, an EU law or act. To ensure the independence of the Data Protection Inspectorate, the principles of release from office of the manager of the Inspectorate have been specified in the Act. Arising from the amendments to the Personal Data Protection Act, the Government of the Republic Act was also amended. Nobody voted against the Act, 3 members of the Riigikogu abstained.

The Riigikogu passed with 69 votes in favour the State Secrets and Classified Foreign Information Act (1054 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic. The purpose of the Act is to ensure the security and foreign relations of the Republic of Estonia, protecting state secrets and foreign information against their disclosure and becoming known to a person without the right to access. The Act stipulates the information which is a state secret, the declassification of the state secret and classified foreign information and the changes in the basis and terms of classification, also the bases of the procedure for the protection of state secrets, classified foreign information and classified data medium and responsibility for the violation of the present Act. The Act enters into force on 1 January 2008. Nobody voted against the Act and nobody abstained.

The Riigikogu passed with 65 votes in favour the Surplus Stocks Charges Act Amendment Act (1030 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic. Pursuant to the amendments to the Act, it is possible to determine the carryover stock and surplus stocks of traders who have contested the relevant decision of the Minister of Agriculture or the Taxation and Customs Board in the Administrative Court. After the entry into force of the Act, the Ministry of Agriculture or the Taxation and Customs Board will re-review the declarations of relevant handlers meeting the requirements of law and will re-determine their carryover stocks and surplus stocks. The Act enters into force on the date following its publication in the Riigi Teataja. § 1 (4) of the Act will be applied retroactively from 1 May 2004. Nobody voted against the Act, one member of the Riigikogu abstained.

The Riigikogu amended with 64 votes in favour the Resolution On the Appointment of Members of the Supervisory Board of the Estonian Genome Project Foundation (1096 OE). Pursuant to the amendment, instead of Koit Prants a member of the Riigikogu Leino Mägi was appointed a new member of the Supervisory Board of the Estonian Genome Project Foundation. Nobody voted against the Act, one member of the Riigikogu abstained.

The Riigikogu Press Service