Riigikogu fall session begins

Monday marks the start of the sixth session of the XVI Riigikogu. resident Kersti Kaljulaid’s speech will be followed by bill 392 aimed at boosting independence and transparency of communications data collected in criminal proceedings. Photo: Tairo Lutter

Monday marks the start of the sixth session of the XVI Riigikogu. After successfully electing Estonia’s next president, MPs are now looking at the third readings of outstanding bills.

President Kersti Kaljulaid’s speech will be followed by bill 392 aimed at boosting independence and transparency of communications data collected in criminal proceedings. If passed, phone surveillance permits would have to come from the court as opposed to the prosecution. As around 3,000 such permits are issued annually, courts would need additional resources to accompany the obligation.

Bill 381 to amend the Water Act aims to specify the definition of bodies of water to, among other things, reduce red tape and state agencies’ workload. The amendment mostly concerns cattle farmers who have been forced to file statements when herding animals near bodies of water. Relevant requirements will be moved to provisions of other legal acts, the explanatory memo reads.

The third reading of bill 383 to amend the Collective Agreements Act and other associated acts is also scheduled for Monday. If passed, 383 would apply agreements between major companies and unions to entire sectors. Small and medium businesses are firmly against such regulation and say it fails to consider their needs and possibilities.

Draft regulation for the construction and renovation of cultural objects of national significance could lead to serious polemic in the Riigikogu this fall. The Riigikogu Cultural Affairs Committee is set to propose approving the list as follows: Tartu Südalinna Cultural Center, Narva Kreenholm Culture Block “Manufaktuur,” Arvo Pärt Music House in Rakvere, annex of National Opera Estonia. The latter has drawn several letters of protest, including from members of the board of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (ERSO) and Estonian Concert, as well as heritage conservation specialists.

Bill 156 SE to amend the Electricity Market Act, in proceedings since May of 2020, will head to its second reading on Monday. The aim of the amendment is to boost competition at renewable energy adjudications, reduce the share of fossil fuels in energy generation and improve power supply security.

“Education Development Plan 2021-2035” that is the combined effort of several coalition governments is set to be passed. The development plan emphasizes the need to support rapid retraining and additional training for people of all ages, as well as training in line with the rapidly changing labor market.

Tuesday will mark the third reading of bill 377 – Combating Unfair Trade Practices in the Agricultureal Products and Food Supply Chain Act. The bill lists 16 unfair trade practices nine of which are banned always. For example, the buyer cannot unilaterally change contract conditions, cancel orders with such short notice as not to allow the seller to find a sensible alternative, threaten sellers with commercial pressure etc.

Bill 301 to amend the Electronic Communications Act, Construction Code and State Fees Act is listed as item one for Wednesday. Compared to the 2001 liberalization of the telecommunications market and the passing of a new legal framework, the market has undergone rapid development to become one of the most important economic sectors. Data services such as Skype, WhatsApp and Viber are increasingly used in place of landlines and cell phones and while they also offer traditional services, new regulations are needed to avoid confusion.