The draft provides for the prohibition of keeping animals solely or mainly for the purpose of fur production, as well as their breeding and reproduction solely or mainly for the purpose of fur production.
The application of the said ban to livestock keepers is foreseen from June 1, 2024.
The explanatory letter states that banning fur farms has been discussed in Estonia since 2009, when the topic was raised by animal and nature conservation organizations, the Estonian Green Party and the Social Democratic Party. The banning of fur farms rose again in people's consciousness in 2013, when the Estonian National Broadcasting Company's television program Pealtnägija published footage showing the violation of animal husbandry rules from the fox and mink farm of Balti Karusnahk AS Karjaküla. At the same time, the Ministry of the Environment also raised the issue of banning fur farms because Environmental requirements were not met in fur farms for many years.
In Estonia, chinchillas, rabbits, minks and foxes are bred as fur animals. In total, about 200,000 fur animals are kept in Estonia.
The purpose of the bill is to ensure that hunting tourists who wish to hunt birds in Estonia have sufficient knowledge of the hunting rules in force in Estonia and the good practice of hunting in Estonia as a prerequisite for lawful behavior. To this end, the Hunting Act is supplemented with the requirement that a person who has received a hunting license in Estonia on the basis of a valid hunting license issued in a foreign country is issued a small game hunting license for waterfowl hunting if he has completed hunting training. The requirements for the said training and the trainer and the scope of the training, as well as the procedure for conducting the training, shall be established by a regulation of the Minister of the Environment.
Reducing transboundary air pollution is an important international goal, which the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution and its Protocols help to achieve. Amendments to the protocol play an important role in enhancing international environmental protection, and approving the amendments to the protocol increases Estonia's credibility in the international arena.
Elements with metallic properties whose density is greater than 5000 kg/m³ are called heavy metals. Heavy metals are associated with environmental pollution and toxicity. The heavy metals lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg) spread far across national borders through the atmosphere. The purpose of the protocol is to reduce human-caused emissions of heavy metals that spread across national borders and are likely to have significant adverse effects on human health or the environment.
The purpose of the bill is to join and implement the 2004 International Convention on the Control and Handling of Ships' Ballast Water and its Sediments in Estonia. The purpose of the convention is to protect the marine environment from alien species that can be transmitted through ships' ballast water. The spread of alien species is considered one of the five main threats to nature's diversity.
The main change is that ships using ballast water must start pumping it into the sea handle ballast water according to the requirements, which means that cleaning systems must be installed on ships.
Joining the convention allows ships sailing under the Estonian flag to apply for exemptions from these requirements. Exemptions can be granted to specific ships sailing between specified ports. In Estonia, exemptions are expected to be requested for regular lines, e.g. Tallinn-Helsinki and Tallinn-Stockholm lines. Exemptions for ships will begin in Estonia to be given by the Waterways Agency, which performs the tasks of maritime administration in Estonia. Not installing a cleaning system on ships is justified if the alien species in the ports of the regular lines are the same.
The Convention was adopted by the General Assembly of the International Maritime Organization in 2004 and entered into force internationally on September 8, 2017. The Convention has been ratified, approved or acceded to by 63 countries, representing 68.51% of the world of the volume of the cargo fleet.
The new version of the Waste Act has been prepared as part of the reorganization of environmental law and replaces the Waste Act and the Packaging Act that have been in force until now.
One of the most important changes for the population and waste management companies is the development of the price of the municipal waste transport service. In order to motivate people to sort waste more than before, according to the new rules, the prices for separately collected waste and mixed household waste must be shown separately on the garbage collection bill. Because it was divided giving away the collected waste is significantly cheaper than giving away mixed household waste, by pointing out the price difference customers can be motivated, for example, not to throw paper and packaging into mixed household waste. In order to make the use of public collection containers clearer, the law harmonizes the color schemes of waste containers according to the type of packaging waste that can be thrown there. There must be new containers for paper and cardboard packaging waste blue, glass packaging waste containers green and mixed packaging waste containers yellow. There is no need to repaint the existing collection tanks as it is too expensive.
The financial guarantee requirements of producers and the producer responsibility organization are specified. The financial guarantee of the manufacturer of the problem product must cover the costs of organizing and handling the waste generated from the products he has placed on the market. For example, if found in the forest tire pile, it will be cleaned and the costs will be covered by the guarantee.
There are also changes in the organization of the collection and recycling of old tires, battery and battery waste, and household electronic waste. From now on, producers of these products, i.e. manufacturers or importers, are obliged to join or sign a contract with a producer responsibility organization. Until now it was voluntary.
The bill makes it clearer for the forest owner to make forest management decisions. The most important changes to the Forest Act provide for lowering the age of cutting spruces of fertile growth types and encouraging the use of alternative cutting types to clear cutting - peat cutting and selective cutting. The bill eases the restrictions on them. The currently valid rules regarding these types of felling do not promote effective forest renewal.
The bill will be lowered the average age of spruces growing in fertile growth areas allowed for felling to 60 - 70 years. In the explanatory letter, it is stated that the average age of the currently felled spruces must be at least 80 years. However, the quality of the forest in 80-year-old fertile areas is lower, because about a third of such forest is mostly damaged by root and trunk rot. The change concerns about 4,200 hectares of forest land, which is 0.2 percent of Estonia's forests, of which 3,000 hectares are state forest. The minimum cutting age does not oblige the forest owner to cut. In order to protect the biodiversity of Estonian forests, as a counterweight, strict protection of grove and slope forests is ensured in an additional area of 27,000 hectares. Corresponding areas have been found on state lands, and RMK has stopped forest management there.
The bill excludes the situation where the use of forest property depends on the decisions and actions of the border neighbor. Restrictions on valuable habitat will also be abolished to a size that is currently up to 7 hectares. On state land, protection is ensured for all areas that meet the definition of valuable habitat, on private land, protection continues on a voluntary basis.
The draft provides for the prohibition of keeping animals solely or mainly for the purpose of fur production, as well as their breeding and reproduction solely or mainly for the purpose of fur production. The aforementioned ban is intended to be applied to livestock keepers from January 1, 2028.
The bill brings § 20 of the Nature Conservation Act into line with the Constitution in order to alleviate the situation of those landowners who have privatized their land from the state with an installment payment, and the state has subsequently set intensive nature conservation restrictions on these lands.
With the draft, the so-called directive restricting the use of plastic bags will be adopted into Estonian law, with which it is proposed to reduce the use of thin plastic bags to 90 plastic bags per person per year by the end of 2019. By the end of 2025, it is desired to bring the same number to 40. The deadline for the adoption of the directive was November 27, 2016.
When the law enters into force, in addition to plastic bags, shoppers in stores must be offered other packaging options, which is already being done. For example paper, cloth and mesh bags are offered, as well as reusable plastic bags.
Starting in 2019, free distribution of thin and extra thin plastic bags will be prohibited in shops. An exception remains, according to which smaller thin plastic bags may be used for the primary packaging of loose food, for example when buying meat or vegetables or for hygiene purposes when buying milk in plastic packaging.
The bill provides for recalling Aivar Kokk, Kalvi Kõva and Mati Raidma from the council and appointing Kalle Muuli, Rainer Vakra and Meelis Mälberg as members of the council.
The Environmental Commission initiated the draft law amending the Atmospheric Air Protection Act (AÕKS) due to the urgent need to supplement the procedure for the use of the auction proceeds from the trading of permitted emission units and to add a provision in the law that the decision to reclaim support given on the basis of trading schemes created to mitigate climate change is an enforcement document.
The bill specifies the procedure for using the income received at the auction and adds a provision according to which it is possible the user of the funds must enter into an administrative contract for the use of the funds obtained from the trading of permitted emission units. The draft also adds a provision according to which the decision to reclaim the support made upon the invalidation of the decision to satisfy the request for support made from the funds received on the basis of various trading systems based on the AÕKS and the Ambient Air Protection Act (VÕKS) is considered an enforcement document within the meaning of the Code of Enforcement Procedures.
With the bill the procedure for using the proceeds from the auction will be specified, because the AĩKS, which will enter into force on January 1, 2017, does not currently allow the implementation of all the measures provided for in the state budget strategy and thus the use of the proceeds from the auction. The proposed clarification and the possibility of concluding administrative contracts ensure the use of auction proceeds.
According to the draft, Estonia will ratify the Paris Agreement on the global reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Estonia has set itself the goal of ratifying the Paris Agreement for the climate conference in Marrakesh starting in November.
The main goal of the climate agreement is to keep the global average temperature increase well below 2°C compared to pre-industrial times. To this end, countries committed to significantly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions emissions.
Among other things, the Paris Agreement establishes binding greenhouse gas reduction target levels and a reporting system, provides for a dynamic mechanism that allows the commitments to be evaluated and increased over time, as well as climate change-related financing activities and a long-term climate change adaptation plan.
The climate agreement was adopted with the participation of 195 countries on the 21st of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. at the conference that took place last October in Paris. The agreement enters into force on the 30th day after at least 55 contracting parties, whose greenhouse gas emissions together account for at least 55 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance or accession.
The purpose of the bill is to encourage municipalities to deal more with the development of waste collection and sorting. It is important that the measures implemented in waste management work and support the economical use of resources, reduce the environmental impact of waste and in this way ensure a cleaner living environment. With a clean living environment in mind, it can be assumed that effective waste management is the interest and legitimate expectation of the majority of the population.
Collection of waste by type allows promoting the recycling of waste, as mixing of waste is prevented and there is no need to separate it later for recycling. At the same time, better quality of secondary raw materials and the efficiency of recycling are also ensured when collected separately. These obligations require that local governments and the state implement appropriate measures, which means restructuring the activities of waste owners.
Local government the task is to ensure that in the territory of the municipality, waste holders have a clear obligation to sort waste and collect it by type, and that residents have the opportunity to dispose of waste by type. According to the proposed amendment, the local government unit will be granted support from the state budget to partially cover the costs of waste management under certain conditions.
With the draft, the Environmental Board is given room to consider so that it is possible to resolve situations where the interests of environmental protection and heritage protection are in conflict. The initiation of the draft law to supplement the Water Act results from the Riigikogu's decision to support the Chancellor of Justice's proposal of 1 December 2015 to bring the Water Act into line with the Constitution. According to the current water law, the owner or occupier of the dam, based on the Nature Conservation Act, must establish a passage for fish both upstream from the dam and if downstream, if the expanded body of water or a section thereof is established as spawning and habitat for salmon, brown trout, sea trout or grayling. To do this, either a special fish passage must be built on the dam or the dam must be demolished, and the law does not allow any exceptions to protect other values. The bill plans to supplement the Water Act with a provision, according to which it is possible to set mitigating measures for the aforementioned obligation or to release the owner of the dam altogether from fishing from the fulfillment of the obligation to build a passage.
The draft Law on the Earth's Crust (213 SE) harmonizes the terminology related to the earth's crust and organizes legal regulations. In order to regulate the field as a whole and to avoid duplication, the provisions of the Mining Act, which until now regulated the technical requirements and safety of mining, have been consolidated in the bill.
The bill abandons the classification of deposits into deposits of local and national importance. Regardless of the activity in one or another deposit, research and the procedure for issuing a mining permit is the same. Abandoning the distribution of deposits means that in the future the ownership of mineral resources such as sand, gravel, healing lake and sea mud, peat and Quaternary clay will depend on who owns the land.
The system of dividing the resource fee between local governments and the state budget will be changed. As a whole, the receipt of the total resource fee for local governments is maintained. If the change does have an effect revenue base of a specific local government, it is taken into account through the equalization fund.
The change in the classification of deposits will result in the Environmental Board issuing all exploration and mining permits in the future. It also simplifies keeping records of mineral resources data in the environmental register
The need to draw up an oil shale development plan stems from the Earth's Crust Act and the Sustainable Development Act. "The use of oil shale in the national development plan 2008-2015" is the next stage of the implementation of the proposed development plan for the years 2016-2030. The purpose of the oil shale field is to realize the state's interest, which consists in the effective and economical use of oil shale as a national wealth and ensuring the sustainable development of the oil shale sector.
The draft law amending the Nature Conservation Act changes the provisions of the law regarding alien species. Rules from European Union law are applied to prevent the introduction of species that threaten the natural balance.
The Environmental Board is appointed as the authority in Estonia that has the right to issue permits for the keeping, breeding or use of alien species, as well as for their import, transport and transit. The Environmental Board also deals with similar tasks right now.
The bill provides for an increase in the fine rate for legal entities for violating the requirements for the use of alien species to 32 thousand euros. Currently, a ten times lower fine rate of 3,200 euros applies. The explanatory letter states that it is disproportionately small compared to the maximum amount prescribed for natural persons and too light a punishment for violations that negatively affect nature.
The bill removes the time limit protection provisions from the law to bring it into line with the current nature conservation law. According to the current arrangement, according to the law, from May 1, 2016, all conservation regulations established before the current Nature Conservation Act would become invalid. There are 190 protected areas in Estonia with outdated protection regulations. If the deadline expires, their protection orders can be renewed without time pressure.
The draft law amending the Waste Act and related other laws (75 SE) amends the provisions of the Waste Act regarding hazardous waste and the harmful effects of waste in connection with the changed European Union law.
An authorization norm is also being prepared, on the basis of which the regulations regarding the classification of waste will be specified. The section dealing with the harmful effects of waste in the current Waste Act is declared invalid. The descriptions of the harmful effects of waste have been adopted into the Waste Act from Annex III of Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, which deals with waste and which repeals certain directives (OJ L 312, 22.11.2008, pp. 3–30). Annex III of the Framework Directive has been updated and established as Commission Regulation (EU) No 1357/2014 replacing Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (on waste and certain directives are repealed) Annex III (OJ L 365, 19.12.2014, pp. 89–96), which entered into force on 1 June 2015. In connection with the entry into force of the new, directly applicable regulation on hazardous properties, the relevant provisions of the Waste Act will also be updated and changes will be made to the implementing acts on the classification of waste.
The hunting law amendment bill (77 SE), initiated by the government, aims at more efficient hunting in order to quickly reduce the number of wild boars and prevent the spread of African swine fever. According to the draft law, it is allowed to hunt wild boars from all-terrain vehicles and other motor vehicles with a stationary engine, with the help of an artificial light source, and it is allowed to catch wild boars with snares. Analogous to the killing of an animal with signs of rabies, killing is permitted according to the bill a wild boar with obvious signs of swine fever is also a hunting permit.
The purpose of the bill (60 SE) is to ratify the "Agreement between the European Union and its member states, on the one hand, and Iceland, on the other hand, regarding Iceland's participation in the joint fulfillment of the obligations of the European Union, its member states, and Iceland in the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change", which the Republic of Estonia has signed on February 25, 2015 in Brussels.
In the contract it is stipulated which European Union legislation Iceland applies to fulfill the joint reporting and monitoring obligations. The European Union and its member states do not assume additional obligations with the agreement.