Toomas Jürgenstein

The Act on Amendments to the General Part of the Environmental Code Act and Other Acts

Estonia · Riigikogu · 7 November 2022

The bill regulates the system of environmental protection permits regulating environmental use by amending the General Part of the Environmental Code Act, the Atmospheric Air Protection Act, the Hunting Act, the Waste Act, the Environmental Charges Act, the Environmental Liability Act, the Earth's Crust Act, the Industrial Emissions Act and the Water Act. The aim of the changes is to ensure environmental protection at the best possible level. The bill enables the Environmental Board to better manage its resources. With the bill the efficiency of the work of the Environmental Board will be increased and the processes of environmental decisions will be optimized. Changing the laws described in the draft is important in order to ensure resource savings for the Environmental Board, to support the implementation of long-term strategies related to the green revolution, and to ensure a service with a low administrative burden and bureaucracy by organizing the system of environmental protection permits. The draft amends the obligation to have an environmental protection permit for certain activities and eases it disproportionately burdensome requirements considering the possible environmental impact of the activities. Permit processing will become more efficient and faster so that applicants receive feedback within a reasonable time. The introduction of the bill thus contributes to reducing the administrative burden. In addition, the law of the general part of the Environmental Code stipulates that if a faster execution of the procedure is necessary to prevent the risk of interruption of a vital service, then in the case of such activities, no to apply the provisions of the procedure open to the environmental permit procedure in the future. The need to change the environmental permit, in order to prevent the risk of interruption of a vital service, has already appeared today due to instabilities in the energy market. In order to prevent the danger, it is necessary for many electricity and heat producers to prevent risks that may occur during the heating period and, in addition to natural gas, to use other possible alternative fuels available on the market. Since the environmental permit the normal process of the procedure is time-consuming, it is necessary to provide in the law the possibility to carry out the authorization procedure faster in order to prevent the risk of interruption of the vital service.

Language Act Amendment Act

Estonia · Riigikogu · 15 November 2018

The draft stipulates that in the case of failure to comply with the injunction, the maximum amount of coercive money applicable to legal entities is 5,120 euros. For natural persons, the previous maximum amount of 640 euros will remain in effect. The explanatory letter states that the purpose of the draft is to improve the implementation of the Language Act, to motivate the heads of institutions and entrepreneurs positively, in order to contribute more to the learning of the Estonian language by employees. The bill would enable the Language Inspection to be more effective supervise the implementation of the Language Act.

Riigikogu decision "Proposal to the Government of the Republic To make Estonian elementary and school education uniform and in Estonian"

Estonia · Riigikogu · 10 September 2018

Language Act Amendment Act

Estonia · Riigikogu · 14 June 2018

The bill provides for raising the corresponding coercive money ceiling from 640 euros to 6,400 euros, so that the Language Inspectorate has the opportunity to better and more effectively carry out the activities assigned to it. The draft aims to improve the implementation of the Language Act, to positively motivate the heads of institutions and entrepreneurs, in order to contribute more to the learning of the Estonian language by employees.

Sports Act and Income Tax Act Amendment Act

Estonia · Riigikogu · 6 November 2017

The bill provides for the possibility of payment of expense compensation to sports referees, which is given to a sports organization or the owner of a sports school entered in the sports database. The payment of expense compensation must be related to a sports referee acting as a volunteer in the competitions reflected in the calendar plan of a sports association or a county sports association or a sports association operating on a regional basis. The accounting allowance rate is up to 20 euros as a sports referee for the day of operation. In order to receive expense compensation, the person must be certified by the sports association or under 20 years of age, and the person must receive a salary or a fee paid on the basis of a debt contract for acting as a sports referee in the same competition.

Act amending the Private School Act and amending other related laws

Estonia · Riigikogu · 27 September 2017

The bill creates a basis for the state's participation in covering the operating costs of private general education schools. The bill ensures operating support for private schools at the average level of local government units and creates a sustainable private school financing plan 2020+. The bill does not concern the principles of granting educational support allocated from the state budget to the owners of private general education schools for the labor costs of teachers, principals and head teachers, as well as other aspects of the school's curriculum and in terms of expenses necessary to run the school. Also, the local government unit continues to have the right to voluntarily support the owners of private general education schools in covering operating costs. According to the bill, it is possible to apply for support from the state budget to cover operating costs for a private general education school if the following requirements are met: the school has been in operation for at least four years and the school has been granted an open-ended operating license for at least one school level; not at school the tuition or tuition fee is not more than 25 percent of the minimum wage per month for any student; the profit obtained from the school's activities is invested in learning and educational activities, including the learning environment; the school budget and educational expenses are public; the school has no tax debt to the state or the payment of the tax debt has been postponed, and the local government unit in whose administrative territory the private school operates has given its consent to the allocation of operating expenses support. If the aforementioned requirements are met, according to the draft, support can be applied for from January 1, 2018. The calculation of the support is based on the number of students as of November 10 and the average operating cost of the general education school of the local government unit in the administrative territory of which the private general education school operates, but not more than the limit established on the basis of the Basic School and Gymnasium Act. Support will not be allocated if the requirements are not fulfilled or if Educational and The Ministry of Science has suspected that the establishment of a private school replaces the local government's obligation to provide access to education for students living in its administrative territory. If the local government, in the administrative territory of which the private school operates, has not given its consent to the allocation of the operating cost subsidy, the Ministry of Education and Research has the right to grant the subsidy in exceptional circumstances, if it is necessary for the diversity of education to ensure. Also, the minister responsible for the field has the right to reclaim the subsidy if the subsidy has been allocated on the basis of incorrect data. According to the current Private Schools Act, support for operating costs is allocated to private general education schools until December 31, 2019. The amount of the subsidy is 75 percent of the average operating costs of the general education school in the local government unit in whose administrative territory the private general education school operates in 2016. According to the bill the current regulation will remain in force, and transitional provisions will also be provided for the application of the four-year operating requirement, an indefinite operating permit, the requirement for the consent of the local government, and the tuition fee ceiling.

OTRK: Threats and challenges of Estonian democracy

Estonia · Riigikogu · 13 September 2017

Decision of the Riigikogu "Appointing members of the Council of the Estonian National Library from members of the Riigikogu"

Estonia · Riigikogu · 14 December 2016

The draft decision appoints Riigikogu members Barbi Pilvre and Toomas Väinaste to the advisory board of the Estonian National Library. Barbi Pilvre becomes a member of the Council of the National Library, replacing Mark Soosaare, who left the Riigikogu. Toomas Väinaste replaces Aadu Musta as a member of the council.