Second reading of the bill (457 SE) amending the Act on the Government of the Republic and amending other acts in connection therewith (restructuring the State Real Estate Enterprise into the State Real Estate and Cadastre Enterprise)
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 4th session, plenary session
Date: 2024-11-12 12:05
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 77
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 1h 29m
AI Summaries: 77/77 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The first item on the agenda concerned the second reading in the Riigikogu (Estonian Parliament) of Bill 457 amending the State Government Act and related laws (reorganization of the State Real Estate Enterprise into the State Real Estate and Spatial Affairs Enterprise). The bill’s purpose is to address issues of the lack of a central application unit for spatial and land matters, the lack of a holistic approach to spatial development, and the lack of advisory and coordinating roles in adapting to climate change, by creating the State Real Estate and Spatial Affairs Enterprise. The first reading took place on June 14th, and no amendments were received; the committee submitted 11 amendments. To prepare for the second reading, a committee session was held on November 7th; the ministry's proposals modified the committee's proposals. According to procedural requirements, the agency's work was to begin on January 1, 2025, which creates a need for expedited procedures. Parallel to the proceedings is Riigikogu Bill 505, which concerns further amendments to the same field. The 11 proposed amendments were recommended to be fully considered, and the second reading was scheduled to be completed and a final vote taken on November 19th.
The discussions held as the second item primarily addressed questions regarding the understanding of oversight and data retention, the responsibilities of ministries, the competence and coordination of the organization's name (State Real Estate and Spatial Affairs Enterprise), and the impact of climate and segregation issues on spatial planning. The discussion highlighted various positions: how and whether the State Real Estate and Spatial Affairs Enterprise can reduce bureaucracy and segregation, and what is the new institution's role in the spatial planning and regional policy of local governments. The speeches reflected the concerns of both the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of the Environment, as well as local interest groups, and emphasized the need for a shared vision and clarity in spatial development.
In conclusion, the agenda is ready for completion, and the schedule for completing the second reading and a final vote has been confirmed – the agenda aligns with the plan to complete the second reading and bring the bill to the plenary session for a final vote on November 19th.
Decisions Made 2
11 amendment proposals to be considered in full, as the committee suggests
Second reading to be completed; upon completion of the second reading, place the draft on the plenary agenda and conduct a final vote on November 19th.
Most Active Speaker
The most active participant throughout this agenda was Kalle Grünthal (pid: UZO6xIIvIiQ). He raised more questions and topics, focusing primarily on oversight issues, the redistribution of responsibilities between ministries, and the functioning of the space agency, as well as questions regarding the prevention of potential segregation. His participation was significant, and he continued to pay close attention with several subsequent questions and comments, indicating his role as a participant focused on the issues of “change proposals” and the practical impact of the draft. Position: other.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
At the first item on the agenda, the second reading of draft bill 457 will be considered, which concerns the restructuring of Maa-amet into the Maa- ja Ruumiamet, and its presenter is the chair of the Environment Committee, Igor Taro.
Igor Taro
AI Summary
The briefing explains how, with an amendment to the Government Act and related laws, the Land and Spatial Authority is created to coordinate space and land issues; 11 amendments were submitted to it, and the commission recommended ending the second reading and holding the final vote on 19 November.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
During the speech, the audience is thanked, it is said that there are questions, and it is announced that Kalle Grünthal will begin.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kalle Grünthal claims that there are hidden things in the kobarpaket, which refer to the fact that section 107(3) of the Subsoil Act is declared invalid and thereby the Maa-amet's supervision of the uptake and registration of geological surveys is abolished, which provides an opportunity to conceal the existence and volume of Ida-Virumaa's actual mineral resources.
Igor Taro
AI Summary
They state that in Estonia no oversight will be left undone, and the changes discussed concern only the redistribution of areas of responsibility among the institutions, therefore no supervisory or legal proceedings will be omitted.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The deputy chairman, Toomas Kivimägi, invited Mart Maastik to speak.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Maastik noted that the proposal would merge the Estonian Land and Spatial Administration, and that a name change would clearly incur costs; therefore, one should consider remaining as Maa-amet.
Igor Taro
AI Summary
This amendment is more substantive than a name change, because it addresses the fragmentation of the spatial domain and the absence of a central implementing unit, and the choice of the name reflects the institution's essence—dealing with land, space, and water issues—although the commission did not discuss whether this name is suitable.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Toomas Kivimägi asks Helle-Moonika Helme to take the floor.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Helle-Moonika Helme said that although the spatial planning bill is welcome as a way to reduce bureaucracy, she adds ideological infantilism and climate alarmism to it, and asked whether the commission discussed how spatial planning could bring jobs, daycare centers and schools, and decent public transport to rural areas, and reduce forced mobility, so that life would be more human-friendly and not one in which people are forced to drive cars and pay for it.
Igor Taro
AI Summary
Igor Taro said that the Land and Spatial Authority would be created to devote more attention to the topics of the living environment and spatial planning, in order to advise municipalities and plan residential neighborhoods so that in Tallinn the need for car travel would decrease within roughly a 3-kilometer radius, and to better organize public transport and the placement of institutions, so that people would not have to start their cars every day.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Toomas Kivimägi invited Arvo Aller to speak.
Arvo Aller
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The speaker asks why the Land and Spatial Administration was moved from under the Regional and Agricultural Ministry to the jurisdiction of the Minister of Economic Affairs and Industry, and whether its aim is to halt Estonia's industry, referring to the cessation of oil shale mining in Ida-Virumaa.
Igor Taro
AI Summary
Igor Taro noted that in Estonia the use of oil shale for energy production is coming to an end, not its mining, and the discussion focused on the logic of shifting areas of responsibility and the importance of the Land and Spatial Authority's planning function for the business environment, while he pointed out that the question of whether the agency belongs to the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture or the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications is completely justified.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Toomas Kivimägi asks that Kalle Grünthal take the floor.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Grünthal claims that the draft bill would render Section 107(3) of the Subsoil Act invalid, which would remove the Estonian Land Board's supervision, and asks why this is being done, since it jeopardizes the accuracy and preservation of data in registries and would lead to fines of around €400,000.
Igor Taro
AI Summary
Igor Taro stated that he does not lie and explained that declaring one paragraph legally invalid does not mean the end of the procedure or its removal from the Estonian state, and in the committee there was no discussion about abolishing the procedure in connection with this bill.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The deputy chairman, Toomas Kivimägi, asks Madis Kallast to speak.
Madis Kallas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Madis Kallas asks whether the committee discussed the reform to merge the activities of the Estonian Land Board and the Geological Service into a single institution, in order to reduce duplication and increase expertise, and whether they discussed which substantive positions were voiced.
Igor Taro
AI Summary
Igor Taro said that the previous question had apparently been answered and that the questioner left the room, there was no interest, and that the aim is not to abolish the procedure, but to remove the role of the Estonian Land Board, which was not discussed in detail in the committee.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The deputy chairman, Toomas Kivimägi, invited Evelin Poolametsa to perform.
Evelin Poolamets
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Evelin Poolamets expressed concern that an amendment to the Subsoil Act would place the Government-appointed institution under the climate minister's authority and thus fall under the Reform Party's sphere of influence, and asked why such an important institution with geological expertise would remain under the authority of only one ministry?
Igor Taro
AI Summary
They stressed that the aim is to reduce duplication and workload, to organize the institutions under the minister's authority, not at cabinet level, and that coalition ministers should be trusted and micromanagement should be avoided.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman, Toomas Kivimägi, asks Helle-Moonika Helme to take the floor.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Helme criticizes that the bill regulates only life that takes place in Tallinn and touches on rural areas, and asks whether this is mandatory positive discrimination and the prevention of ideological segregation, referring to the Finnish example where such a solution has failed.
Igor Taro
AI Summary
Igor Taro emphasized that, in the interests of a cohesive society, segregation or ghettoization must not be encouraged, and that the Land and Spatial Administration should also advise landowning municipalities on how to improve the living environment, because the carbon footprint is generated mainly by energy and transport, where the largest share is formed by urban traffic and due to trips of about three kilometers.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The deputy chair Toomas Kivimägi invites Mart Maastik onto the stage.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Maastik asked how the Department of Spatial Planning intends to prevent ghettoization and whether it will start imposing restrictions on the choice of residence, pointing out that different ethnic groups and other groups—and their cohabitation—actually exist.
Igor Taro
AI Summary
Igor Taro emphasized that different social groups must not be confined to specific spaces, and that the living environment should be designed so that they live in a shared space, noting that segregation makes the transition to Estonian-language education more difficult, and that the role of Maa- ja Ruumiamet in reducing this is important.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Toomas Kivimägi asks Evelin Poolametsa.
Evelin Poolamets
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Evelin Poolamets noted that in Estonia they will start to prevent ghettoization, but she has not found any corresponding measures in the laws, and she asked what implementing acts will come and how the prevention of ghettoization will look like in the future.
Igor Taro
AI Summary
Igor Taro said that he did not raise the topic, gave an overview of the draft bill's proceedings, and is not able or willing to comment on the implementation unit's methods or plans, because the draft bill concerns only the establishment of the institution, and it is the legislature's task to provide the directions and frameworks that the executive power will then implement in the name of climate targets and to improve people's living environment.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
This is simply a short plea to invite Arvo Aller to perform.
Arvo Aller
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Arvo Aller criticizes amendment proposal No. 7, which shortens the processing time for planning procedures by at least 30 days and eliminates the obligation to hear citizens, and emphasizes that even if time is of the essence, citizens must have the opportunity to present their arguments.
Igor Taro
AI Summary
Igor Taro said that to reduce bureaucracy and speed up the planning process, a separate public hearing should be dropped, since in practice it has been primarily associated with checking compliance with legal norms and does not offer substantive discussion, and therefore it is reasonable to let the authorities carry out oversight.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Toomas Kivimägi introduces Pohlaku and asks for your attention.
Siim Pohlak
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Siim Pohlak said that to prevent Estonia from becoming ghettoized, a very strict immigration policy and as few migrants as possible are needed, because the fewer migrants there are, the smaller the risk of ghettoization, and the institution that would be created will not be able to change the processes.
Igor Taro
AI Summary
Igor Taro emphasizes that problems must not be ignored and that we must address both migration policy and those who are already in Estonia, noting that not all problems originate from outside and some are internal, and where you see a fault, come and help — the authorities must deal with it within their powers.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The speech is a brief plea to invite Signe Kivi to perform.
Signe Kivi
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
This bill is not simply a change of name, but truly a broad reorganization and the distribution of tasks between different agencies across the ministries, and whether the commission had any background information on how much, or whether at all, ministerial duties and name changes had previously occurred in Estonia, because experience shows that the Ministry of Education has become the Ministry of Education and Science and a Climate Ministry has been created, and whether there is anything to learn from this or to take as an example.
Igor Taro
AI Summary
According to Igor Taro, changes of government are often accompanied by the reallocation of responsibilities, but the broad-based support of architects and planners and years-long effort lead to the right solution—the creation of the Land and Spatial Administration, which should not be feared because of its name.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Toomas Kivimägi invited Siim Pohlaku to speak.
Siim Pohlak
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Siim Pohlak notes that in Estonia the top priorities are coping, the economy and energy issues, and that the government has, to an unprecedented extent, been involved in renaming and reorganizing ministries, which costs taxpayers millions of euros, and he asks for the exact amount, how much this procedure will cost.
Igor Taro
AI Summary
Igor Taro asserts that the draft will not increase administrative costs, but will reduce them by bringing the institutions into a shared physical space, and will bring savings in operating costs over a five- to six-year horizon; exact figures will be provided later if necessary.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
This is simply a request to invite Andrus Seeme onto the stage.
Andrus Seeme
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Andrus Seeme said that the bill could reduce bureaucracy and administrative proceedings, and asked the Commission how much it could reduce, and asked for examples of how this would make life easier for both citizens and surveying firms.
Igor Taro
AI Summary
The aims of the 7th and 10th amendment proposals are to shorten the duration of general and detailed planning procedures by 30 days, and the creation of the Land and Spatial Administration would provide a single unified institution, which would reduce duplication and make processes more efficient, enabling local governments to improve the living environment, meet climate targets, and reduce forced movement and segregation, which in turn brings greater cost control for taxpayers.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
At the start of the speech, Madis Kallas was asked to come on stage.
Madis Kallas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Madis Kallas noted that the creation of the Land and Spatial Agency has been discussed since 2017 and has been driven by three prime ministers, and the main aim is to give municipalities more joint support, especially for those who cannot hire architects or planners, and MaRu should fill the gap in smaller regions, and he asked whether the reasons for the protracted delay of the process have been discussed in the committee.
Igor Taro
AI Summary
He said that the project has been underway for about ten years, and interest groups were pleased that it is now possible, but the exact reason for the delay remains, in his view, inexplicable, because priorities have differed across governments, and the idea has long existed.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi announced that at the moment there are no questions for the presenter, took the question to the chair of the meeting, summoned Siim Pohlak, and asked Igor to wait for the questions to arrive later.
Siim Pohlak
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Siim Pohlak criticizes the Commission's proposals that promise increased efficiency, a reduction in bureaucracy, and cost reductions over a five-to-six-year horizon, and regards these hopes as erroneous and potentially deceptive, and calls for coming up with corrective procedures.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
It was a substantive debate marked by divergent opinions and personal positions, in which the deputy chair Toomas Kivimägi did not intervene and commended the presenter as very thorough and as someone who had carried the discussion beyond what was addressed at the committee's session.
Andres Metsoja
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Andres Metsoja stressed that, although the creation of institutions and reform are important for legal certainty, in the field of planning this has become increasingly blurred, and he asked how the draft creates legal certainty, who bears the responsibility, and how it will help municipalities improve the quality of planning.
Igor Taro
AI Summary
He said that the bill would address the fragmentation of the spatial sector by creating a central body responsible for land and space issues and providing advisory support to municipalities, and that cost-cutting should not be the main objective—it's important to assess the change in costs both in absolute terms and in the potential future, and to understand that failing to act may increase costs.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Andres Metsoja posed a second question.
Andres Metsoja
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Andres Metsoja points out that the abolition of county administrations has created a large vacuum in the field of planning, which municipalities cannot manage on their own, and that solutions must be found as close as possible to the municipalities, together with them, rather than from the center.
Igor Taro
AI Summary
Igor Taro notes that in 2017 the abolition of county administrations created a vacuum, and there is a need for a unified regional perspective and a single planning institution, but decisions must be made at both the local and regional levels, for example by illustrating the cooperation of the Võru and Põlvamaa public transport centers, and although Estonia has become more centralized and that has drawbacks, there is hope for added value through greater competence — let's look at the glass half full.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi thanked the presenter, announced that there were no more questions, opened negotiations, and invited Kalle Grünthali.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kalle Grünthal warns that Ida-Virumaa's mineral resources are Estonia's crown jewel, which Brussels and greedy forces want to take for themselves, and, recalling the past, emphasizes that removing the oversight of preserving geological information would be dangerous, because information is the greatest asset and without it one cannot make important decisions.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
He asks for three more minutes.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kalle Grünthal expressed concern that the results of drilling carried out in Ida-Virumaa are being taken abroad and do not reach the public, although the law requires data registration, and he proposed to suspend the reading and send the draft bill back to the committee so that the Estonian people would not lose their subsoil resources.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Vice Speaker Toomas Kivimägi said that a proposal to suspend the bill can be made only by factions, but everyone may express an opinion and make proposals, and he invited Mart Maastik to speak.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Mart Maastik criticizes the reorganization of the Estonian Land Board into the Land and Spatial Authority and the transfer of geology to the Climate Ministry, saying that it is illogical, creates costs and instability, and resembles Brownian motion.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Toomas Kivimägi announced that three additional minutes would be given.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Maastik pointed out that people do not move between regions when they want to live together, and recommended shaping migration policy toward a logical solution, proposing that land, space and geology be placed under the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, and that the law be sent back to the committee, and that a proposal be made to the chair of the faction about this.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chair thanks and invites Arvo Aller to take the floor.
Arvo Aller
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Arvo Aller criticized the transfer of the Estonian Land Board under the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, noting that it would bring additional costs and undermine regional policy and trust, and he proposed creating a Regional and Agricultural Ministry that would deal with regional planning and land resources, while noting that a 30-day shortening of hearings would not provide real-time savings.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi thanks and asks Igor Taro.
Igor Taro
AI Summary
Igor Taro, on behalf of the Eesti 200 faction, affirms that the creation of the Land and Spatial Administration will reduce bureaucracy and duplication, increase the efficiency of the public sector and reduce costs for taxpayers, and that the adherence to climate targets and the reduction of fragmentation demonstrate the need for a holistic institution with both functions and competencies, not merely a name change, and we must move forward.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Toomas Kivimägi asks Andres Metsojat.
Andres Metsoja
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
The presentation shows that the gap created after the 2017 administrative reform and the failure to implement several solutions create planning problems, where the planning of renewable energy overlaps with the restoration of wetlands and ornithological studies, and there is a need for clear objectives and better cooperation to advance Estonia's governance.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Vice-chairman Toomas Kivimägi asks for three more minutes.
Andres Metsoja
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
According to Metsoja, the solution does not lie in forming an agency, but in bringing together representatives of the state and local municipalities and in jointly negotiating their interests, where each municipality initiates a special planning process, RMK directs the land parcels, and the Land and Spatial Administration must ensure legal clarity and an understanding of local conditions.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi thanks and says that county administrations have so far been indispensable, and then invites Madis Kallas to speak.
Madis Kallas
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Madis Kallas clarified that forestry falls under the Climate Ministry's jurisdiction, not under the Regional and Agricultural Ministry's jurisdiction, and he stressed that because of this difference one of our biggest resources remains under the Climate Ministry's remit.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi ended the negotiations, informing that the Environmental Committee's 11 amendment proposals have been reviewed and that the leading committee recommends that they be fully taken into account, and that the second reading of Bill No. 457 has been completed, and with that the first item on the agenda has also been concluded.