Draft law amending the Weapons Act and, in consequence thereof, amending other laws (468 SE) – Second Reading
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 4th session, plenary session.
Date: 2024-11-13 17:02
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 26
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 33m
AI Summaries: 26/26 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The draft law amending the Weapons Act and other related laws, initiated by the Government of the Republic, was debated in the Riigikogu for its second reading. The draft’s focus was on developing the Estonian defense industry, accelerating security and crisis resolution, and reducing bureaucracy, including the creation of a more precise system of permits and controls. The National Defence Committee held thorough discussions and visited several defense industry companies, involving representatives from the defense and space industry, as well as officials from the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of the Interior.
As the leading committee, the National Defence Committee submitted four amendment proposals regarding the draft, and one proposal, number 1, was rejected as it concerned the ownership of weapons by individuals, which did not align with the draft’s aim of broadening its scope. The remaining amendment proposals were adopted according to the leading committee’s proposals. The meeting achieved consensus-based decisions: the draft will be placed on the Riigikogu’s plenary session agenda for its second reading – on November 23rd, and the second reading will be completed. All discussions focused on promoting the defense industry, cooperation possibilities with foreign countries, and simplifying the regulatory environment to allow the Estonian defense industry to be competitive in both the domestic and foreign markets.
Decisions Made 7
Amendment proposal no. 1 — was not taken into account. Voting result: 12 in favor, 49 against, 0 abstentions.
Amendment proposal no. 2 — to be fully considered.
Amendment proposal no. 3 — to be fully taken into account.
Amendment proposal no. 4 — to be fully considered.
Amendment proposal no. 5 — to be fully considered.
The steering committee has decided by consensus to put the bill on the agenda of the Riigikogu plenary session for a second reading – to take place on November 13th.
The steering committee decides by consensus to conclude the second reading.
Most Active Speaker
Most active performer: Raimond Kaljulaid; Member of the National Defence Committee. Position: other (parliamentary) as a position he belongs to the row of members of the National Defence Committee, but a party-political left- or right-wing description is not clearly identifiable in this context.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The fifth item on the agenda concerns the Government of the Republic-initiated draft law to amend the Weapons Act and related laws, draft bill No. 468, in its second reading, and the rapporteur is Raimond Kaljulaid, a member of the Riigikogu's National Defence Committee.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid said that the National Defence Committee has identified as the main objective of the draft bill the development of Estonia's defence industry and the creation of a competitive environment, and by consensus decided to bring it to the Riigikogu's agenda for the second reading and to finish the second reading, leaving only Amendment No. 1 unmet, which concerned private individuals' ownership of firearms, while the remaining amendment proposals are the lead committee's proposals based on the proposals of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of the Interior and were supported by representatives of the Ministry of Defence.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi thanks and informs that there are no questions, opens negotiations, and asks Kristo Enn Vaga to continue.
Kristo Enn Vaga
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kristo Enn Vaga emphasized that to strengthen Estonia's defense capability, the government has made the defense industry a national priority, and the draft bill creates a competitive production environment for weapons and ammunition, simplifies the licensing and control system, expands cooperation with the OECD, NATO, the European Union and companies from other countries, establishes a 100-million-euro defense fund, and enables rapid action in crisis situations and further support for Ukraine, and urged that the draft bill be approved today and on the third reading.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The deputy speaker Toomas Kivimägi expresses thanks, invites Urmas Reinsalu, and mentions Draft Bill 468; Urmas Reinsalu asks for extra time, and eight minutes are granted.
Urmas Reinsalu
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Urmas Reinsalu said that Isamaa supports the draft bill, but demands cost transparency and real savings opportunities and a review of the foundations of security, because the current budget increases inflation and does not help to get the economy moving.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi informed Raimond Kaljulaid that he had two options – a rebuttal or a floor speech, both two minutes long – and asked him to take the floor.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
They ask before starting whether they may choose both options.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
He asserts that both options can be chosen, and the current question is simply a matter of making a choice.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
They said that they didn't want to choose both options.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Toomas Kivimägi asks which of the two you choose.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid says that he will choose his remarks on the spot.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman, Toomas Kivimägi, invited Raimond Kaljulaid to speak and asked him to speak for two minutes.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid said that the bill promotes Estonia's defense industry and economy and is a revenue bill that reduces regulation, helps the defense industry offer better products at lower prices, and increases international competitiveness, and he invited Isamaa chairman Urmas Reinsalu to present ideas for the benefit of the Estonian economy through the proper legislative process.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi thanked and stated that in principle the draft bill has been accepted, and if there are no amendment proposals, it is not very bad and therefore the draft bill is very good, and on behalf of the Isamaa faction Urmas Reinsalu asked for eight minutes for discussion.
Urmas Reinsalu
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Urmas Reinsalu said that the Isamaa party submitted a concrete amendment proposal to this bill, signed by Helir-Valdor Seeder, which addresses a very practical problem, but it was not discussed sufficiently in the committee, and Kaljulaid highlighted issues related to the development of the economy, finance, and industry, the facts of which show that Estonia's manufacturing sector will shrink by 16.6% next year, the largest in Europe.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
They wrote this letter.
Urmas Reinsalu
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Urmas Reinsalu stated that Estonia has the largest real-economy downturn in Europe, and that the policies of the government and the Riigikogu do not solve the crisis, but deepen security and economic problems, and he stressed that for the country’s defense capability about 1.6 billion euros are needed (2025–2028), not 350 million, and called on the Parliament and the Government to act quickly.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi thanked and declared the negotiations finished and presented a question to the chair of the session, Jüri Jaanson.
Jüri Jaanson
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Jüri Jaanson asked to clarify whether the procedure underway is the Weapons Act or an alternative state budget procedure, because at the second reading votes usually do not take place.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The deputy speaker Toomas Kivimägi noted that Mr. Reinsalu spoke about something else, but in this case they are processing the draft amendment to the Weapons Act No. 468.
Helir-Valdor Seeder
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Helir-Valdor Seeder poses to the chair a question and provides an explanation regarding the handling of the 2025 state budget bill, and complains why Isamaa's interrelated amendment proposals cannot be voted on individually, while the proposals related to the National Defence Committee are taken as packages.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi said that related amendment proposals cannot be voted on one at a time, explained that the comprehensive alternative budget amendments submitted regarding Isamaa's 2025 state budget were treated in the committee essentially as related proposals and are not binding nor do they determine the chamber's vote, and now five amendment proposals are being examined, of which the first is Helir-Valdor Seeder's proposal, which the committee wishes to disregard, the explanations for which are probably shared by Annely Akkermann.
Helir-Valdor Seeder
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Helir-Valdor Seeder thanks you and asks you to vote in favor of this amendment proposal.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi announced that voting on Amendment Proposal No. 1 will commence, submitted by Helir-Valdor Seeder, and the lead committee wishes to disregard it in connection with the draft amendment to the Weapons Act No. 468.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Twelve members of the Riigikogu voted in favor of the proposal and 49 against, therefore the proposal did not receive support, but the Defence Committee's amendment proposals Nos. 2–5 must be fully taken into account, and the second reading of Bill No. 468 has been completed, which also ended the consideration of the fifth item on the agenda.