Second reading of the draft law amending the Subsoil Act (435 SE)
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 4th session, plenary session
Date: 2024-12-11 23:31
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 21
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 32m
AI Summaries: 21/21 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
Discussion of Bill 435 concerning the amendment of the Subsoil Act in the Riigikogu's second reading. The bill was submitted by the Government of the Republic on May 13 and its primary purpose is to prevent a situation where achieving the state's climate standards objectives would become difficult if licenses for shale oil extraction were issued before requirements are clarified. The bill provides for a temporary suspension of procedures for licenses for shale oil extraction until January 1, 2026, and also provides for the possibility of suspending procedures relating to applications for mining licenses and extensions of mining concessions, with exceptions. The end of the first reading did not bring any amendment proposals, and the bill has undergone preliminary work involving the participation of interest groups and analytical skills, as well as linguistic and technical improvements to the text. Finally, as a leadership committee, a decision was made to take the bill for the Riigikogu's plenary session for the second reading on December 11 and to complete the second reading; further progression to the third reading and a final vote is planned. The Isamaa faction submitted a proposal to interrupt the second reading, but it did not garner the necessary support, and the second reading was completed by consensus.
Decisions Made 2
The Environment Committee proposed including the bill for a second reading on the Riigikogu’s plenary session agenda on December 11th and to conclude the second reading.
The Isamaa faction's proposal to interrupt the second reading: the vote resulted in 9 in favor, 49 against, and 0 abstentions; the proposal did not receive support. The second reading concluded.
Most Active Speaker
The most active speaker was Mait Klaassen (pn: FN_Sw0Q_hvE), a member of the Riigikogu speaker's chair and the Environment Committee; his role was the presenter/proponent of the bill. Position: other (numerical category does not fall on the left-right function, but as a general type of role). He presented a thorough overview of the procedure stages, analyses, and content of the bill and answered questions afterward.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Agenda item No. 14 concerns the government-initiated amendment bill to the Subsoil Act, Draft Bill No. 435, in its second reading, and the rapporteur is Mait Klaassen, a member of the Riigikogu's Environment Committee.
Mait Klaassen
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mait Klaassen explains the aim of the draft bill to suspend the licensing procedures for oil shale mining until January 1, 2026, in order to prevent the country from achieving its emissions targets and to avoid the risk of infringing legitimate expectations, discusses the positions of interest groups and of the Legal and Analysis Department, and announces the Commission's decision to take the draft bill for a second reading in the Riigikogu on December 11.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The speech expresses great gratitude, and one question is to be posed to Urmas Reinsalu.
Urmas Reinsalu
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Urmas Reinsalu expressed surprise, noting that representatives of entrepreneurs were silent and that Kiviõli Keemiatööstus and Viru Keemia Grupp had submitted very radical protests, recalled the Chancellery's Department of Law and Analysis' stance on the draft wording deemed unconstitutional, asked how it is possible to create a right based on a non-existent law and why in the explanatory memorandum there is a reference to a non-existent law, and posed an additional question as to whether the Estonian government has given binding commitments at the level of the European Commission to stop using oil shale in connection with the EU Recovery Plan.
Mait Klaassen
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mait Klaassen said that pausing the licensing procedure before the regulation is adopted is common and costs are not increased, but there is no answer about concrete promises, and he promised to send Urmas a written reply regarding the question of stolen cars and to investigate the matter.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi thanks and informs that there are no more questions; Jüri Jaanson has a question for the chair of the meeting and, if necessary, he may ask the presenter or, in exceptional cases, the chair.
Jüri Jaanson
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
He submitted a procedural question to the chair of the meeting.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
At the end of the speech, the presenter is thanked, it is said that the questions have ended, and Jüri Jaanson is invited to take the floor.
Jüri Jaanson
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Jüri Jaanson asked how many oral questions a member of the Riigikogu may submit in one minute or during a single question session, referring to Section 68 of the Riigikogu Rules of Procedure and Internal Order Act.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi said that one question can contain several questions, and the respondent has the right to choose which of them to answer (he may answer all of them), and he does not intend to break with this practice.
Jüri Jaanson
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Jüri Jaanson explains that there is one minute to ask a question in accordance with § 68(3), agrees to follow customary procedures, and emphasizes that firing off questions like a machine gun is not appropriate.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi emphasizes that the aim is to give the respondent the freedom to choose the applicable question when there are multiple questions, and not to restrict the rights of members of the Riigikogu, as a result of which negotiations will be opened.
Arvo Aller
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
This very short speech expresses personal responsibility and acting on one's own behalf.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
He noted that, since there is another interpretation, the speech may be delivered in his own name as well as in the name of the faction.
Arvo Aller
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Arvo Aller said that the draft bill for the second reading of the Subsoil Act would impose limits on entrepreneurs' investments, halt permit procedures until 2026, and cause serious socio-economic damage to Ida-Viru County, threaten constitutional expectations, and leave the compensation mechanism inadequate, which is why EKRE does not support this amendment.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman thanked you and invited Andres Metsoja to speak next.
Andres Metsoja
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Andres Metsoja said that this is a bad bill, and gave the Isamaa faction a proposal to suspend the second reading of the bill, and asked for three minutes of extra time.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
It is confirmed that the speech lasts a total of eight minutes.
Andres Metsoja
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Riigikogu member Andres Metsoja states that although the rule of law does not threaten environmental protection, the draft puts at risk its legitimate expectation, imposes a burden on the private sector, and leads to the postponement of planning and assessment periods; therefore he cannot support it, because it jeopardizes the achievement of climate targets and energy security.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-Speaker Arvo Aller ends the negotiations and puts to a vote in the Riigikogu the Isamaa faction's proposal to suspend the second reading of the Government-initiated Subsoil Act amendment bill No. 435.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The proposal did not receive support: 9 in favor, 49 against, 0 abstentions; the second reading has been completed.