Draft law amending the Local Government Organisation Act (537 SE) – First Reading
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary session
Date: 2025-02-12 19:46
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 49
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 52m
AI Summaries: 49/49 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The Riigikogu discussed, as the second item on the agenda, draft law 537 for the amendment of the Act on Local Government Organisation, for its first reading. The submitters of the draft are Raimond Kaljulaid and Tiit Maran, and the main objective is to clarify the rights of local governments regarding state supervision and the application of coercive fines in relation to the enforcement of rules on keeping pets, and to identify dogs for whom rapid intervention is necessary. The draft allows local governments to perform state supervision and impose coercive fines, and, if necessary, apply provisions of the Public Order Act to prevent immediate danger. Discussions also covered the responsibility, resources, and practices of animal owners, and how this change could contribute to the safety of the community and the welfare of animals. Based on the views presented, it was concluded that the proposed solution is necessary for the first reading, and the discussion also addressed questions of implementation speed and the capacity of local governments. Finally, the governing commission's position on concluding the first reading and deadlines for submitting amendments was confirmed.
Decisions Made 1
First reading completed; the deadline for submitting amendments is February 27th of this year at 5:15 PM.
Most Active Speaker
The most active speaker was Raimond Kaljulaid, the initiator of the draft. His position in the Riigikogu's political spectrum is marked as "other" (not clearly defined as left- or right-wing in this text).
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
As the second item on the agenda, we will consider the draft bill No. 537 on amendments to the Local Government Organization Act, initiated by Raimond Kaljulaid and Tiit Marani, for the first reading, and the presenter will be Raimond Kaljulaid.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid presents a bill whose aim is to clarify the rights of municipalities to monitor compliance with pet-keeping rules, give them the right to impose fines of up to 6,400 euros, and, if necessary, involve the police in cases of dangerous dogs and take the dog into custody.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-chairman Arvo Aller notes that they exist, and asks Mart Võrklaev.
Mart Võrklaev
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Võrklaev emphasized the terrorization taking place in Lagedi, Rae Parish, because of a family with dogs, and its impact on the community and the suffering, primarily through people being bitten, and asked how quickly the bill being discussed today at its first reading can become law and what solutions are planned.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid said that the bill is not directly related to the Lagedi case, but the Lagedi example highlights how, despite the efforts of the local community and the police, there are not enough resources needed to resolve it, and based on feedback from municipalities there is a need for a more precise and concrete regulation in the law, which could be addressed by a comprehensive bill concerning the administration of local governments, and the implementation deadline could be short and could be applied at the earliest opportunity after the Riigikogu's adoption, since it does not bring about transition obligations.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman invites Aleksei Jevgrafovi onto the stage.
Aleksei Jevgrafov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The former mayor of Narva, Aleksei Jevgrafov, notes that for local government the realistic implementation of the law is currently difficult due to limited resources, money, and a shortage of officials, and asks who could carry out this supervision and what resources would be needed for it, and whether the law is actually feasible.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid states that the draft bill would give municipalities clear powers to quickly and effectively solve the problems of dog owners and the neighborhood, granting them, if necessary, compulsory fines and the right to seize the dog, thereby saving human resources and financial resources.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman, Lauri Hussar, invited Vadim Belobrovtsev onto the stage.
Vadim Belobrovtsev
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Vadim Belobrovtsev said that he welcomes the form of the draft, but asked why it came as the initiative of two MPs rather than by the faction, and noted that content-wise a question arises regarding local governments: In Tallinn, the municipal police is handled by Mupo, but in other municipalities where Mupo does not exist, who would deal with it?
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid thanks for the support, notes that for the problem extending from Narva to North Tallinn it is necessary to act quickly, the draft is backed by good experts, including Tiido, and the Social Democratic faction supports the initiative; and although Tallinn has a separate public-order unit, the law’s entry into force will give other municipalities a concrete right to address the problem, i.e., practices may differ among municipalities.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman, Lauri Hussar, asks Andres Metsoja.
Andres Metsoja
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Metsoja raises the question about the culture of animal welfare and the owners' responsibility, asking why a maximum 6,400-euro fine is imposed as a sanction, where the feedback came from, and how through cooperation between municipalities and NGOs the problems of animals are solved.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid said that the focus of the feedback from municipalities is the improvement of the culture of animal husbandry, the solution offered to address the deficiencies in the legislation, and its implementation is aided by training and awareness-raising by the executive branch, where the aim of the penalty is deterrence and, if necessary, changes can be made in the next stage.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman asks that Urmas Kruuse be invited to speak.
Urmas Kruuse
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Urmas Kruuse expressed skepticism about Minister Piret, stressing that the current law governing local authorities is sometimes interpreted in such a way that a response is not taken, and although some experts say that sanctions by fines or certain interventions are possible under the local government's pet-keeping regulations on its territory, its implementation is not easy, and he wants the law to state clearly that municipalities must deal with it, because dogs can attack people.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid said that the problem stems from an inadequate legal basis for preventive intervention, and not from the municipalities' willingness to deal with it, and the separate issue could be resolved as a separate draft bill in cooperation with Hartman.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair invites the next questioner, Aleksei Yevgrafov.
Aleksei Jevgrafov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Jevgrafov pointed out that there are about 600 dog-related challenges per year, a quarter of which are due to dangerous dogs, and he asked how training could prepare officials and ensure their safety in such situations.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid emphasizes that although there are times when external help must be involved and the police use service weapons only in extreme cases, the bill’s solutions are humane, and the aim is to reduce the number of dog owners who do not respond to the community’s pleas, by involving the local government and the police as needed until the dog is taken from the owner.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman, Lauri Hussar, invited Andres Metsoja to speak.
Andres Metsoja
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Andres Metsoja asks whether court practice treats it as a pet case and whether imposing a fine for ownership could operate in the same way, requesting a more detailed examination of the topic, and emphasizes that although local governments have the task of solving the problem with the police, the fine goes to the state budget and the municipality does not receive any revenue from it.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid emphasized that the aim of the compulsory payment is not to fill the budget or to bring additional revenue to municipalities, and it would require systemic changes in funding, although it is not a fiscal-policy bill, and going forward legal clarity and enforcement must derive from the law so that disputes are eliminated.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Speaker Lauri Hussar invited Mart Võrklaeva to take the floor.
Mart Võrklaev
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Võrklaev asks for clarity about what rights arise to intervene in cases of pet attacks, and whether Piret Hartman's draft bill will move forward and when the problem will actually be solved, emphasizing that what matters is the solution, not who brings it about.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid emphasizes that this is a very well-defined problem, and the right given to municipalities to monitor compliance with pet-keeping rules and, if necessary, to apply penalties using the enforcement tools of the Public Order Act, is a sensible solution, and the draft bill's procedure should be carried through to the end.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Speaker Lauri Hussar invites Urmas Kruuse to speak.
Urmas Kruuse
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Urmas Kruuse presented additional questions about whether these 600 attacks reflect challenges related to dog keeping or whether they also reflect the supervision by the Agricultural and Food Authority and the safeguarding of animal welfare, he asked the meaning of the transfer of state supervision to local authorities, and why organizations advocating for animal welfare saw the draft as a backdoor entry, emphasizing that the solution must be holistic and not focus on attacks alone.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid notes that dog-related challenges are not limited to attacks, but also include threatening behavior and issues of safeguarding people's safety, and they must be addressed through the response of the local government and the police, because in reality there are many more such cases than the PPA reported.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman, Lauri Hussar, invites Vladimir Arhipov onto the stage.
Vladimir Arhipov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Vladimir Arhipov stressed that although KOKS needs modernization, the question arises as to who will carry this work to completion when municipalities lack Mupo and a female official has to cope with the absence of police officers, citing the Maardu example.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid said that in cases of aggression by dog owners, municipalities should involve the police, and the draft gives them clear rights and a legal framework to better organize the existing work and influence the person, without adding any additional obligations.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair thanked the presenter, ended the round of questions, and asked Hendrik Johannes Terrase to present the Riigikogu Constitutional Committee's deliberation.
Hendrik Johannes Terras
AI Summary
In the presentation, it was emphasized that local governments must have a clear legal basis on which they can intervene in the rules for keeping animals and monitor their compliance; there was also discussion about dog licenses and training requirements, and the importance of the Animal Welfare Act, and the commission decided to conclude the first reading of the bill.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The presenter thanked and announced that Aleksei Jevgrafov could not be asked a third question (in total only two may be submitted), and after that the absence of questions was announced, negotiations were opened and discussions on the first reading would take place for the factions; on behalf of the Social Democratic Party faction Tiit Marani was invited to the rostrum.
Tiit Maran
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Tiit Maran emphasizes that the relationship between humans and dogs has for centuries been a mutually beneficial collaboration, which began with the wolf and has attained great diversity and a cultural order, and in today's Western welfare state the dog has become mainly a pet, which requires considerable responsibility.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman Lauri Hussar asked for three more minutes of extra time.
Tiit Maran
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Tiit Maran states that a dog owner must have responsible and empathetic leadership, and that with the help of the new bill it is possible to influence a small number of unreasonable owners and prevent dog-related attacks, emphasizing the swift adoption of the law in the Riigikogu.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair thanks and, on behalf of the Isamaa faction, requests that the Riigikogu grant the floor to colleague Andres Metsoja.
Andres Metsoja
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
According to Metsoja, animal welfare and responsibility truly start from culture, not only from laws, and the solution lies through microchips, a pet registry, and training, while the functioning of local governments should focus on prevention, not threats.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar says that he does not want to interrupt you, and asks if you would like more time.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair, Lauri Hussar, asks for one more minute.
Andres Metsoja
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Andres Metsoja said that although the topic is important in society and the discussion may bring clarity, he currently has no complete certainty that it would provide a solution or change the situation legally and in practice.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar thanked and informed that there are no more requests to speak, and gave Raimond Kaljulaid the opportunity to respond.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid thanks the audience and notes that Tiit Maran mentioned him by name.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar said that, in principle, yes, but you and your positions were mentioned.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
To put it briefly, the strength of the draft lies in the fact that the determination of the danger posed by dogs must be made in accordance with local rules, which the municipality establishes and oversees enforcement of; in case of a violation, a fine or other sanctions may be imposed, and if the rules do not prohibit anything, the activity is permitted and there is no intervention, and during the proceedings we will continue negotiations and also present everything to your faction.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Speaker, Lauri Hussar, declared the negotiations closed and announced that the first reading of Draft Bill 537 has been completed and that the deadline for submitting amendment proposals is February 27 this year at 17:15.