Draft law amending the Act on Documents Establishing Identity and amending other acts in consequence (572 SE) – first reading
Session: 15th Estonian Parliament, 5th session, plenary session
Date: 2025-04-09 22:40
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 17
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 24m
AI Summaries: 17/17 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The eighth item on the agenda was the first reading of draft law 572, amending the Identity Documents Act, and amending other acts related to it, initiated by the Republic's Government. The draft’s focus is to enhance the security of identities, mitigate security risks, and reduce bureaucracy, while taking into account rapid technological development and international standards. Significant changes include the possibility of identity verification via mobile phone through a data gateway, establishing a list of restrictions for e-residency, harmonizing the processing of data and registers with the General Data Protection Regulation, and ending the suspension and restoration of certificates, which will lead to individuals having to apply for an ID card with new certificates.
Another important part concerned restrictions on e-residency, under which a regulation will be created to form a list of countries where there is a higher risk of money laundering or terrorism financing, or with which Estonia lacks law enforcement cooperation. The list will take effect with regulations, and the issuance of e-resident digital IDs/processing of data will follow common standards. In addition, several technical and legal changes, carried out in cooperation between the Riigikogu members and ministries, were discussed, such as the introduction of DNA expertise when applying for a document for the first time, specifying the maximum retention periods for datasets, and ending the suspension of certificates for security considerations. Overall, the draft is aimed at higher security, better risk management, and user convenience, but it also involves a significant impact on the handling of personal data and the level of international cooperation.
Decisions Made 5
First reading finished.
Proposal to include the draft on the plenary session agenda for March 10, 2025.
The steering committee shall appoint the chairman of the constitutional committee, Hendrik Johannes Terras, as its representative.
Following the further change at Terras, Kalle Laanet is appointed as the new commission representative.
The deadline for submitting amendments to draft 572 is April 24th at 5:15 PM.
Most Active Speaker
The most active speaker was Kalle Laanet (pid 5CDyHz5iVxs), a member of the Riigikogu Constitutional Affairs Committee; his political position is "other" (primary role given in this competition and discussions, but his overall position is a member of the Constitutional Affairs Committee).
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Speaker Lauri Hussar announces the eighth item on the agenda and informs that this is the Government-initiated draft law to amend the Identity Documents Act and, in connection with it, amendments to other laws, the first reading of draft bill No. 572, and invites the Minister of the Interior Igor Taro to present at the Riigikogu rostrum.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
Before the Riigikogu, Interior Minister Igor Taro said that the bill will increase the security of identity management, reduce bureaucracy, enable mobile-phone-based identity verification, establish restrictions on e-residents, introduce DNA testing in certain cases, and streamline the regulation of data registries, ending the possibility of suspending and reinstating the validity of certificates, in order to ensure a secure and convenient system of identity documents.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair thanks the esteemed minister, notes that there is at least one question, and asks Toomas Uibo to present his question.
Toomas Uibo
Profiling Eesti 200 fraktsioonAI Summary
Toomas Uibo asked whether the draft bill could also help those who lose their identity documents abroad, whether one can identify oneself at Estonian representations using a mobile app, and whether the European Union is moving toward mobile identity, with signs of that.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
In short, Interior Minister Igor Taro said that Estonia is largely forward-looking, there is currently no EU-wide general plan for a mobile document, but in the future ideas may move in that direction, and Estonia's information gateway is a domestic solution, and if the identification document is lost along with the plastic card and the mobile phone, this may make some things easier.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
This is a brief expression of thanks and a request that Arvo Aller take the floor.
Arvo Aller
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Arvo Alleri's remarks raised the concern that the loss of a plastic card and identification via a mobile phone could lead to a surveillance society and a police state, because a mobile phone can track a person's location, whereas a plastic card is not traceable.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
Regulation is not aimed at creating a surveillance society; it is the individual's own free choice which document they use and whether to use a mobile solution. The ID card remains in use, and the application does not increase surveillance more than the mobile phone currently allows.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair invites Urve Tiiduse onto the stage.
Urve Tiidus
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Urve Tiidus said that in the next five to ten years artificial intelligence will take over the world, and asked whether the draft touches on, for example, a virtual double and related science-fiction ideas.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
This draft bill will increase security by ensuring that certificates cannot be forged, and it removes the mechanism for suspending and restoring validity (in which case you still have to order a new ID card), but at present there is no involvement of artificial intelligence in it.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar invited Arvo Aller to speak.
Arvo Aller
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Arvo Aller raises a question about the draft proposal as to whether the state will start limiting the length of a person's name to 30 characters, and what will be done if names exceed this limit or if the identity card requires a version of the name without the final letter.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
Interior Minister Igor Taro said that if the length of the name exceeds 30 characters, it won't fit on the document, and this draft bill won't change that.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar thanks the minister, confirms that there are no more questions, and introduces Kalle Laanet, a member of the Riigikogu's Constitutional Committee, to the speaking podium.
Kalle Laanet
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
The Constitutional Committee discussed restrictions on e-residency in foreign states and the DNA analysis and use of a digital identity card related to this, and by consensus decided to place the bill on the plenary agenda for 10 March 2025 and to finish the first reading, appointing Kalle Laanet as the committee's lead representative.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chair Arvo Aller thanked the presenter for the thorough presentation, stated that there were no questions and that he would open negotiations between the factions and, if necessary, the minister, close negotiations, and he confirmed that the Steering Committee's proposal is the termination of the first reading of draft bill No. 572; the first reading has been completed, and the deadline for submitting amendment proposals is 24 April at 17:15, and the session has ended.