Inquiry Regarding the Future of Estonian Agriculture (No. 730)
Session: 15th Riigikogu, Fifth Session, Plenary Session.
Date: 2025-05-19 19:14
Total Speeches: 35
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 37m
AI Summaries: 35/35 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The presented inquiry concerned the future of Estonian agriculture, and within its scope, primarily addressed the future approaches, funding, and vitality of rural areas under the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Questions and answers presented from the Riigikogu speaker's chair encompassed both the structure of ministries and the state's guidelines for the next budget period, including critical attention to the issues of support models, competitiveness, and ensuring food production security. The inquirers, including Lauri Laats, Vladimir Arhipov, Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart, Andrei Korobeinik, and Vadim Belobrovtsev, highlighted concerns in the context of national defense and food supply and requested clarification on how Estonia is preparing to implement the new instrument system and what the priorities are.
The second part of the discussion focused on reducing internal work and bureaucracy, changing corporate taxation, and addressing the impacts of the green transition in agriculture. The government presented its positions: significant structural changes are not planned, and work organization decisions remain within the authority of the ministry's leadership; the goal is to ensure stability and economic vitality for agricultural producers, including changes in tax arrangements (e.g., the elimination of the 2% profit tax for companies, expansion of the income tax-free minimum) and the sustainability of funding; furthermore, it was emphasized that the priorities for the next long-term period are: fair income, increased competitiveness, and the vitality of rural areas through knowledge, innovation, and digital transition. The discussion also encompassed the involvement of young people, harmonization of controls, and the protection of productive agricultural land, which are related to Estonia’s strategic resources and food security.
Decisions Made 1
Decisions were not made.
Most Active Speaker
The most active speaker was Lauri Laats (representative of the inquiry). By position, he belongs to both the Riigikogu and the ranks of the investigators (a category of a different political direction).
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Speaker Lauri Hussar announces the second item on the agenda, which is the interpellation concerning the future of Estonian agriculture, submitted on March 19th, and asks his colleague Lauri Laats to introduce the interpellation to the Riigikogu.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats gave a speech on the future of Estonian agriculture, raising questions about 2025 funding and asking whether and how the objectives of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy—fair income, competitiveness, strengthening the food supply chain, climate action, preserving biodiversity, generational renewal, viable rural areas, food quality and health, and knowledge and innovation—have been met in Estonia, and what the government’s assessment of their achievement is.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Speaker thanks the house and invites Prime Minister Kristen Michal to respond to the interpellation from the Riigikogu rostrum.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
The government announced that it does not intend to implement significant structural changes in the ministry responsible for agriculture, focusing instead on economic viability and promoting investment, as well as cooperating with sector representatives during negotiations on the EU's Common Agricultural Policy and the long-term budget.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Speaker Hussar thanks the Prime Minister, announces that there are questions, and invites Lauri Laats to take the floor.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
They discussed the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and funding for the new period, both of which are set to begin in the spring. The conversation also covered the three main priorities—ensuring a fair income for farmers, promoting knowledge and innovation, and boosting competitiveness—and they were asked to elaborate on what exactly these objectives entail.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal stated that Estonia's priority is to continue the equalization of agricultural direct payments by the start of the 2028 budget period, and to reach 80% of the European Union average level for support per hectare for the Baltic States by 2027, in order to achieve parity in negotiations and boost the competitiveness of Estonian farmers. This is supplemented by €702 million in rural development support for the period 2021–2027, and the government's positions, which the questioner inquired about, have been cautiously adopted and approved by the Riigikogu.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar called Vadim Belobrovtsev to the stage.
Vadim Belobrovtsev
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Vadim Belobrovtsev asked the Prime Minister what specific steps the government has taken to reduce Estonian agriculture's dependence on imports, especially in the critical area of poultry production, for the sake of food security.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
The Prime Minister confirmed that the financial measures and development plans will strengthen the competitiveness of Estonian food production and agriculture, as well as the entire economy, since they are distributed across various sectors and interventions, and he promised to send the full program details if necessary.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar invited Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart to the stage.
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
He/She expresses concern regarding the reduction of bureaucracy and the improvement of competitiveness, emphasizing that the environmental requirements of the European Union’s green policy disproportionately burden small farmers. He/She asks whether there is a readiness to negotiate with them and take action to ensure their competitiveness.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal confirmed that the government is working on the revision of legislation across all ministries and the streamlining of sectoral laws, is engaging agricultural entrepreneurs and investors, and is also taking into account EU proposals, adding that the simpler and more practical life becomes, the better.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar invites Vladimir Arhipov to take the floor.
Vladimir Arhipov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Vladimir Arkhipov stated that young people's interest in the agricultural sector has dropped due to the hard work and low wages, and young people view it as old-fashioned kolkhoz labor, lacking innovation and future prospects. He then asked what measures have been implemented or are planned to engage young people in the field.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal said that the new coalition agreement stipulates generational cooperation in agriculture, ensuring young farmers access to state lands, and boosting agricultural competitiveness through research and development, but there are definitely more measures to come.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar invites Evelin Poolamets to take the floor.
Evelin Poolamets
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Evelin Poolamets asks what the government's directions are for reducing inspections or establishing a unified inspection database, and whether the objective is to harmonize these databases to reduce bureaucracy and the time wasted by producers.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal said that the state will implement risk-based controls, use data wisely, and digitize administrative processes. Furthermore, it will abolish bureaucratic requirements (such as the alcohol register within the purview of the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture) and integrate supervisory information systems in cooperation with businesses. The goal is to reduce duplicate controls and simplify operations across all sectors, including agriculture.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar addresses Helle-Moonika Helme and asks her.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
He/She expresses concern that green policies have driven Estonian agriculture's competitiveness into a crisis, arguing that Estonia failed to conduct the necessary negotiations upon accession, which allows larger countries to receive greater subsidies, leaving our farmers completely devastated and flat on their face.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal said that the problem facing agriculture is climate change, not the green transition; we must help them adapt and move forward, and direct payments should be at least at the European Union average level, and there is always hope.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asks to give the floor to Peeter Ernits.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Peeter Ernits stated that upon returning to the Riigikogu, he wishes to join the Rural Affairs Committee, and asked the Prime Minister whether it is the most popular committee for the government.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
The Prime Minister remarks that this is an odd question, and the government holds all sectors and committees equally dear, as are almost all members of the Riigikogu.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The introducer invites Helir-Valdor Seeder to the stage.
Helir-Valdor Seeder
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Helir-Valdor Seeder is asking the Prime Minister what he had in mind when he claimed that climate change is the farmer’s main enemy—was he referring to the changing of the seasons or just generally? He also recalls that in the old days, the farmer’s main enemies were always considered to be spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and the general weather conditions.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal stated that the issue is not international imperialism or the four seasons, but rather adverse weather conditions—such as drought, night frosts, and heatwaves—which have inflicted economic damage on agriculture and forestry. This damage has been compensated for with emergency support, and furthermore, the average temperature is rising and impacting both forestry and agriculture.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Hussar thanks the Prime Minister, announces that there are no further questions, and opens the debate, inviting Lauri Laats, the representative of the interpellators, back to the rostrum.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats emphasized that viable rural areas are under significant strain due to EU regulations, state policy, and bureaucracy, and called for clearly justified proposals, a fairer distribution of subsidies, the assurance of food security, and the resolution of issues concerning land reduction and energy solutions for the next CAP funding period.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar requests three more minutes of extra time.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
To ensure the continued competitiveness and resilience of Estonian food production, Estonia must defend its interests in Brussels, reduce the burden of taxes and regulations, and steer the CAP reform in a direction that meets Estonia’s needs.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Colleague Helir-Valdor Seeder is invited to the Riigikogu podium, and three minutes of additional time are requested for him.
Helir-Valdor Seeder
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Helir-Valdor Seeder emphasizes that the constant changing of ministry names and structures creates uncertainty, and that the coordination of rural development and domestic support funds should ideally fall under a single ministry. He also stressed the importance of protecting fertile agricultural land as a non-renewable natural resource and the necessity of resolving the persistent inequalities within the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy during the next financial period.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
There are no requests for the floor, and the Prime Minister does not wish to speak; with that, the discussions are closed and the consideration of the second item on the agenda is concluded.