Completion of the thematic plan for mineral resources in Rapla and Pärnu County.
Session: Fifteenth Riigikogu, sixth sitting, press briefing.
Date: 2025-09-17 16:52
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 10
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 4m
AI Summaries: 10/10 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The Information Hour began with an unusual request to set aside procedural questions in order to give Riigikogu member Andres Metsoja the opportunity to ask Prime Minister Kristen Michal a question regarding the termination of the thematic plan for mineral resources in Rapla and Pärnu counties. Metsoja expressed concern about the proposal by the Land and Spatial Planning Authority to terminate mineral resource planning in these counties, fearing that it would reduce public transparency and create tensions, especially considering that planning continues in Harju County. He saw a risk that mining activities would be directed on a case-by-case basis to more distant areas, referring to a possible policy of directing activity outside the "golden ring."
Prime Minister Michal explained that the termination of the thematic plan was due to technical and geological circumstances. In Rapla and Pärnu counties, there are few prospective areas for construction minerals, and it is more expedient to handle them as individual cases. Furthermore, supporting the construction of Rail Baltic is no longer a current objective, as the necessary material has been largely secured. Another important factor was the amendment to the regulation of the Minister of the Environment (which entered into force on July 22, 2024), which updated the list of areas suitable for peat mining, meaning peat mining is no longer addressed in the thematic plan. Regarding limestone and dolomite, the work carried out by the Estonian Geological Survey revealed that there are very few geologically suitable areas in these counties, limiting the practical applicability of the plan only to existing areas. The Information Hour was concluded due to lack of time.
Decisions Made 1
No decisions were made
Most Active Speaker
MP Andres Metsoja was the most active speaker, raising a detailed and politically sensitive question concerning the termination of thematic plans for mineral resources.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar makes a proposal to his colleagues to set aside procedural questions in order to show solidarity with Andres Metsoja and give him the opportunity to ask Prime Minister Kristen Michal a question regarding the termination of the thematic plan for mineral resources in Rapla and Pärnu counties.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar proposed temporarily setting aside the procedural matters and showing solidarity with Andres Metsoja, who is directing the tenth question to Prime Minister Kristen Michal concerning the termination of the thematic plan for mineral resources in Rapla and Pärnu counties.
Andres Metsoja
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Andres Metsoja criticizes the proposal by the Land and Space Board to cease the preparation of county plans and thematic plans for mineral resources, emphasizing the need for inclusion and clarity, as well as for securing the origin of Estonian investments and construction materials, and asks why the planning of mines continues in various regions.
Andres Metsoja
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Andres Metsoja criticized the proposal by the Land and Spatial Planning Agency to terminate the preparation of thematic plans for mineral resources in Pärnu and Rapla counties, emphasizing that the absence of such plans creates uncertainty and tension among local residents. He also suspected that this kind of case-by-case approach is a political decision designed to redirect mining operations and developments away from the so-called 'golden ring' and towards peripheral areas, thereby leaving local municipalities unprotected.
Andres Metsoja
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Andres Metsoja is sharply criticizing the Land and Spatial Planning Agency’s plan to halt the preparation of thematic plans for mineral resources in Pärnu and Rapla counties. He stresses that replacing these plans with a case-by-case approach eliminates clarity and certainty for the public, thereby creating tensions. Furthermore, he suggests this is part of a policy that appears to be pushing mining operations away from the "golden circle" of Harju County and into the peripheral regions.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal stated that the current work on the mineral resources section of the thematic plan will be terminated as necessary, given that there are very few prospective areas for construction mineral resources in Rapla and Pärnu Counties, and these must be handled on a case-by-case basis. The thematic plan for Harju County may also be applied outside of Harju; the planning of necessary materials for Rail Baltic is no longer an objective; and the 2024 amendment to the Minister of the Environment's regulation removed peat mining from the thematic plan due to the lack of suitable areas on the list. Furthermore, the availability of limestone and dolomite areas is highly restricted, meaning the practical applicability of the thematic plan is limited to existing areas.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal provided technical information, explaining that the development of the thematic plan for construction minerals in Rapla and Pärnu counties will be halted. This decision is based on the lack of relevant necessity in those regions, the fact that the material needed for the construction of Rail Baltic is largely secured, and the recent exclusion of peat extraction due to an amendment to the Minister of the Environment's regulation that recently entered into force. Consequently, the practical applicability of the plan is now limited solely to existing limestone and dolomite areas.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal provided technical information, explaining that the thematic plan concerning construction minerals in Rapla and Pärnu counties will be terminated. This decision was made because there are few prospective areas, making it more practical to address mineral usage on a case-by-case basis. Furthermore, the objective of supporting the construction of Rail Baltic is no longer relevant, and an amendment to the Minister of the Environment's regulation restricted the planning possibilities for peat extraction. Consequently, the practical applicability of the plan is limited solely to existing limestone and dolomite areas.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar thanked the Prime Minister and his colleagues, stating that two minutes were allocated for questions and three minutes for answers. The information session then concluded, and proceedings continued with the Riigikogu plenary sitting scheduled to begin at two o'clock.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar, citing the time constraints set for questions and answers, concluded the current information session. He thanked both the members of the Government of the Republic and his colleagues for the substantive discussion and announced that the Riigikogu plenary sitting would resume precisely at 2 o'clock.