Draft law amending the Act on Population Status Proceedings, the Population Register Act, and the State Duty Act (687 SE) – first reading
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 6th session, plenary session
Date: 2025-09-23 13:08
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 50
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 36m
AI Summaries: 50/50 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The Riigikogu debated the first reading of Draft Act 687, initiated by the Government of the Republic, concerning amendments to the Vital Statistics Registration Act, the Population Register Act, and the State Fees Act. Minister of the Interior Igor Taro introduced the bill, emphasizing its three main objectives: reducing administrative and state workload, and simplifying procedures for the public. As significant changes, the Minister highlighted the possibility of registering a child's birth in the population register based on supplementary evidence (e.g., pregnancy card, ambulance record, DNA test) if a healthcare provider was not present at the birth, thereby avoiding unnecessary litigation. Furthermore, the process of assigning personal identification codes to EU citizens will be simplified as part of the residence registration procedure, and they will be permitted to submit notices of departure from Estonia from abroad without a digital signature. The draft expands the administrative legal capacity of 15–17-year-olds in managing their data within the population register. During the debate, the reduction of birth registration locations from 79 to 16 (county centers plus Narva) raised the most questions, which the Minister justified by the widespread use of e-services and the lack of practical experience among officials. MPs also expressed concern regarding the security of the simplified submission of residence notices by EU citizens and the overly broad discretionary power granted to officials concerning the new types of birth registration evidence. Pipi-Liis Siemann, representative of the Constitutional Committee, confirmed that the committee had discussed similar issues regarding discretionary power and made a consensus proposal to conclude the first reading of the draft.
Decisions Made 2
The first reading of Bill 687 was concluded.
The deadline for submitting amendments was set for October 7th at 5:15 PM.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The first item on the agenda is the first reading of Bill 687, initiated by the Government, which concerns the amendment of the Vital Statistics Registration Act, the Population Register Act, and the State Fees Act. For the presentation, the Honorable Minister of the Interior, Igor Taro, will take the Riigikogu rostrum.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
Interior Minister Igor Taro highlighted the merits of the government bill, which aims to reduce the administrative burden and the state's workload by simplifying civil status and population procedures for the public. Key changes include making birth registration more flexible (by allowing alternative forms of proof), simplifying the registration of a child's place of residence in complex family situations, streamlining the assignment of personal identification codes to EU citizens, expanding the administrative capacity of 15–17-year-olds, and centralizing birth registration from 79 local governments to 16 county centers, given that most procedures are already handled via e-services.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
The proposal enhances the efficiency of population procedures and reduces the state's administrative burden by allowing birth registration based on supplementary documents, thereby accelerating and simplifying interaction with the state. Furthermore, it permits the registration of a child's place of residence without the consent of the other parent, establishes a personal identification code for EU citizens during the residence registration process, and expands the administrative legal capacity of 15–17-year-olds, while simultaneously decreasing the requirement to enter the contact details of those under 15 years of age into the population register.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi concluded his presentation by thanking the audience and opened the floor for questions, calling first upon Peeter Ernits.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi thanks the participants, announces that there are questions, and declares that Peeter Ernits will now begin.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Peeter Ernits considers the draft bill acceptable, but points out many nuances, asks how large the actual saving is, and refers to the figure of 1,374,687 Estonian residents—the stated target group for registering a child's birth—as likely exaggerated, suggesting the actual portion is probably much smaller.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Peeter Ernits considers the draft bill ideologically appealing, but points out two crucial details: there are no concrete figures regarding the declared savings, and the target group for registering a birth is unrealistically large (over 1.3 million residents), which raises questions about the actual scope and impact of the bill.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
Interior Minister Igor Taro said that the population register service affects all Estonian residents, and the time saved through simplifying procedures and reducing the administrative burden is significant, as it saves people time throughout the entire process and is not limited only to financial costs.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
Minister of the Interior Igor Taro explained that the target group for the population register service is broad, covering all Estonian residents, since procedures may be necessary at any stage of life. He emphasized that the primary value of the changes lies in saving time and reducing the administrative burden, citing as an example a significant simplification for those giving birth, who will no longer have to initiate court proceedings to verify the child.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi invites Kalle Grünthal to the stage.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kalle Grünthal raised the question regarding the security of submitting notifications of departure from residence for European Union citizens under Section 74 via simple email. He emphasized that, given the lack of a digital signature and the prevalence of phishing scams, it is unclear how the local municipality can verify both the identity of the person and their actual departure from Estonia.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Grünthal expresses concern regarding the lack of a digital signature for confirming departure from the place of residence pursuant to § 74, linking this issue to security risks. He asks how it can be proven that the individual has genuinely left Estonia and how the local government unit verifies the correct identity.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
Igor Taro explains that when correcting the real estate owner's register, the difficulty of verifying identity must be balanced against the significance of the procedure, and if the tenant has left and digital evidence cannot be presented, simplified identity verification is permitted, and the official may use, for example, the ID card image or confirmation from a reliable source — the exact method remains a matter of discretion.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
Interior Minister Igor Taro justifies the simplified approach to correcting registry entries in situations where a property owner wishes to remove a long-gone tenant from the register. He emphasizes that since this is a low-risk procedure that causes no material damage, the official's discretion in verifying identity has been accepted without requiring e-services or a digital signature, thereby balancing the complexity of the action and its consequence.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi calls upon Varro Vooglaid to speak.
Varro Vooglaid
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Varro Vooglaid pointed out that registering a child in the population register has been absurd when the healthcare provider present at the birth is absent. He praised the resolution of the problem but questioned whether the draft bill grants officials overly broad discretion, and recommended that the law define more precisely what other evidence is suitable for proving parenthood, in order to avoid disputes and litigation.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid praises the resolution of a long-standing absurd situation that prevented children from being registered without a healthcare provider's certificate, but expresses concern that the new regulation grants officials overly broad discretion. Therefore, the law should specify more precisely which "other proofs" qualify for establishing birth, in order to prevent future disputes and litigation.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
Interior Minister Igor Taro acknowledged that the precision of the list presented in the draft law is a matter for consideration, as too strict a list could exclude important evidence. He recommended that Parliament submit amendments to find more appropriate wording when discussing the matter with the committee, noting that draft laws always improve in Parliament.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
He emphasized that when drafting the legislation, a balance must be struck between simplification and precision, as a non-exhaustive list could omit crucial elements. Parliament has the opportunity to refine the draft bill, and the committee can discuss proposed amendments or appropriate redrafting.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi asked Rene Kokk to come.
AI Summary
Rene Kokk sharply criticizes the proposal to reduce the number of locations for the physical registration of births, pointing out that the state has already scaled back services in recent years. He argues that this move shifts yet another cost and obligation onto the public, and he believes that local government officials are perfectly competent to continue providing this service at its current scope.
AI Summary
Rene Kokk criticized the reduction in the number of birth registration locations, arguing that this would increase costs and inconvenience for the public. He maintained that local officials are perfectly capable of handling birth registration, and therefore, the option to register births in other places should be retained at the same capacity.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
From the state’s perspective, births will henceforth be registered automatically via e-service, meaning on-site registration will rarely be necessary. However, services must be maintained in county centers, and 79 officials need to be trained; Narva constitutes an exception due to its large population.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
Interior Minister Igor Taro stresses that while he understands the importance of local services, the registration of births in most municipalities is practically unnecessary due to automated e-services. He highlights the risk that officials who rarely perform this procedure will lose proficiency, leading to unreasonable training costs for the state. Consequently, the service should remain available only in county centers and Narva.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi invited Kalle Grünthal to speak.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kalle Grünthal expresses serious concern over the decision to replace the digital notification of departure from the place of residence with a simple letter. He highlights that the financial relationships stemming from tenancy agreements complicate the process when the landlord attempts to notify authorities of the departure, and he questions how the local municipality intends to ensure the identity verification of the person who submitted the letter.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Grünthal voices concern that the simple letter procedure used for deregistering a digital residence notification fails to account for financial interests and potential damages stemming from a lease agreement. Simultaneously, he questions how the local government unit confirms that the individual who sent the letter has genuinely departed Estonia.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
Minister of the Interior Igor Taro explains that the problem is the registry entry that remains associated with the apartment of a departed person, rather than reflecting their actual presence. He notes that an official can simplify this by checking the address of origin and the photo on the identity document, which reduces risks and increases the benefit.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
Interior Minister Igor Taro clarifies that the problem lies in the registration entry of a departed tenant remaining active. He emphasizes that the process for deleting this entry should be simplified based on the official's discretion, for instance, using an email and a photo of an identity document, as the potential risks of fraud are considerably smaller than the benefit gained from simplification.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Toomas Kivimägi asked Varro Vooglaid to present his second question.
Varro Vooglaid
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Varro Vooglaid is inquiring, in light of the proposed legislative amendments, whether alternative evidence would be accepted to verify a birth that occurs at home without a certificate from a healthcare provider—for example, witness statements signed by the spouse, mother, or doula.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid expresses a desire to discuss potential amendments to the proceedings and asks whether, in the event of a home birth lacking certification from a healthcare provider, witness testimonies could be accepted as valid evidence.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
Interior Minister Igor Taro supports the draft bill that permits accepting documents other than just the ambulance call certificate to verify a birth. He stressed that pregnant women are typically registered and monitored by an antenatal clinic and already possess the required paperwork from those visits, making this solution entirely acceptable.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
According to Igor Taro, the purpose of the draft legislation is that such a certificate should be sufficient, and in the case of childbirth, an ambulance may not always be required, as the pregnant woman typically has registered documentation, and the person giving birth has likely attended the antenatal clinic previously, making the entire body of evidence acceptable.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Toomas Kivimägi called Rene Kokk to the floor and referred to the second question.
AI Summary
Rene Kokk is drawing the minister's attention to a serious issue in rural areas where PPA service centers do not allow state fees to be paid in cash. This creates unnecessary extra costs and inconvenience for people who do not possess a bank card, forcing them to travel to an ATM just to access a state service. He is requesting information regarding potential solutions.
AI Summary
Rene Kokk brought up the issue of the inability to pay in cash at PPA service points in rural areas. He asked what steps are being taken to resolve this so that people don't have to incur extra costs and inconvenience by traveling to an ATM.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
Interior Minister Igor Taro praises the option of paying the state fee by card directly at PPA service points as a significant simplification compared to the previous system, but believes that adding cash handling would result in unnecessary costs and administrative burden. He recommends that for cash transactions, people should use nearby bank or post offices, arguing that card payment is intended to ensure convenience for the majority of people, and changes should be focused on achieving the greatest overall impact.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
Igor Taro emphasizes that although paying by bank card in PPA offices is convenient and reduces the handling of cash, there is no need to turn customer service into a cash handler, and the focus should be on changes that deliver the greatest impact.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
During the address, Peeter Ernits is being asked to come up to the stage.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Peeter Ernits points out that the right of youths aged 15 to 17 to enter their own mobile number into the Population Register may cause opposition among those parents who are used to doing it themselves. He then asks how to reassure these moms and dads and how many young people already have their number in the register.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Peeter Ernits is asking whether 15-to-17-year-olds should be required to add their own mobile phone numbers to the Population Register, what steps should be taken to reassure their parents, and what percentage of these numbers are already included in the register.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
Interior Minister Igor Taro stated that 15-to-17-year-olds can independently manage and add their contact information in the Population Register, while for those under 15, contact must be established with a parent or legal representative. He added that, as a parent, he is pleased that his two older children are now able to order their own ID cards and passports.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
Interior Minister Igor Taro emphasizes that allowing 15–17-year-olds to add their contact details (including mobile numbers) to the Population Register is entirely logical and supports their independence, as these are high-school-aged individuals who are sufficiently independent to handle such simple matters themselves. He does not foresee this being an issue for parents, whereas for those under 15, contact must still be made through a parent or legal representative.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Toomas Kivimägi thanked the minister, declared the question period concluded, and requested that Pipi-Liis Siemann, a member of the Constitutional Committee, introduce the debate held in the lead committee and the decisions that were reached.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The speaker thanks the Minister, states that there are no further questions, and informs [the assembly] that Pipi-Liis Siemann, a member of the Constitutional Committee, will present the discussion and the decisions reached by the leading committee.
Pipi-Liis Siemann
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Pipi-Liis Siemann presented the Riigikogu with the Constitutional Committee's overview of the debate on the bill in question, which primarily focused on the discretion of local governments in registering residency, improving the quality of population accounting, and the accessibility of services following the reduction of physical birth registration locations in favor of e-services; the committee made consensus procedural decisions to conclude the first reading of the bill and appoint a representative.
Pipi-Liis Siemann
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The Constitutional Committee of the Riigikogu discussed the draft bill on September 15, focusing on issues related to the discretionary power of local governments and their impact on the Population Register, the place of birth registration, and the regulation governing the registration of a minor's residence. Noting concerns about the accessibility of services, the committee decided to advance the proceedings to the plenary session on September 24, conclude the first reading, and appoint Pipi-Liis Siemann as its representative.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Toomas Kivimägi, having thanked the rapporteur and noted the absence of questions, closed the debate due to the lack of requests to speak, and concluded the first reading of Draft Bill 687 upon the proposal of the lead committee, setting the deadline for submitting amendments as 17:15 on October 7th of the current year.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi thanked the speaker for the clear presentation, declared the negotiations open to the factions and subsequently closed them, announced that the leading committee's proposal was to conclude the first reading of Bill 687, confirmed that the first reading was concluded, and stated that the deadline for submitting amendments is October 7th at 17.15, noting that the first item on the agenda had been exhausted.