Agenda Profile: Mart Maastik
Third reading of the Draft Act amending the Building Code and other Acts (acceleration of the deployment of renewable energy) (Bill 308 SE)
2024-05-28
15th Riigikogu, third session, plenary session
Political Position
The political position is strongly opposed to the government's energy policy, which is described as a panicked and priority-less "Brownian motion." The speaker objects to the fast-tracking of environmental impact assessments for offshore wind farms, emphasizing that this is unfair to developers of onshore wind farms. This stance is primarily aimed at the government's poor governance and failures (citing the losses of Eesti Energia). Finally, a proposal is made not to support the current draft legislation.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Topic Expertise
The speaker demonstrates expertise in the field of energy policy and environmental impact assessment, utilizing technical terms such as low-frequency noise and infrasound. He emphasizes the inadequacy of current noise standards and the imprecision of the methodology, which fails to account for cumulative impact. This knowledge is based on references to scientific studies and global developments, as well as specific distances (11 km, 50 km, 120 km) from the coast.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Rhetorical Style
The rhetorical style is critical and skeptical, accusing the government of acting out of ignorance and panic. Both logical arguments (the inadequacy of regulations and the unfairness of investments) and emotional appeals (concern for the health of coastal residents) are employed. The situation is described using the powerful image of potential "human experiments" following the establishment of industrial parks.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Activity Patterns
The speaker has actively engaged with stakeholders, noting a recent meeting with developers of onshore wind farms. Furthermore, he/she presented the appeal submitted to the Riigikogu by the Saare Rannarahva Selts (Saare Coastal People's Society), an organization that brings together entrepreneurs and residents of Saaremaa.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Opposition Stance
The main conflict is with the government and the coalition, who are being criticized for their chaotic energy policy and the unfair reduction of bureaucracy. The criticism is aimed both at the substance of the policy (subsidizing offshore wind energy) and the procedure (accelerating the EIA process in only one sector). The speaker makes a clear proposal not to support the draft bill.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Collaboration Style
Insufficient data.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Regional Focus
There is a strong regional focus on Saaremaa, where the speaker highlights the Saare Coastal People's Society and the concerns of the coastal residents. Specifically, emphasis is placed on issues related to the planned offshore wind farm and the low-frequency noise it will generate, which threatens the physical viability of residing in these coastal areas.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Economic Views
Economic viewpoints emphasize the necessity of reducing bureaucracy across all sectors, not merely selectively concerning wind farms. Criticism is directed at the subsidization of offshore wind energy and the creation of special conditions, which places onshore wind farm developers in an unfair situation, potentially resulting in the loss of their investments.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Social Issues
The main social issue is the protection of coastal residents' health and quality of life, emphasizing concerns about the harmful effects of low-frequency noise and infrasound generated by offshore wind farms. This problem is linked to the continued viability of living in the coastal areas, which are located just 11 kilometers from the industrial park.
2 Speeches Analyzed
Legislative Focus
The legislative focus is currently centered on opposing Bill 308 SE (Accelerating the Deployment of Renewable Energy), particularly concerning the fast-tracking of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for offshore wind farms. The speaker proposes not supporting the bill during its third reading, arguing that it fails to guarantee quality and does not address the wider issue of bureaucracy.
2 Speeches Analyzed