In his presentation, Chairman of the Rural Affairs Committee Urmas Kruuse said that Estonia’s agriculture and food production have undergone significant development since joining the European Union, which is evidenced by both the growth of production volumes and the technical capabilities of the sector. “If we compare the beginning of 2000 to the present day, the production of cereals, legumes, and oil crops has increased by 157 percent, and milk production by 54 percent,” Kruuse said, stressing the work done by farmers and breeders.

According to him, today’s discussion has been prompted by the changing international and European Union political environment and the approaching post-2028 financial period. Kruuse pointed out that Estonia’s agricultural subsidies had risen from about 25 percent of the European Union average to over 80 percent. However, the next step in improving competitiveness requires investments. “Statistics demonstrate that Estonian farmers earn less profit from the market than their colleagues elsewhere in Europe, and this does not have to stay that way,” he said.

As an important topic, Kruuse addressed food security and self-sufficiency, which had become particularly prominent in the context of both the COVID crisis and the war in Ukraine. He noted that although Estonia was self-sufficient in several sectors, crises had demonstrated the vulnerability of supply chains and production. “The important thing is not some mysterious self-sufficiency figure but knowing our level of consumption and our actual capacity to produce,” he stressed.

Chairman of the Rural Affairs Committee said that, hopefully, today’s discussion would provide direction for future decisions, but serious debates awaited once the actual funding possibilities of the European Union’s next financial period were known. He stressed that there was consensus in the Rural Affairs Committee that the funds intended for agriculture had to remain within the sector.

According to Kruuse, for a country with a small internal market like Estonia, export orientation and a greater processing of raw materials in cooperation with the food industry are inevitable. He stressed that the future of agriculture depended on the ability to use new tools and directions: “The question is whether we are rich enough to leave even one blade of grass unused, or smart enough to add value to it and to use it to create our wealth.”

At the beginning of his presentation, Head of Agricultural Policy of the Estonian Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce Ants-Hannes Viira stressed that the core of the discussion lay in the choices made: decisions would determine whether the production and food security capacity became stronger or weaker.

Viira’s main message was that Estonia could not fully supply itself with food, and this situation could worsen as Estonia had imported food for years. He pointed out that although competitive sectors (dairy, beef, cereals, and oil crops) in total generated a significant net export, self-sufficiency in several everyday product categories (e.g. meat, eggs, and vegetables) was low and imports, according to his estimates, amounted to ca one billion euros per year. “In other words, we give a total of 500 million euros per year to other countries, to companies abroad, just to have enough food,” he said. According to Viira, the situation does not have to remain this way, as Estonia is in a relatively good position in terms of agricultural land resources, but it uses this potential with too low productivity.

As a solution, Ants-Hannes Viira stressed the role of productivity, the processing industry, and investments: “Our productivity per hectare is low.” He directly linked the poor performance to a gap in capital and investments. He explained that the food industry “doubled the value of agricultural produce”. However, according to his examples, Estonia’s multiplier lagged behind that of many other countries. At the same time, according to his calculations, if we reached, for example, Finnish levels of productivity and value addition, the sector would gain considerable extra sales revenue.

Viira warned that unless policy choices of the following period boosted investments, Estonia would, at best, remain at its current level, while dependence on imports would grow in several sectors.

In terms of funding, Viira directly linked the future of the sector to the decisions on the EU’s following budget period and to the agri-prosperity gap funding, stressing that without this component, support levels would drop dramatically, and it would hit companies’ income and investment capacity hard.

Viira listed several specific investment needs, from animal welfare requirements and building new farms to greenhouse complexes in horticulture, storage and processing, grain processing, biogas and nutrient recycling, and the automation of the processing industry. He concluded his presentation by calling for the income gap funds allocated for agriculture (546 million euros, including co-financing) to be invested in the agricultural and food sector.

At the beginning of his presentation, Member of the Management Board of Sadala Agro Ltd Ahti Kalde said that Estonia’s food security directly depended on the viability of its agriculture and food industry. He noted that agriculture and food industry accounted for about 15 percent of Estonia’s goods exports, but in several categories dependence on imports was high.

Kalde pointed out Estonia’s self-sufficiency gaps: the amount of meat produced is around one third lower than consumption, eggs cover about half of demand, vegetables about a third, and potatoes just over half of the required amount. In this context, he gave the following assessment: “It means that a substantial part of our food supplies comes from other countries’ contributions, from their exports to us, and, in my view, this is not normal.”

Kalde described the reality for enterprises: constant investments and new technologies are inevitable, but requirements are growing faster than enterprises’ capacities. “You could even say that at times you feel you are no longer a food producer but an administrative company, managing various requirements that must be met in order to be able to produce food,” he said. Kalde pointed out that both the international and domestic markets simultaneously expected low prices and high product quality.

In the context of the European Union’s next budget period, Kalde stressed the importance of political decisions, as the EU support under consideration was not automatically allocated to agriculture. He called on legislators for rapid adaptability and linked the funding issue to the national goal of investing in Estonia’s food security.

In conclusion, Kalde said: “If the Riigikogu and the Government view agriculture and food production as a strategic sector in terms of ensuring Estonia’s national security, if the answer is yes, then mere declarations will not suffice; decisions are needed that will enable agricultural sectors to realise their full potential.”

Randel Veerits, Member of the Management Board of Hexest Materials Ltd, introduced himself as a developer of industrial projects. In his presentation, he gave examples including a plywood factory near Jõgeva, the launch of the Paide cheese factory, and an explosives industry project. “So, Estonia, Estonia, Estonia – these have been my last three projects: refining Estonian timber, processing Estonian milk, and today’s defence sector, that is, strengthening our defence capability,” Veerits said.

He stressed that in developing industry, it was reasonable to rely on domestic resources (forests, agriculture, dairy) and to increase value added.

According to Veerits, the common denominator of international projects was the harsh reality of negotiations and the need to mitigate risks through contracts. “That actually means – excuse my choice of words – a struggle from start to finish,” he described cooperation with large producers. He added, that in such projects, a permanent team needed to be built already during the construction of the factory, so that after handover they would be capable of running it independently.

Veerits linked increased productivity to automation and data-driven management: automation creates a constant data repositary and enables process optimisation. “And now, speaking of the fact that automation can add up to 30 percent of efficiency to industry, one can say that if you are also able to integrate AI into the process, you can gain an additional 15 percent of efficiency,” he said.

Veerits aligned defence capability with food security, highlighting the regional impact of industry. “If you have a powerful cannon with explosives, but people have no food, then we will not last long,” said Veerits. He called for speeding up knowledge transfer and pilot projects to enhance cooperation between enterprises and the state.

Lauri Laats from the Estonian Centre Party Group; Maido Ruusmann from the Reform Party Group; Anti Allas from the Social Democratic Party Group; Arvo Aller from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, and Toomas Uibo from the Eesti 200 Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate that followed the reports. Jaanus Karilaid took the floor on behalf of Isamaa Parliamentary Group. Peeter Ernits and Anti Poolamets also took the floor.

The sitting ended at 1.28 p.m.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

Video recording will be available on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.

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Link uudisele: The Riigikogu discussed the importance of the role of agriculture and food production in Estonia’s economy and food security

At today’s extraordinary sitting of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu, Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna gave an overview of the upcoming extraordinary video meeting of the European Union foreign ministers, where the situation in the Middle East will be discussed.

ON 28 January, the Riigikogu passed the Statement in support of the people of Iran.

Link uudisele: Foreign Affairs Committee: Estonia and the European Union must support a joint operation by the United States and Israel in Iran

Stoicescu thanked Germany for its commitment to European defence, including for its significant contribution to collective defence on the NATO eastern flank. “German contingent has been positioned in Lithuania, and we are grateful that they are defending the NATO border in all the Baltic states,” he said.

The two defence committees discussed Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine and hybrid attacks in Europe, and reiterated the need to continue developing military capabilities, where a close cooperation of defence industry companies also plays an important role. The members of the two committees also stressed the importance of continuing support for Ukraine and of strengthening partnership and allied relations.

In addition to Stoicescu, Deputy Chairman of the Committee Leo Kunnas and member Anti Poolamets were also present at the meeting.

After the Bundestag elections last year, the Defence Committee, headed by Thomas Röwekamp, is on its first foreign visit, which takes in the other Baltic states in addition to Estonia.

Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

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Link uudisele: National Defence Committee discussed enhancing Europe’s defence capability with German colleagues

During the visit, the international delegation will meet with Vice President of Taiwan Hsiao Bi-khim, Vice President of the Legislative Yuan (Parliament) Johnny C. Chiang, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-Lung and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs François Wu, Vice Minister for Policy at the Ministry of National Defence Hsu Szu-Chien, and Secretary General of the National Security Council Joseph Wu. The European parliamentarians will also have meetings with representatives of political parties, think tanks, and non-governmental organizations in Taipei. They will also visit Kinmen Islands.

The visiting delegation includes members of parliament from Estonia, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden and Ukraine, who belong to United4Ukraine, a global parliamentary network created to support Ukraine.

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Link uudisele: Mihkelson participates in joint visit to Taiwan by parliamentarians from seven countries

The explanatory memorandum describes how the protests started on 28 December last year after the exchange rate of the Iranian rial plummeted compared to the US dollar, which has exacerbated the inflation crisis and seriously harmed the livelihood of the population. The protests started with a strike of the merchants on the Tehran Grand Bazaar and spread to other Iranian provinces. The initial economic demands have expanded into a broader opposition to the authoritarian governing style of the theocratic regime in Iran.

“The Iranian authorities have responded to the protests with extreme repressions. Independent sources report that thousands have been killed during the crackdown, and thousands have been arbitrarily arrested. The regime is systematically using intimidation and violence, including threatening the protesters with death penalty, which is a gross violation of the standards of international human rights and the international commitments of Iran,” the explanatory memorandum says.

The explanatory memorandum also cited extensive restrictions on the freedom of speech and freedom of information. Independent supervisory organisations have reported blocked internet connections and other means of digital censorship that form an obstacle to the public right to communicate and receive reliable information at a critical moment.

“Iran’s domestic repressions and aggressive foreign policy are inextricably linked. Iran has become part of the axis of authoritarian regimes and is an active supporter of the war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, including by providing military aid and cooperation, thus jeopardising international security and the principles enshrined in the UN Charter,” reads the explanatory memorandum.

In its Statement today, the Riigikogu condemns unequivocally the systematic and extensive violations of human rights by the Iranian authorities and emphasises that lasting peace and stability cannot be achieved without respecting the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Iranian people.

The Riigikogu advocates for an increased political and diplomatic pressure on the Iranian regime, including through targeted sanctions against the leaders of the regime, its security authorities, and people responsible for violations of human rights. The parliament also calls for support for the civil society, independent media, and internet freedom, as well as human rights in Iran, and for independent investigation mechanisms that document the mass crimes committed by the Iranian authorities.

In addition, the Riigikogu defines the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation and urges the European Union, its Member States, and other democracies across the world to do the same, considering its role in supporting terrorism, breaches of international law, and repressions and mass violation of the human rights of the Iranian people. The Riigikogu also calls on all countries of the free world to not keep silent about the massive and systematic violation of human rights, and to stand firm in support of the right of the Iranian people to live in free, safe, and dignified society.

68 members of the Riigikogu submitted the draft Statement of the Riigikogu in Support of the People of Iran (802 AE) for parliamentary proceedings last Wednesday.

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Link uudisele: The Riigikogu expresses support to the people of Iran and condemns extensive human rights violations

Mihkelson will replace Head of the Lithuanian delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Audronius Azubalis as Co-Chair of the Ukraine-NATO Interparliamentary Council (UNIC). First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniyenko will continue as the Ukrainian Co-Chair of the Council.

Mihkelson and Korniyenko also made a joint statement at today’s meeting of the Council where they strongly condemned Russia’s brutal and systematic air strikes, which are aimed at causing as much suffering as possible to civilians, especially during the winter months, and called on the Allies to take decisive action, including accelerating the provision of military aid.

They also expressed support for efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace that would ensure Ukraine’s independent and sovereign future and noted that the best path to peace was to support Ukraine’s defence capabilities. They also expressed support for the use of Russia’s frozen assets to support Ukraine’s reconstruction, recovery, and defence.

The meeting of the Council was held at NATO Headquarters, and it was attended by President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Marcos Perestrello de Vasconcellos, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who also answered questions from delegates. Several Ambassadors from NATO member states, including Estonia’s Permanent Representative to NATO Jüri Luik, and military representatives from various countries participated in the discussions.

The UNIC is a council composed of members of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada, which focuses on parliamentary cooperation between NATO and Ukraine. The Council also plays an important role in shaping the positions of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly regarding support for Ukraine in the war of aggression initiated by Russia and Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration.

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Link uudisele: Mihkelson became co-chair of Ukraine-NATO Interparliamentary Council

He also underlined that on the path to EU accession, it was important to meet all the criteria very precisely, implement all the necessary reforms, and adhere to the principles and values agreed upon in the EU. “Over the past year or two, the EU has shown a clear willingness to focus on cooperation and make the Union stronger so that we would speak with one voice in the world. In order to implement Common Foreign and Security Policy, we need unity among the member states,” he said, highlighting Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine as the most important issue for Europe.

Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Marko Mihkelson said during the meeting with the Serbian Speaker that, considering the dramatic changes taking place on the global arena, Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine and the war against Western allies more broadly, Estonia’s first task as a small country in a geostrategically sensitive region was to work to keep the unity of NATO and the EU.

“Estonia has consistently taken the position that candidate countries must uphold and recognise the principles of the EU’s foreign and security policy. This is even more important today than it was in the past,” Mihkelson said. He believes that right now the EU must be united and strong, and know exactly what it stands for and what it protects. “The issue of Serbia’s relations with Russia is crucial in determining whether we share the same views,” he added.

Mihkelson also acknowledged the desire of Serbia’s former long-time Prime Minister and current Speaker of the Parliament to cooperate more with Estonia and other Baltic States and to explain her views in more detail, stating that better mutual understanding was highly necessary.

During the visit, which lasts from Wednesday to Friday, the President of the National Assembly of Serbia also met with President Alar Karis in Tallinn. She will also visit the e-Estonia Briefing Centre, the Estonian e-Governance Academy, and software technology company Nortal.

Photos (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

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Link uudisele: Hussar and Mihkelson discussed EU enlargement with the Speaker of Serbian parliament

According to the explanatory memorandum of the Resolution, Russia’s influence activities in Estonia are part of a broader strategy that seeks to weaken the security and resilience of the Estonian state, targets Estonia’s Russian-speaking population and social cohesion, and spreads narratives that are damaging to the Estonian state and its allies. “The committee will be needed to assess funding chains, identify the potential role of public sector support, analyse the participation of NGOs, individuals and networks, assess the damage to internal security and social cohesion, and make proposals for mitigating risks,” the proposers of the Resolution noted.

According to the Resolution, the committee of investigation will focus on four main topics: the financing of Russia’s influence activities in Estonia, the possible role of the Estonian public sector, the impact of propaganda on Estonia’s population, and the framework of hybrid warfare. Among other things, the committee will have to find out to what extent projects, associations and activities promoting the interests of the Russian Federation have received direct or indirect funding from Estonia’s state agencies, local governments, local government divisions, and companies controlled by them.

The committee will also have to clarify to what extent organizations, associations and individuals operating in Estonia have participated in or been involved in Russia’s influence and divisive activities. According to the amendment made during the proceedings, the committee must also clarify the extent to which companies operating in Estonia have participated in or been involved in Russia’s influence and divisive activities.

The committee’s task will be to provide the Riigikogu with a comprehensive overview of the extent of influence activities and to make proposals for legislative, organizational, and security measures. Together with independent experts, the committee will have to develop proposals on how to prevent and reduce the risks associated with influence and divisive activities, and improve the capacity of authorities to identify threats, as well as make proposals for legal, organizational, and financial changes.

The formation of the committee of investigation will be based on the same principle that has been agreed upon for the establishment of the select committees of the Riigikogu, according to which the coalition and the opposition are equally represented in the committee. The committee will have to submit its final report to the Riigikogu and the public by 1 February 2027 at the latest.

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Link uudisele: The Riigikogu established a committee of investigation for Russia’s influence activities

“The Iranian authorities have responded to the protests with extreme repressions. Independent sources report that thousands have been killed during the crackdown and thousands have been arbitrarily arrested. The regime is systematically using intimidation and violence, including threatening the protesters with death penalty, which is a gross violation of the standards of international human rights and the international commitments of Iran,” the explanatory memorandum says.

The submitters of the draft also point out extensive restrictions to the freedom of speech and freedom of information. Independent supervisory organisations have reported blocked internet connections and other means of digital censorship that form an obstacle to the public right to communicate and receive reliable information at a critical moment.

“Iran’s domestic repressions and aggressive foreign policy are inextricably linked. Iran has become part of the axis of authoritarian regimes and is an active supporter of the war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, including by providing military aid and cooperation, thus jeopardising international security and the principles enshrined in the UN Charter,” reads the explanatory memorandum.

The Statement says that the Riigikogu condemns unequivocally the systematic and extensive violations of human rights by the Iranian authorities and emphasises that lasting peace and stability cannot be achieved without respecting the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Iranian people.

The Riigikogu advocates for an increased political and diplomatic pressure on the Iranian regime, including through targeted sanctions against the leaders of the regime, its security authorities, and people responsible for violations of human rights. The parliament calls for support for the civil society, independent media, and internet freedom, as well as human rights in Iran, and for independent investigation mechanisms that document the mass crimes committed by the Iranian authorities.

In addition, the Riigikogu defines the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation and urges the European Union, its Member States, and other democracies across the world to do the same, considering its role in supporting terrorism, breaches of international law, and repressions and mass violation of the human rights of the Iranian people. It also calls on all countries of the free world to not keep silent about the massive and systematic violation of human rights, and to stand firm in support of the right of the Iranian people to live in free, safe, and dignified society.

The Foreign Affairs Committee will discuss submitting the draft Statement to the plenary assembly for debate and voting on Thursday.

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Link uudisele: Members of the Riigikogu submitted a draft Statement in support of the people of Iran

Member of the National Defence Committee and Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee Peeter Tali said that to support Ukraine, we needed to unite forces with our allies in the European Union to direct Russia’s frozen assets into reconstructing Ukraine, establish an international tribunal for crimes of aggression, and cease doing business with Russia as soon as possible. “We must not underestimate the impact of Russia’s influencing activities and Russian money in capitals around the world. Trade with Russia will first corrupt our business sector, then our public sector, and eventually this corruption might also infect us, the politicians,” he warned.

The delegation of the Committee is meeting the First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Korniyenko, the Chairman of the Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence Oleksandr Zavitnevych, and the Head of the Group for Interparliamentary Relations with the Republic of Estonia Arsenii Pushkarenko. The delegation will also visit the Ukraine Ministry of Defence and the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine, and meet with security analysts.

Kunnas and Tali are accompanied at the visit by members of the Committee Meelis Kiil and Priit Sibul.

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Link uudisele: National Defence Committee is visiting Ukraine