Chair of the Finance Committee of the Riigikogu Annely Akkermann pointed out that in the context of the ongoing discussions on the next EU long-term budget, it was the time to focus on ensuring that the use of budgetary funds was even more transparent and the supervision more efficient. “Measurability of results is particularly important because the decisions on the budgetary allocations of the next period and assessments of their use are made on the basis of the results,” Akkermann said.

Chairman of the State Budget Control Select Committee of the Riigikogu Urmas Reinsalu noted that by 2027, outstanding EU borrowing could surpass EUR 900 billion, nearly ten times the level of 2020, before the pandemic recovery package was launched. To safeguard the sustainability of future EU budgets, it is necessary to consider the debt burden and ensure that the guarantees are solid.

The European Court of Auditors Annual report for the 2024 financial year concludes that the EU’s accounts give a true and fair view of the financial standing of the EU, and that revenue transactions were error-free. The level of error affecting EU spending was 3.6%, which is lower than 5.6% of the year before. The auditors found that irregularities affected part of the EUR 59.9 billion spent under the Recovery and Resilience Facility. This is the main pillar of the EU’s NextGenerationEU (NGEU) pandemic recovery package They noted an increasing trend in the financial impact of irregularities. They also noted issues in connection with customs duties, which are at risk of either being declared incorrectly or not being declared.

The joint sitting of the Committees starts at 1.30 p.m. in the Conference Hall of the Riigikogu and will be live streamed online. Video recording of the sitting will be available on the Riigikogu YouTube channel, and photos in the Riigikogu photo archive (Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu).

Riigikogu Press Service
Gunnar Paal
+372 631 6351, +372 5190 2837
gunnar.paal@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Committees of the Riigikogu get an overview of the European Court of Auditors 2024 annual report

The Chairman of the Finance Committee Annely Akkermann remarked that the European Union had been forced to respond to sudden crises over the past few years and spend large sums to resolve these, which also increased the budget risk. She added, referring to the audit, that this had significantly increased the number of misjudgements made in EU spending compared to earlier.

The Chairman of the State Budget Control Select Committee Urmas Reinsalu said that since the high inflation and increase in interest rates, as well as the growing debt and the continuous need to support Ukraine impacted the EU budget and its purchasing power, it was vital to pay particular attention to ensuring that the desired results were achieved.

The European Court of Auditors Annual report for the 2022 financial year shows that the consolidated accounts of the European Union for 2022 present the EU’s financial position fairly and correctly and the results of its operations are legal and regular in all material respects. However, the auditors estimate that the level of error for budget expenditure has risen to 4.2 % on the total expenditure of EUR 196 billion (compared to 3 percent in 2021). The estimated level of error is an estimation of the funds used in contravention of the EU and national regulations.

The auditors estimate two thirds (66%) of the audited expenditure to be of high risk, which is more than in 2021 (63.2%). The rules and eligibility criteria governing this type of expenditure are often complex, which makes errors more likely.

The auditors also reached the conclusion that the EUR 46.9 billion spent as Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) grants is impacted by issues and irregularities discovered in the correctness of national audit systems; however, these were not pervasive in nature.

The joint sitting of the Committees starts at 1:15 p.m. and will be streamed live. Video recording will be available to watch later on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.

Riigikogu Press Service
Merilin Kruuse
+372 631 6592, +372 510 6179
merilin.kruuse@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Committees of the Riigikogu appraise the European Court of Auditors 2022 annual report

The National Audit Office recommended that the State Secretary should regularly inform the Government of the Republic about the national defence capabilities of different areas of government and their shortcomings, agree on the principles for the establishing of primary reserves of agencies in cooperation of government departments, and issue instructions to the ministries on what information related to the national defence action plan may be shared with the government institutions and persons involved in the performance of national defence tasks.

The National Audit Office recommended that the ministers set out priorities in the budgets of the ministries in order to eliminate the capacity gaps related to broad national defence tasks, to assess how many national defence posts should be available in the area of government for the performance of national defence tasks, and to distribute the most operational information possible to the agencies and persons involved in national defence tasks.

Deputy Chair of the Select Committee Maris Lauri said that the report gave a good overview of where there were shortcomings and whether the things were moving towards improvement. “I think that this audit is useful not only to the ministries but also to other agencies connected with the sector more broadly. I agree with the State Secretary that not everything has to be managed by the state, but also by ministries. There is no need to establish central management, it would make the system too rigid,” the Deputy Chair added.

Audit Manager of the National Audit Office Silver Jakobson introduced the National Audit Office audit report “Preparedness for the Implementation of the National Defence Action Plan” at the sitting of the Select Committee. State Secretary Taimar Peterkop, National Security and Defence Coordination Director of the Government Office Erkki Tori, Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets, Undersecretary for Rescue and Crisis Management at the Ministry of the Interior Viola Murd, Undersecretary for Defence Planning at the Ministry of Defence Tiina Uudeberg, Director of Audit of the National Audit Office Ines Metsalu-Nurminen, Auditor of the National Audit Office Henry Sinivee participated in the discussion.

Riigikogu Press Service
Eleen Lindmaa
+372 631 6456, +372 5551 4433
eleen.lindmaa@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Select Committee was given overview of preparedness to implement national defence action plan

In Reinsalu’s opinion, it is of critical importance that countries would not grow tired of helping Ukraine. He underlined that it was in the interests of the future of the whole Europe to find ways how Estonia could help Ukraine and how to encourage other countries of the European Union, either in cooperation or individually, to help Ukraine as much as possible.

The reports will be followed by questions to the speakers and comments by the representatives of political groups and members of the Riigikogu.

The sitting begins at 10 a.m., and will be streamed live on the Riigikogu website and Facebook page.

The video recording of the sitting can be viewed on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.
(Please note that the recording will be uploaded with a delay.)

Riigikogu Press Service
Merilin Kruuse
Phone: +372 631 6592, +372 510 6179
E-mail: merilin.kruuse@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: The Riigikogu will discuss the situation in helping Ukraine

The Chairman added that the Committee wanted to get know when the planned floating liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal would be ready, how the cooperation with the neighbouring countries was developing and how quickly it would be possible to completely stop gas supply from Russia.

Minister for Economy and Infrastructure Taavi Aas, Member of the Board of Eesti Gaas Margus Kaasik, Chairman of the Board of Elering Taavi Veskimägi, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Alexela Marti Hääl as well as representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Competition Authority and the National Audit Office have been invited to the sitting.

The public sitting starts at 1:15 p.m. and it will be live streamed online.

Video recordings of the sittings can be viewed on Riigikogu YouTube channel.
(Please note that the recordings will be uploaded with a delay.)

Riigikogu Press Service
Merilin Kruuse
Phone: +372 631 6592, +372 510 6179
E-mail: merilin.kruuse@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Select committee focuses on action plan for quitting Russian gas

Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee Siim Kallas said that, last year, responding to the COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly had a significant impact on the Union’s finances. “It is already known today that this impact will continue also in the coming years. Member States have agreed to create a COVID-19 recovery instrument, which will be financed by issuing the EU bonds,” Kallas said. He added that in the coming years, the expenses of the EU would nearly double. “Keeping in mind the increase of expenses and fight against the pandemic, it is of utmost importance to effectively control the use of EU funds and the achievement of intended results,” Kallas underlined.

According to the report of the European Court of Auditors, the revenues of the European Union for the previous year were legal and regular, and not affected by material error. The overall level of error for expenditure from the EU budget of 2020 was 2.7 %, which is the same as the year before.

The proportion of high-risk expenditure in the audit population has further increased and represented 59% of audited spending (last year it was 53%). The rules and eligibility criteria governing this type of expenditure are often complex, which makes errors more likely. The level of error of high-risk expenditure exceeds the materiality threshold and is estimated to be 4.0% (in 2019, it was 4.9 %). This concerns mainly reimbursement-based expenditure. As in the previous year, the auditors have therefore concluded that the level of error in this substantial type of spending is pervasive, and issued an adverse opinion on EU expenditure for 2020.

The European Court of Auditors points out in the report that Member States’ absorption of the European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds has been slower than planned. By the end of 2020, or the final year of the current seven-year budget, only 55% of the agreed EU funding for the 2014–2020 period had been paid out.

The European Court of Auditors also reviewed the obligations and revenue amounts generated by the United Kingdom’s withdrawal process. On 31 December 2020, the EU accounts showed an amount of 47.5 billion euro due from the United Kingdom based on mutual obligations set out in the withdrawal agreement.

Public sitting starts at 2 p.m. and it will be streamed online.

The video recording of the sitting will be available on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.
(Please note that the recording will be uploaded with a delay.)

Riigikogu Press Service
Merilin Kruuse
Phone: +372 631 6592, +372 510 6179
E-mail: merilin.kruuse@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Riigikogu Committees get an overview of the European Court of Auditors 2020 annual report

67 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the Resolution and 13 voted against.

The Resolution of the Riigikogu “Amendment of the Resolution of the Riigikogu “Formation of the State Budget Control Select Committee”” (336 OE), submitted by the Estonian Reform Party Faction and the Estonian Centre Party, changes the principle for the formation of the membership of the State Budget Control Select Committee. According to the Resolution, in the future, the membership of the committee will be formed under the principle of equal representation of the coalition and the opposition.

During the debate, Jevgeni Ossinovski (Social Democratic Party), Peeter Ernits (Estonian Conservative People’s Party), Toomas Kivimägi (Reform Party) and Tarmo Kruusimäe (Isamaa) took the floor.

54 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the Resolution and 35 voted against.

The Resolution of the Riigikogu “Amendment of the Resolution of the Riigikogu “Formation of the Anti-Corruption Select Committee”” (337 OE), submitted by the Estonian Reform Party Faction and the Estonian Centre Party, changes the principle for the formation of the membership of the Anti-Corruption Select Committee. According to the Resolution, in the future, the membership of the committee will be formed under the principle of equal representation of the coalition and the opposition.

During the debate, Eduard Odinets (Social Democratic Party), Kalle Grünthal (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) and Jevgeni Ossinovski (Social Democratic Party) took the floor.

56 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the Resolution and 37 voted against.

Due to the end of the working hours of the sitting, the second reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Animal Protection Act and the Nature Conservation Act (219 SE), initiated by members of the Riigikogu Indrek Saar, Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, Jürgen Ligi, Signe Riisalo, Yoko Alender, Helmen Kütt, Lauri Läänemets, Siret Kotka, Andrei Korobeinik, Raimond Kaljulaid, Oudekki Loone, Katri Raik, Jüri Jaanson, Toomas Kivimägi, Johannes Kert, Mart Võrklaev, Jevgeni Ossinovski, Kalvi Kõva, Jaak Juske, Riina Sikkut, Heljo Pikhof, Liina Kersna and Madis Milling, was adjourned. It will continue at tomorrow’s sitting.

For the same reason, the first reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Alcohol, Tobacco, Fuel and Electricity Excise Duty Act (370 SE), initiated by the Faction Isamaa, the Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Resolution of the Riigikogu “Approval of the Shortlist for the Establishment and Renovation of Cultural Construction Works of National Importance”” (387 OE), submitted by the Cultural Affairs Committee, and the Bill on Amendments to § 55 of the Health Insurance Act (363 SE), initiated by the Social Democratic Party Faction and Member of the Riigikogu Raimond Kaljulaid, was transferred to the agenda for tomorrow’s sitting.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

The video recording of the sitting will be available on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.
(Please note that the recording will be uploaded with a delay.)

Riigikogu Press Service
Merilin Kruuse
Phone: +372 631 6592, +372 510 6179
E-mail: merilin.kruuse@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: The Riigikogu amended the principle for the formation of membership for three committees

“Considering the size of these funds and their impact on Estonia’s future and the related decisions, it is up to the legislature to give its input to the plans proposed by the Government,” Reinsalu said. He added that the Government had submitted to the Riigikogu a draft Resolution to approve a new system of own resources of the European Union. Reinsalu proposed that the parliament would have to approve the distribution plan for the funds of the European Union financial perspective, and all implementing Regulations on the European Union financial perspective would be brought to the sectoral committees of the parliament before they are approved.

In Reinsalu’s words, it is important that the parliament receive an overview of the measurable targets of the goals pursued with European funds. He called on all stakeholders to send their positions to the State Budget Control Select Committee. “This budget perspective is of historic weight in two senses: first of all, the liquidation of the consequences of the pandemic, and, second, the implementation of the digital and green transition,” Reinsalu said. “The most important aim when distributing European funds must be to increase wealth in Estonia through improvement of the international competitiveness of the Estonian economy. In the future, Estonia will become a net contributor to the budget in terms of Europe. This means that the money we will be directing to the Estonian economy in the coming years will have to be a springboard for creating new wealth.”

In view of the increase of wealth, Reinsalu pointed out some principles regarding funding plans. In his words, at least one third of the European Cohesion Policy funds should be in the measures that are co-funded by the private sector. In his opinion, at least one fourth of the Cohesion Policy funds should be directed to measures intended for the private sector. “The money planned in such a way will recycle back into the budget and it can be used repeatedly. Once the measures end, the money will still be there and this will increase our reserves as well,” he said.

Chairman of the select committee touched upon issues to keep in mind with regard to the financial perspective for the next seven years. He mentioned the remedial programmes for Estonian children who have returned from abroad, scholarships for Estonians all over the world who come to Estonian universities, the development of housing solutions for young families and the preparations for new-generation nuclear energy.

In addition, he highlighted the research potential of university and the creation of a platform of relevant experts, and financial instruments that help obtain capital for small and medium size enterprises who have exportable products. Also, the supporting of clusters in order to promote cooperation within economic sectors and their cooperation with the state. Automation of large-scale public services with the aim of reducing staff. In transport, dispersion of peak loads and a network of smart roads. In vocational education, and also professional higher education, supporting of continuation of apprenticeship programmes and study programmes at workplaces and procurement of equipment for it, scholarships for vocational training students for studying abroad in specialities they have chosen, and automation of medicine and the development of up-to-date medical platforms.

In conclusion, Reinsalu said that the strategic centre of gravity in the governance of the state actually lied in that plan, and the issue was whether the parliament would be included in it or not. “Political forces give their input. We must maintain a dialogue here and we must find a method how the parliament makes substantial decisions,” Reinsalu said.

Minister of Finance Keit Pentus-Rosimannus noted in her report that, if we think of the years ahead of us, Estonia is expecting a considerable economic growth over these years and it is indeed the private sector with its decisions and investments stimulating the economy that is going to make a very important contribution to this.

She noted that, in 2022–2027, around three per cent of gross domestic product per year would go towards stimulating the Estonian economy with the help of European funds and the new European funding period would bring the largest investments ever to Estonia. She pointed out as an example that, five years earlier, a little more than a billion euro a year had been invested in Estonia. Compared to this, in the coming years, investments will be practically twice as large and will amount to more than two billion euro a year.

The Minister of Finance pointed out that, if we were getting to use the greatest opportunities in history to give Estonia a new development impetus, we were facing questions of how we were going to use the money and what our vision was.

“Estonia’s vision could and should be Estonia that is greener than grass and as efficient as a quantum computer,” the minister spoke of the vision. “We should be a model of the new economy to all the others that others look to and wish to copy. Indeed, a successfully accomplished digital and green transition will give us good prerequisites for this.” In her words, the current funding plans have been drawn up in view of this vision and these funding plans will support Estonia’s future.

In Pentus-Rosimannus’s words, Estonia’s green transition is nothing abstract, but energy saved in the future, which will means lower costs. With the support of the European taxpayer, Estonia will get to use around 1.8 billion euro in order to boost the transition to a greener Estonia, she noted.

Carrying out the digital transition will be inevitable as well, in the minister’s words. She said that, in this age of looking for new solutions and of decreasing labour force, it was also necessary to boldly consider alternatives in the public sector, including the use of artificial intelligence.

In the situation where the productivity of the Estonian labour force has grown but is still around three quarters of the European Union level, implementation of new technologies will help. “Research and development, and cooperation between researchers, businesses and other authorities will need to grow considerably in Estonia. Funds have been earmarked for this as well in the new European Union budget period,” the minister promised.

Pentus-Rosimannus pointed out that Estonia would get to use 439 million euro for a new digital transition. More than 70 million of this is to support the digitisation of businesses, which means for example real-time data exchange solutions, which in turn will help save more than 200 million euro in a year for Estonian businesses.

64 million euro have been earmarked for further development of public services. The 48 million euro for ensuring a fast and robust Internet connection will mean that 23 000 addresses will get an opportunity to connect as a result of this investment.

In the minister’s words, in order to develop competitiveness, it will be necessary to develop both transport and energy infrastructure connections with Europe in Estonia. She mentioned the 5G Internet as well as Rail Baltic and Tallinn-Helsinki tunnel. She thinks that railway transport, which is going to receive the greatest cash injection in history, is keeping up with the entire green transition. In 2026, Rail Baltic will have been completed with the European taxpayers’ money, which besides mobility opportunities for people will mean an additional fast opportunity for movement of goods.

In the minister’s words, this time round, European funds will also be the necessary support to exit the crisis to the sectors that need help most. Support will be provided to young people who have remained away from school and work. A trans-sectoral model for the organisation of child protection will be launched and the facilitation of the employment of young people with little work experience will be continued. It will be possible to invest in the healthcare sector in Saare, Hiiu and Järva Counties as well as in Narva, Tartu and Tallinn.

Pentus-Rosimannus said that an estimated 40 per cent of the entire European funds plan for the coming years was for predetermined use. She pointed out as examples large investments in train traffic, and activities relating to road construction and the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund. However, 60 per cent of these funds creating the future will be distributed in reopened competition according to the principle that the best project, the best idea wins.

Lenno Uusküla, Research Fellow in Macroeconomics at the University of Tartu and Head of Research of the Foresight Centre, spoke in his report of the reasons why budget policy was made and what could be achieved with it and where various fundings might fit in this big picture. Uusküla said that although it was European Union money, it was nevertheless part of all the money that was being distributed.

He pointed out that, in market economy, in the case of budget policy, it was necessary to address market failures. Another major aim is to smooth the economic cycle. This means that downturn phases are very costly. Unemployment is very costly for society. On the other hand, there is an attempt to cool the growth phases and to avoid booms.

In Uusküla’s words, the just transition funding addresses market failures, and speaking of the recovery fund to tackle the COVID-19 crisis, it is a bid to smooth the economic cycle where market failures have been taken into account.

In Uusküla’s words, monetary policy support to budget measures is very important. “Estonia on its own cannot influence the decisions of the European Central Bank. However, if we keep apace with the budget policy of the European Central Bank and the rest of the European countries, the general policy of the European Central Bank actually suits us very well,” he said. “Besides, the size of our debt burden determines whether the financial sector is doing well or not, whether businesses and households can take loans when they think that they will be better off in the future. This also depends on commitments regarding future expenditure.”

When speaking of the recovery fund, Uusküla pointed out that budget policy had cross-border implications. “If one country incurs expenses and the other does not, the other gets a ‘free lunch’ in principle thanks to that. If we act together in Europe, this enables to overcome this jointly and to avoid a situation where someone is trying to gain ‘free lunches’ from there,” Uusküla illustrated his statement.

In his words, the COVID-19 crisis is not an ordinary crisis because no country can pull itself out of it on its own. It is not arising from our economic policy choices.

In Uusküla’s words, the digital, green and health transition are serious challenges because the growth of productivity has stagnated in Europe despite the fact that we are speaking of how digital technologies are developing. In his words, the role of science is very important in this. However, the dilemma is whether to support the innovative side of business or universities. “Business seeks to profit itself from investment. A university will try to ensure that everyone benefits evenly and therefore an investment in a university should have a much wider platform than the supporting of the production of just one business,” he explained.

Concerning digital solutions, in Uusküla’s words, it is very important that people wish to use them and they know how to use them. When speaking of health care expenditure, Uusküla noted that simply moving funds into health care might not help if people continued to act foolishly.

As regards the planning of the funds of the Just Transition Fund, Uusküla emphasised the importance of seeing the big picture. He pointed out as an example the Ida-Viru County and the termination of oil shale extraction. “It is very complicated to turn miners into data miners and the entire chain of various jobs will have to move here,” Uusküla said. “At first it is necessary to gather the low-hanging fruit with regard to CO₂. Simply a cost-effectiveness analysis will need to be done there for absolutely everything, but a meaningful and systemically governed process is also needed. Involvement is very important so that the people feel that they are in control. In addition, it will be necessary to build bridges, and social and psychological support will be needed.

In conclusion, Uusküla said that it was not known what the future would hold and what the future world would look like. However, in his words, it was possible to consider what we wished, what we needed to do in order to get there, what the conditions were that had to be met in order that the world would be as we wished it to be, and what would happen if the conditions were different.

During the debate, Lauri Läänemets (Social Democratic Party), Helir-Valdor Seeder (Isamaa), Oudekki Loone (Centre Party), Aivar Sõerd (Reform Party) and Kalle Grünthal (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) took the floor as representatives of their factions. Eduard Odinets (Social Democratic Party), Martin Helme (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) and Jürgen Ligi (Reform Party) also took the floor.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

Photos of the sitting (Author: Erik Peinar, Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

The video recording of the sitting will be available on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.
(Please note that the recording will be uploaded with a delay.)

Riigikogu Press Service
Epp-Mare Kukemelk
+372 631 6356, +372 515 3903
epp-mare.kukemelk@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: The Riigikogu discussed the use of European funds as a matter of significant national importance

Reinsalu listed the speed of decision making, the required control system, and fearlessness in applying all the appropriate measures to stop the virus without delay as key factors in the current critical situation.  

Reinsalu expressed his respects for all the health care system and front-line workers who are working day after day to fight the virus under increasing pressure. “The duty of the national leaders who are competent in making decisions is to make decision that support the front-line workers in fighting the virus and saving human lives,” Reinsalu said.

The Chairman of the Select Committee summarised the public hearings in the Committee on assessing the measures for combating the spreading of the virus, the vaccination situation, and the development and implemented application of the new economic crisis mitigation measures. He highlighted the key insights gleaned from the hearings, and the positions formed in the Committee. “This is not a question of identifying the culprits when possible problems are encountered, this is about applying the appropriate measures without delay and removing the obstacles to solving the crisis,” he said.

In conclusion, Reinsalu called to act fast, keep up the impetus in solving the shortcomings in combating the crisis, improve the logistics of vaccination, enforce economic mitigation measures, and draft an exit plan. “In the current national crisis, governance and correct target setting are vital,” Reinsalu said. “Having taken a very close look at the quality of decision shaping, I would say that an emergency situation needs to be declared first and foremost to put in place a more effective governance.”

Minister of Health and Labour Tanel Kiik started his presentation with the latest figures. He said that a new 24 hour record had been born that very morning, meaning nearly 2,000 new positive tests, which increased our two week infection rate to 1,453, or higher than it had ever been. “The numbers are still continuing to grow, although the growth trend itself is showing signs of slowing down,” Kiik said. “But of course our objective is to reverse the curve.”

Regarding the increasing number of cases over the weeks, Kiik also reported a regrettable continuous rising trend. The objective is to get the numbers to fall from the second half of March onwards. “The virus is spreading all over Estonia, there is no doubt of that,” the Minister admitted. He expects to see a fall in numbers when we fall below the red line, i.e. the infection rate drops below 1; sadly, we have not been able to achieve this the whole of February or March.

The Minister also drew attention to the other side of the COVID-19 crisis – the support to people who have been hit by the crisis, for example through additional wage support. “When we apply some restrictions to some sectors, some fields of economy, we will ensure that the incomes and employment of the workers in these sectors do not fall,” the Minister explained.

Kiik also pointed out that unemployment has increased to nearly 60,000 over 12 months, and we know that this growth trend is only continuing to grow today.

Kiik touched on drafting the supplementary budget because supplementary resources are needed by the health care to conduct testing and purchase vaccines. The need for sickness benefits has also increased. It is also important to receive additional resources for doctors, nurses and medical professionals working in COVID-19 wards, and for involving additional personnel.

Regarding vaccine, Kiik said that during the second quarter it would be possible to ensure at least one dose to everyone who wishes, and concentrate on increasingly offering the second dose protection over the summer months.

He reported that today about 8.6 % of the population has received at least one dose, more specifically 5 % have received the first shot, and 3.6 % two. This ranks us fifth or sixth in the European Union.

Krista Fischer, Member of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, agreed that the growth trend has slowed down, but this should not lull us into a false sense of security. “So we must still keep an eye on the situation and I also sincerely hope that the current restrictions, which are certainly stricter than in November or December, would prove effective,” Fischer opined.

The Member of the Academy pointed out that recoveries from the virus have not started to affect the infection rate in any visible way. The data shows that the aggressive British strain has reached Estonia, but has spread unevenly among the counties. Fischer describes the British strain as more than one and a half times more infectious and leading to more than the same difference in mortality rates, otherwise serious cases, and in the need for hospitalisation.

Fisher spoke of the trend where increased cases among the young would soon carry on to the older age groups. “This underlines the need to avoid and reduce infections among the young, and thus protect the elderly,” she explained. “Today, this new strain also shows us that the actual hospital patients become younger and younger, so we also need to protect the young people themselves.”

The statistics also show excess mortality. She explained that normally the average daily mortality rate in Estonia is 42, while currently nearly 10 people a day die from COVID related causes alone. “What we are seeing is that one death in five is caused by this one infectious disease, which points to significant excess mortality,” Fischer said.

She also outline three different forecasts, all based on the assumption that the infection rate will go down. “In the first one, we will still see the daily infection rates of 2,000+ for the next couple of weeks, also surpassing the 1,000 hospitalised patients mark. If this situation lasts for a great number of weeks, we might run out of resources.”

The second scenario foresees a drop but not that fast. The infection rate R falls to 1.1–1.05, and it takes time before the daily number of infections falls significantly below 1,500, and finally below 1,000. Fisher sees this leading to an extended difficult situation as well.

In the third scenario shows a slight downturn by the end of the next week already; it will then accelerate and the infection rate will plane at 0.8. Fischer would interpret this as a sign that we could go calmly into May, celebrating the May Day outdoors with friends, not to mention Midsummer.

During the debate, Lauri Läänemets (Social Democratic Party), Helir-Valdor Seeder (Isamaa), Imre Sooäär (Centre Party), Siim Kallas (Reform Party) and Peeter Ernits (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) took the floor on behalf of their factions. Jevgeni Ossinovski (Social Democratic Party), Riina Sikkut (Social Democratic Party), Tarmo Kruusimäe (Isamaa), and Leo Kunnas (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) also took the floor.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

Photos of the sitting. (Author: Erik Peinar, Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

The video recording of the sitting will be available on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.

(Please note that the recording will be uploaded with a delay.)

Riigikogu Press Service
Epp-Mare Kukemelk
+372 631 6356, +372 515 3903
epp-mare.kukemelk@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Riigikogu discussed combating the coronavirus as a matter of significant national importance

According to the report of the European Court of Auditors, the revenues of the European Union for the previous year were legal and regular, and free from material error. The overall level of error for expenditure from the EU budget of 2019 was 2.7 %, which is slightly larger than the year before (2.6 %).

According to the audit, the situation in the area of natural resources has improved and the results in the area of administrative expenditure are good.

The share of high-risk expenditure in audit population has increased and represents 53 % of it. This mainly concerns reimbursement-based expenditure, for example, in the areas of cohesion and rural development, where the EU expenses are managed by the Member States. High-risk expenditure is often subject to complex rules and eligibility criteria. According to the audit, this category continues to be affected by material error and the estimated level of error is 4.9 % (in 2018, it was 4.5 %). The auditors found that the errors were pervasive, and therefore presented an adverse opinion on the expenditure of the EU.

Public sitting starts at 1.45 p.m. and it will be streamed online.

The video recording of the sitting is available to watch on-demand on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.

(Please note that the recording will be uploaded with a delay.)

Riigikogu Press Service
Merilin Kruuse
Phone: +372 631 6592, +372 510 6179
E-mail: merilin.kruuse@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Committees of the Riigikogu get an overview of the European Court of Auditors 2019 annual report