The parliamentarians underline that that all allegations of electoral manipulation, especially with regard to voter intimidation and vote buying must be transparently investigated. They point out that, as the allegations at hand are so serious, only an independent international inquiry can address and investigate these elections and all reported violations in the pre-electoral period and during the elections.

The chairs of committees requested that the Georgian authorities make the voting protocols available and publicly transparent, so that each voter can verify if the information on their voting fact, time and place is factually accurate. They also demand repealing of the legislation that undermines the fundamental rights and freedoms of Georgian citizens and organizations and runs counter to the values and principles upon which the EU is founded.

The chairs of parliamentary committees also call on the European Union and the trans-Atlantic allies to impose sanctions on the officials and political leaders, including Bidzina Ivanishvili, who are responsible for violations of the electoral process in Georgia. They call on the freezing of all EU funds engaged in assistance and cooperation projects with the state and public institutions of Georgia with the exception of those dedicated to the supporting of civil society and the establishment of rule of law structures.

“At the same time, we call international partners to increase financial assistance to Georgia’s civil society and independent media, based on respect for democracy and the rule of law,” they said, and called on reviewing the visa liberalization regime with Georgia without excluding the possibility of its full suspension if the above listed conditions are not met.

The chairs of committees reiterated that they will continue standing with the Georgian people and their European choice. “We will also continue supporting unwaveringly Georgia’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally established borders,” they stated.

30 chairs and members of committees from the European Parliament and the parliaments of Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and Ukraine signed the Joint Statement.

Joint Statement in Estonian and in English

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Link uudisele: Chairs of European parliamentary committees demand international investigation of elections in Georgia

“This is already a question of survival—Estonians, especially the young people, hold the “black” first place in the world in e-cigarette consumption, our consumption is also growing very rapidly and we have an unprecedented number of different products registered for sale. We are very concerned about the health of the Estonians and the damage to the environment. If we act domestically, we will not be completely successful because goods move freely within the European Union. Unfortunately, we can also see the results of the tobacco lobby in Estonia, and there is a lot of misleading information and ignorance. It was especially positive today to hear young people’s representatives say that they expect more decisiveness from politicians in restricting nicotine,” Chair of the European Union Affairs Committee Liisa Pakosta explained.

Estonia recommends the European Commission to establish lists of flavourings allowed throughout Europe and set upper limits for nicotine content, ban internet sales and introduce standard packaging to reduce attractiveness. It is also recommended to extend smoke-free areas and ban the marketing of single-use e-cigarettes.

“We support EU-level regulations, but we also want to see much more prevention and information activities at national level. This is necessary, so that the life and health of people, including our close ones, would be protected. In Isamaa’s opinion, it is necessary to channel more money into the promotion of healthy lifestyles, in order to introduce them in society more widely, but especially among the young people,” member of the European Union Affairs Committee Riina Solman said.

According to the survey of health behaviour among the adult population, in 2020, regular e-cigarette users formed 3.8% of the adult population in Estonia, but in 2022, this percentage had already risen to 10.4%.

A worrying trend is the increase among young women, where the number of daily cigarette users had risen to 11.5% in just a few years. The number of nicotine pouch users has also increased among the younger age group, where a total of 20% of men aged 16–24 were regular users in 2022.

Estonia’s positions regarding the updating of the legal acts of the European Union on tobacco and nicotine products were discussed at the public sitting of the European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu. Representatives of the Ministry of Social Affairs, WHO Country Office in Estonia, National Institute for Health Development, Tartu University Hospital, Estonian Medical Association, Estonian Junior Doctors Association, Estonian Respiratory Society, Health Promotion Union of Estonia, Estonian Academy of Security Sciences, University of Tartu, Estonian Association of Youth Workers, Estonian School Students Councils Union, OÜ Eesti Elektroonikaromu, Youth Environmental Council and NPO Eesti Elektri- ja Elektroonikaseadmete Ringlus participated in the public sitting. Video recording of the public debate can be viewed on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.

For more information, please contact: Liisa Pakosta, +372 502 6191

Maiki Vaikla
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Link uudisele: Estonia recommends strengthening EU tobacco and nicotine products regulations

“Usually we work with the draft legislation prepared in the European Union, but now we are ourselves making a proposal to the European Commission on behalf of Estonia to initiate a new draft and harmonise restrictions throughout the European Union,” Pakosta said.

The purpose of the public debate held on Friday is to get information on the points of concern relating to the novel tobacco products sector with the help of experts. After that, the members of the Riigikogu will formulate their assessment regarding Estonia’s positions on the European Union legislation on tobacco and nicotine products, prepared by the Ministry of Social Affairs. This is Estonia’s proposal to the European Commission to harmonise requirements for all products containing nicotine, including e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches. The aim is to reduce health and environmental damages in the EU.

Minister of Health Riina Sikkut, Liaison Officer of the World Health Organization in Estonia Kristina Köhler, Head of Dugs and Addictions Department of the National Institute for Health Development Anneli Sammel, Head of the Children and Youth Unit of the National Institute for Health Development Tiia Pertel, Senior Doctor and Lecturer at Tartu University Hospital Kristjan Pomm, representative of the Estonian Junior Doctors Association Patrick Pihelgas, representative of the Estonian Medical Association Neeme Tõnisson, member of Youth Environmental Council Brigitta Taling, CEO of WeeRec OÜ Hans Talgre, police service cadet at the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences Taavi-Toomas Leemets and Research Fellow in Health Policy at the University of Tartu Mariliis Põld will present reports at the sitting.

The public debate will take place on Friday, 12 July at 9 a.m. in the Conference Hall of the Riigikogu, and it will be live streamed online. Video recording will be available to watch later on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.

For more information, please contact: Liisa Pakosta, + 372 502 6191

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Link uudisele: The European Union Affairs Committee considers harsher rules on vapes and nicotine pouches

In her opinion, the plan for reconstruction of Ukraine and the possibility to do this, among other things, with Russia’s frozen assets are very important. “We shared, and we will continue to share our experience and solutions both in the accession process with the European Union and in our current activities. It is also very important that Estonia’s representatives persistently convince other countries of the need to understand the importance of a fair and swift trial of Russia’s war criminals. Estonia can also convince others of how the onset of war fatigue would be wrong from the moral aspect and for our European values,” she added.

Member of the European Union Affairs Committee Tanel Kiik noted that the bravery and determination of the Ukrainian people in defending their country and their nation were amazing. “We saw it at the meetings with civil servants, voluntary associations and leaders of local governments who are real patriots of their home region. It is the duty of Estonia and the free world to unwaveringly support Ukraine in winning the war, restoring its territorial integrity and rebuilding the country,” he said,

The Estonian delegation was in Ukraine from Monday to Wednesday. In Kyiv, they had meetings with Chair Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze and Deputy Chair Vadym Halaichuk of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Integration of Ukraine to the EU, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yevhen Perebyinis, Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets, Counsellor of the Deputy Prime-Minister on European and Euro-Atlantic integration Ivan Nagornyak, representatives of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Chairman of the Ukraine-Estonia Parliamentary Friendship Group Arsenii Pushkarenko. The members of the European Union Affairs Committee also met with the European Union Ambassador to Ukraine Matti Maasikas and Representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Ukraine Jarno Habicht. Human rights situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine as well as further possibilities for Estonia to assist Ukraine in the civil society sphere were discussed with the representatives of the Centre for Civil Liberties, the Crimean Platform and the NGO Truth Hounds.

After meeting with Governor of Zhytomyr Oblast Vitaliy Bunechko and Mayor of Malyn Oleksandr Sytailo, the members of the Riigikogu saw the bridge in the centre of Malyn that was damaged in a bombing. Estonia is supporting the restoration of the bridge. In the city of Ovruch, they visited the kindergarten with a shelter that was built by Estonia and children’s centre for creativity, and met with Mayor of Ovruch Ivan Korud. The delegation of the European Union Affairs Committee also visited the memorial to children killed in war in Kyiv, and met with the Director of the Museum of the Second World War and saw a detailed exhibition on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and removing of red symbols from city space.

Besides Pakosta and Kiik, members of the European Union Affairs Committee Arvo Aller, Maido Ruusmann, Luisa Rõivas and Kristo Enn Vaga participated in the visit.

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Link uudisele: European Union Affairs Committee in Ukraine: Onset of war fatigue is unacceptable

“We have a clear common position on the issues that should be negotiated first,” Mihkelson said, keeping in mind particularly the rights of citizens and the budget of the EU.

At the moment, around 1.2 million Brits are living in other Member States of the EU, and around 3.2 million citizens of the EU live in the United Kingdom. The obligations the UK has assumed within the framework of the current financial perspective until 2020 form 16 percent of the budget of the EU.

In reply to the question of Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee Toomas Vitsut on how Estonia as the Presidency country can contribute to the success of withdrawal negotiations, Barnier said that the Estonian Presidency had a key role in the negotiations process, because Estonia would chair the meetings of the General Affairs Council and the work of COREPER or the Committee of Permanent Representatives.

At the meeting, Barnier introduced the timetable of the negotiations, according to which the first stage of the talks would start on 19 June. The aim is to reach an agreement on the principles of the rights of citizens and financial and border issues by the end of this year, when the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union will also end. According to the timetable, the withdrawal agreement should enter into force in spring 2019.   

The Chief Negotiator emphasised the need for transparency and involving of the public, fair competition terms and legal clarity as the fundamental principles of Brexit negotiations. In his opinion, the United Kingdom also needs the unity of the Member States, because the withdrawal agreement has to be approved by 27 Member States.

“The unity of the European Union is important,” Barnier emphasised. “At the negotiations we will first of all focus on the rights of citizens and the financial obligations of the UK. There will be no aggressiveness at the negotiations, but it is clear that the UK has to respect its commitments and the whole process has to be balanced.”

As regards the contents of the negotiations, Barnier stressed ensuring the rights of the citizens. He considered it important that in the light of Brexit, the citizens should be told what was positive in the EU, and what a Member State would lose by withdrawing from the EU.

The meeting was attended by Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson, Deputy Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee Andres Herkel, Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee Toomas Vitsut, and members of the European Union Affairs Committee Tiina Kangro, Oudekki Loone, Aivar Sõerd, Kalle Palling, Tiit Terik and Johannes Kert.

On 22 May, the European Union General Affairs Council authorised the European Commission to open negotiations with the United Kingdom on the agreement regarding the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, and also gave specific negotiating directives, or a mandate, for that. The European Commission will hold the negotiations under the guidelines of the European Council and the negotiating directives of the Council; the Chief Negotiator is Michel Barnier. The withdrawal agreement has to be approved by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and the European Parliament.  

Photos of the meeting.

Video.

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Link uudisele: Chief Negotiator for Brexit spoke about the timetable and priorities of the negotiations

The priorities of Maltese Presidency were migration, single (digital) market, security, social inclusion, neighbourhood policy and maritime sector. Maritime policy of the EU, issues relating to migration and Brexit, and the role of national parliaments in the EU will be discussed at the last interparliamentary meeting of the Maltese Presidency. Toomas Vitsut is one of the speakers in the panel on maritime policy.

Besides Toomas Vitsut, the Estonian delegation also includes Deputy Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Jaak Madison and members of the Committee Marianne Mikko, Monika Haukanõmm, Tiina Kangro and Kalle Palling.

Malta has a population of 430,000. The 71-member parliament of Malta organised six Presidency events. Malta’s first Presidency of the Council of the European Union will end on 30 June, and then Estonia will take over. During the Estonian Presidency, the Riigikogu will organise seven conferences, where the representatives of the parliaments of the Member States and the European Parliament will participate. The first of them, the Meeting of the Chairpersons of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC), will be held in Tallinn on 9 and 10 July. It is a preparation for the COSAC Plenary Meeting, held in Tallinn on 26–28 November.

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Link uudisele: Estonia will take over the parliamentary dimension of the Presidency of the EU Council from Malta

The Commissioner explained that the purpose of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), which was being established, would be directing of pretrial criminal investigation of offences against the EU’s financial interests and of serious cross-border VAT fraud, and prosecution in the Member State court.

Member of the Constitutional Committee Arto Aas asked the Commissioner to explain the principles of the work of the EPPO, and asked if all Member States were interested in establishing it. The Commissioner replied that the EPPO would be established within the framework of enhanced cooperation.

Aas confirmed Estonia’s support to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, and said that the number of Member States joining enhanced cooperation had always been important for Estonia, because the establishing of the EPPO would have a meaning only if as many Member States as possible participated in it.

So far, 17 states have informed of their wish to establish the EPPO under enhanced cooperation. However, it may be said that the number of participating countries will most probably increase. At the moment, Estonia has not yet decided its participation in enhanced cooperation, but hopes to form the final position soon. Establishing of the EPPO will presumably take place during the Estonian presidency.

In reply to Marianne Mikko’s question, the Commissioner spoke of the experience of the EU Member States in ensuring gender equality and reducing the pay gap between men and women.

Extending of the European criminal records databases information system to exchange information about the citizens of third countries was also discussed. Estonia supports the establishing of a central system of exchanging criminal records data that would contain as much and as precise information as possible, including data on fingerprints.

Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee Toomas Vitsut, and members of the Committee Liisa Oviir, Marinne Mikko, Andrei Novikov, Tiit Terik, Urve Tiidus (from the Legal Affairs Committee) and Arto Aas (from the Constitutional Committee) attended the meeting.

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Link uudisele: Meeting of the European Union Affairs Committee with Commissioner Jourová focused on establishing of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office

Lord Mayor Parmley thanked Estonia for its readiness to start with the presidency of the Council of the European Union six months earlier due to the UK’s decision to leave the EU. “Although we are leaving the European Union, we are not leaving Europe,” Parmley assured. He said he had come to Tallinn to discuss economic and financial cooperation.

Speaking of the future of the Estonian people living and working in the United Kingdom, the guests assured that it was not in anybody’s interests to hinder the working of talented and clever people in their country. 

Member of the Committee Marianne Mikko said that the decision of the British people to leave the EU made many people in Estonia sad. Although the Brits are good partners to Estonia and contribute to ensuring the security of the Baltic region, Estonia will keep the exit negotiations separate from the United Kingdom’s contribution through NATO. “As the holder of the Presidency, Estonia has to keep in mind the interests of all 27 Member States, and at the same time treat everyone fairly at the exit negotiations,” Mikko said.  

Member of the Committee Aivar Sõerd spoke about bilateral economic relations, and said that Estonia was interested in the free market. In his opinion, the financial environment in Estonia is good, but in regard to competitiveness, Tallinn is lagging behind other European capitals because of its transport connections.

Members of the European Union Affairs Committee Tiina Kangro, Tiit Terik and Oudekki Loone also attended the meeting.

City of London is the business and financial centre of Great Britain. Many major global companies have their headquarters in the City. Although the City has a resident population of less than 10,000, over 300,000 people work there.

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Link uudisele: Vitsut to the Lord Mayor of London: Smooth Brexit is in the interests of both sides

Link uudisele: European Union Affairs Committee elected Chairman and Deputy Chairman