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ESTONIA
Riigikogu
Parliamentary bodies dealing with international trade :
Economic Affairs Committee

Type of parliamentary body Multifunctional
Nature Permanent
Related to chambers Riigikogu
Date of creation 1993
Last renewal date
Mandate The Committee, in addition to dealing with issues related to the national economy, is entrusted with ratification of free-trade agreements; agreements on the granting of incentives and investment protection, the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of tax evasion with respect to income tax, the legal protection of industrial property rights and of various other international treaties concerning the economy; harmonization of legislation regulating the economic environment and its functioning with that of the European Union; and the preparation of relevant legislative and budgetary proposals. Regarding WTO, the European Union is represented with a common vote. Discussions on international trade are rare and fall under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Affairs Committee. National implementation of the WTO rules falls under the purview of the Economic Affairs Committee.
Membership The Committee is currently composed of 12 members and six officers. The Bureau of the Riigikogu specifies the number of members on the standing committees of the Riigikogu. The number of positions on the Riigikogu committees prescribed for the parliamentary groups is proportionate to the number of members of each group. The Bureau of the Riigikogu determines the number of positions belonging to the groups represented in each standing committee. Groups appoint their members to serve on standing committees.
Working methods Regular sittings of the Committee are held three times a week - on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. The Chairperson of the Committee may convene an extraordinary sitting of the Committee on his/her own initiative or at the request of at least one-third of the members of the Committee. Members of the government may participate in Committee sittings with the right to speak. Representatives of state agencies and other persons may participate in Committee sittings when invited by the Chairperson. The Committee may declare a sitting public if more than one-half of the members of the Committee vote in favour thereof. The Committee has a quorum at a regular sitting if at least one-third of the members is present. The Committee has a quorum at an extraordinary sitting if more than one-half of the members, including the Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson of the Committee, is present. The Committee adopts resolutions by majority vote. If no Committee member participating in a Committee sitting demands a vote, the resolution is deemed to have been adopted by consensus. The Committee prepares the list of motions to be amended and draft laws to be discussed and adopted by the plenary meeting of the Riigikogu. Principal sources of information are national ministries, the Statistics Office, the Economic and Social Information Department, and electronic media. Minutes are taken of each sitting of the Committee, but no other public reports or documents are issued.
Relations with other parliamentary bodies Regarding the motions to be amended, the Committee requests the opinion of other committees (the Social Affairs Committee, the Legal Affairs Committee and the Constitutional Committee) and departments (the Economic and Social Information Department, the Legal Department). Minutes of the Committee meetings and draft laws in legislative proceedings are public and may be accessed via the Internet.
Relations with external bodies During legislative proceedings on draft legislation, the Committee cooperates with government agencies, the Association of Estonian Cities, the Estonian Association of Tenants, the Estonian Association of Owners by Title, professional unions and other third sector organizations that promote participatory democracy in the society. The Committee involves representatives of different interest groups whom the draft laws concern.
Subjects dealt with No draft laws or international trade agreements have been recently dealt with.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Main address Lossi plats 1a
Phone +372 6316433
Fax +372 6316673
E-mail majanduskomisjon@riigikogu.ee
PRESIDING OFFICER(S)
Name Ms. Kaja Kallas
Notes
SECRETARY
Name Mr. Kaido Rosin
Notes Head of Secretariat
Address (if different from above) Lossi plats 1a, Tallinn 15165, Estonia
Phone +372 631 6493
Fax +372 631 6334
E-mail majandus.ametnik@riigikogu.ee
web site: http://www.riigikogu.ee
Notes

Information on this page was last updated on 15 September 2005
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