Riigikogu Committee head: Forestry development plan might not be approved

Andres Metsoja (Isamaa).
Andres Metsoja (Isamaa). Source: Anna Aurelia Minev/ERR

Chairman of the Riigikogu Environment Committee Andres Metsoja (Isamaa) said there is a 50/50 chance the forestry development plan 2030 will be passed by the current composition of the Riigikogu. Reform whip Mart Võrklaev assured the coalition is in agreement and will do its best.

Metsoja said on the "Reporteritund" radio show that he will try, as committee chair, to give the forestry development plan the chance to be heard on the floor, while he is not convinced the current Riigikogu will be able to approve it in time.

The MP remarked that everyone can introduce proposals to amend, and even though the committee will try to process them post haste, there may just be too many. "The chance the bill will be passed [by the current Riigikogu composition] is 50/50," Metsoja said.

Reform Party whip Mart Võrklaev told ERR that the coalition council has agreed to make efforts for the bill to be passed by the current Riigikogu. "The plan is to get it done with this composition," Võrklaev offered.

Social Democratic Party (SDE) MP Eduard Odinets said he believes it very likely the development plan will be approved before elections. "It is entirely feasible in the three weeks left and the Riigikogu wants to get it done."

Opposition EKRE and Center Party moved for the bill to be rejected during its first reading on Tuesday, but the motion failed. "No one is happy with the current variant. It is a way for the SDE minister to score points. We don't know what the 650-page document includes," EKRE leader Martin Helme said.

"That is not how these things are done. We have three weeks left and they come up with a 650-page bill," he remarked.

The last regular Riigikogu sitting is scheduled to take place on February 23.

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Editor: Aleksander Krjukov, Marcus Turovski

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