SDE name Anti Allas next RMK supervisory board member
The Social Democratic Party's (SDE) Riigikogu faction has nominated one of its MPs, Anti Allas, to the supervisory board of state forest management agency the RMK.
Allas had this week announced he was stepping down from the Bank of Estonia's supervisory board.
Most large public and state concerns, for instance including public broadcaster ERR, have supervisory boards made up of MPs from the represented parties, plus independent experts.
Priit Lomp, SDE's chief whip at the Riigikogu, said: "There's nothing unusual about it."
Lomp told ERR that the party made the decision on Wednesday to recommend the Riigikogu's environmental committee nominate Allas to RMK supervisory board.
Allas had already stepped up to the plate on his new role, Lomp added.
"A major event for forest and landowners took place yesterday before the Riigikogu. Anti was there on our behalf, interacting with people, greeting them, and hearing out their concerns," Lomp said of his party-mate.
"Sometimes the faction rotates its members when necessary. Yesterday, among other decisions, we decided that Allas would move to the RMK Supervisory Board," Lomp continued, in relation to the rationale for Allas' new appointment.
A rotation depends on, for instance, an MP's skills-set, as well as their schedule. Rural and forestry issues are very important to Allas, Lomp added.
Allas will replace Mayor of Tallinn Jevgeni Ossinovski as SDE's RMK supervisory board representative.
Last week Allas. Along with EKRE MP Jaak Valge, announced his intention to step down from the Bank of Estonia's supervisory board.
Both MPs cited routine rotation as the reason for the change.
Allas steps down from the Bank of Estonia position on June 27 and will be replaced by SDE's Ester Karuse in that role.
In addition to Allas, the RMK supervisory board comprises Ahti Kuningas as a representative of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Keit Kasemets (as representative of the Ministry of Climate), Karel Rüütli, Marek Metslaid, and Pille Ligi (all experts nominated by the climate ministry), Merike Saks (Ministry of Finance) and Reform Party MP Maria Jufereva-Skuratovski.
The Riigikogu's environment committee recommends the supervisory board members, a recommendation which is then voted on by the Riigikogu before being confirmed by the government.
The RMK owns and manages roughly half of all forest in Estonia, while in turn approximately half of the country's land area is forested.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Karin Koppel