TALLINN — The Estonian parliament will hold an emergency session in August to go over an anti-monopoly law vetoed by the President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and perhaps overturn the veto.

The ruling coalition has gathered 22 signatures of parliament members to hold the emergency session which is will likely be held August 2 and 3. The parliament will then decide whether to revamp the bill or simply pass it again. Possible changes in the anti-monopoly law are [private_supervisor]currently being discussed by the parliament’s economic commission. If the parliament will pass the act, then Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves has to accept it or turn to Supreme Court with a proposal to certify the act as being in conflict with the constitutional law.

The draft act, which was initiated by the Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica, Reform Party, and Estonian Greens on Oct. 15, 2009 was passed in the Estonian parliament on June 17, but Ilves vetoed it on June 30. The purpose of the act is to reform the District Heating Act, Public Water Supply and Sewerage Act, Competition Act, and Penal Act, so the interests of the consumers were more protected on utility prices.

If passed, the law would give full pricing control over heating companies and water companies to the Competition Authority, regardless of ownership. Heating prices are estimated to fall by 10 percent, and the monthly water utility from the Tallinna Vesi should fall by 24 percent, according to initial estimates.

The draft’s initiators said they are worried that high service prices are holding back the competitiveness of Estonian companies and slackening the country’s economic recovery as it leaves less money for consumer spending.

In March, parliamentarian Ken-Martti Vaher, a member of Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica insisted that “a situation where the gas price on the world market is decreasing but the heating prices of Estonian consumers are constantly increasing is unacceptable.”

However, President Ilves disagrees, asserting that the act does not protect the consumers enough and therefore is in conflict with constitutional law.

Ilves wrote in a letter to the parliament after the veto “the water utility establishes the price of the water service and discloses it at least 30 days before it enters into force.

“Until the dates specified in the act the water utility is not subjected to the preliminary supervision by the Competition Authority,” Ilves wrote in the letter. “Thus, it cannot be precluded that higher prices and fees will be established before the actual implementation of the new procedure for establishment of price restrictions.” [/private_supervisor] [private_subscription 1 month]currently being discussed by the parliament’s economic commission. If the parliament will pass the act, then Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves has to accept it or turn to Supreme Court with a proposal to certify the act as being in conflict with the constitutional law.

The draft act, which was initiated by the Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica, Reform Party, and Estonian Greens on Oct. 15, 2009 was passed in the Estonian parliament on June 17, but Ilves vetoed it on June 30. The purpose of the act is to reform the District Heating Act, Public Water Supply and Sewerage Act, Competition Act, and Penal Act, so the interests of the consumers were more protected on utility prices.

If passed, the law would give full pricing control over heating companies and water companies to the Competition Authority, regardless of ownership. Heating prices are estimated to fall by 10 percent, and the monthly water utility from the Tallinna Vesi should fall by 24 percent, according to initial estimates.

The draft’s initiators said they are worried that high service prices are holding back the competitiveness of Estonian companies and slackening the country’s economic recovery as it leaves less money for consumer spending.

In March, parliamentarian Ken-Martti Vaher, a member of Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica insisted that “a situation where the gas price on the world market is decreasing but the heating prices of Estonian consumers are constantly increasing is unacceptable.”

However, President Ilves disagrees, asserting that the act does not protect the consumers enough and therefore is in conflict with constitutional law.

Ilves wrote in a letter to the parliament after the veto “the water utility establishes the price of the water service and discloses it at least 30 days before it enters into force.

“Until the dates specified in the act the water utility is not subjected to the preliminary supervision by the Competition Authority,” Ilves wrote in the letter. “Thus, it cannot be precluded that higher prices and fees will be established before the actual implementation of the new procedure for establishment of price restrictions.” [/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]currently being discussed by the parliament’s economic commission. If the parliament will pass the act, then Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves has to accept it or turn to Supreme Court with a proposal to certify the act as being in conflict with the constitutional law.

The draft act, which was initiated by the Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica, Reform Party, and Estonian Greens on Oct. 15, 2009 was passed in the Estonian parliament on June 17, but Ilves vetoed it on June 30. The purpose of the act is to reform the District Heating Act, Public Water Supply and Sewerage Act, Competition Act, and Penal Act, so the interests of the consumers were more protected on utility prices.

If passed, the law would give full pricing control over heating companies and water companies to the Competition Authority, regardless of ownership. Heating prices are estimated to fall by 10 percent, and the monthly water utility from the Tallinna Vesi should fall by 24 percent, according to initial estimates.

The draft’s initiators said they are worried that high service prices are holding back the competitiveness of Estonian companies and slackening the country’s economic recovery as it leaves less money for consumer spending.

In March, parliamentarian Ken-Martti Vaher, a member of Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica insisted that “a situation where the gas price on the world market is decreasing but the heating prices of Estonian consumers are constantly increasing is unacceptable.”

However, President Ilves disagrees, asserting that the act does not protect the consumers enough and therefore is in conflict with constitutional law.

Ilves wrote in a letter to the parliament after the veto “the water utility establishes the price of the water service and discloses it at least 30 days before it enters into force.

“Until the dates specified in the act the water utility is not subjected to the preliminary supervision by the Competition Authority,” Ilves wrote in the letter. “Thus, it cannot be precluded that higher prices and fees will be established before the actual implementation of the new procedure for establishment of price restrictions.” [/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]currently being discussed by the parliament’s economic commission. If the parliament will pass the act, then Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves has to accept it or turn to Supreme Court with a proposal to certify the act as being in conflict with the constitutional law.

The draft act, which was initiated by the Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica, Reform Party, and Estonian Greens on Oct. 15, 2009 was passed in the Estonian parliament on June 17, but Ilves vetoed it on June 30. The purpose of the act is to reform the District Heating Act, Public Water Supply and Sewerage Act, Competition Act, and Penal Act, so the interests of the consumers were more protected on utility prices.

If passed, the law would give full pricing control over heating companies and water companies to the Competition Authority, regardless of ownership. Heating prices are estimated to fall by 10 percent, and the monthly water utility from the Tallinna Vesi should fall by 24 percent, according to initial estimates.

The draft’s initiators said they are worried that high service prices are holding back the competitiveness of Estonian companies and slackening the country’s economic recovery as it leaves less money for consumer spending.

In March, parliamentarian Ken-Martti Vaher, a member of Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica insisted that “a situation where the gas price on the world market is decreasing but the heating prices of Estonian consumers are constantly increasing is unacceptable.”

However, President Ilves disagrees, asserting that the act does not protect the consumers enough and therefore is in conflict with constitutional law.

Ilves wrote in a letter to the parliament after the veto “the water utility establishes the price of the water service and discloses it at least 30 days before it enters into force.

“Until the dates specified in the act the water utility is not subjected to the preliminary supervision by the Competition Authority,” Ilves wrote in the letter. “Thus, it cannot be precluded that higher prices and fees will be established before the actual implementation of the new procedure for establishment of price restrictions.” [/private_subscription 1 year]

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