The bill was passed after the third reading with 53-30 votes along partisan lines with the Center Party opposing. Photo by the Reform Party.

TALLINN — The anti-monopoly law vetoed by the President Toomas Hendrik Ilves on the last day of June passed the Estonian parliament again Tuesday after being revamped despite Center Party opposition.

Parliament’s economic commission made necessary changes and removed the controversy with constitutional law as requested by the president, cited as the reasons for his veto. The bill was passed after the third reading with 53-30 votes along partisan lines with the Center Party opposing. 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.

The law gives 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.

After the bill’s second passage, Kadri Simson, Center Party vice said in a speech to the Riigikogu that the law is “nothing more than a propaganda bubble.”

Another Center Party faction member Lembit Kaljuvee said that the bill is pointless as it is impossible to win the monopolies.

“Fighting the monopolies is useless and the result of this fight is fight that nobody really wins, and if ever then the monopoly does,” Kaljuvee told the parliament.

Mart Laar, leader of the Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica answered Center’s criticism with words, “Dear Center Party, as a member of IRL I understand you and I am sorry that we are torturing you.”

The president’s office was positive about the amendments, believing that the flaws in the bill have been fixed.

“It seems to me that the act is in accordance with the constitutional law and the parliament has fixed the errors” Ülle Madise, the president’s legal adviser told Baltic Reports.

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