Eesti in brief - 2012-03-22

  • 2012-03-21

Estonian Environment Minister Keit Pentus submitted to the March 15 government session amendments to the excess pollution quota (AAU) sales contract, which adds 7 schools and 2 kindergartens to the list of buildings to be renovated from the sales revenues of the quota, reports Postimes Online. “Initially we planned to renovate 480 buildings, but since the cost of the planned work was cheaper than planned, we can make seven more schoolhouses better thermally insulated,” said Pentus. Together with earlier replacements and additions of buildings, the number which will be renovated will grow to 493.

According to Justice Ministry statistics, investigative institutions and the prosecutor’s office registered 6,112 crimes in Estonia in the first two months of 2012, which was by 1 percent more than at the same time last year, reports National Broadcasting. Justice Minister Kristen Michal said that the fact that the crime level stayed stable is positive, as last year, crime fell considerably, by 12 percent. “It is a positive thing about the first two months of this year that the number of serious crimes against persons has fallen. Causing serious bodily harm has also decreased,” said Michal. On the negative side, the number of cases of bodily abuse grew by 98 cases or 14 percent. The number of robberies grew by 13 percent.

European Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger said in a letter sent at the beginning of March to the Estonian Renewable Energy Chamber that Estonia has to avoid changing renewable energy subsidizing rules if it directly or indirectly harms investments that have already been made, reports Eesti Paevaleht. “Estonia has taken an obligation to achieve a 25 percent renewable energy share by 2020,” Oettinger wrote. “In this context it is important that Estonia preserves a clear, stable and predictable framework regarding renewable energy.” The Energy Commissioner sent his response to the letter of the association’s director, Rene Tammist, that questions the plan of Economy Minister Juhan Parts to cut the renewable energy subsidies in 2013 by half.