The EU Affairs Committee of the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, has approved Estonia’s position on the introduction of digital travel documents in the EU, ERR reports. The committee supports the introduction of digital passports and ID cards. Committee deputy chair Maria Jufereva-Skuratovski of the Estonian Centre Party (Keskerakond) said that digital travel documents would accelerate…
Estonian pellet producer Graanul Invest reported sales of EUR 590mn in 2022, which was up 30% from 2021, ERR reports. The group’s annual net profit rose by 28% to EUR 111mn. The group produced 2.3 million tonnes of pellets in 2022, which was down from 2.5 million tonnes a year earlier. Due to raw material…
Estonia has succeeded Canada as the co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC), which is a partnership of countries advocating for media freedom and safety of journalists worldwide, ERR reports. The chair of the coalition rotates among member states on a biannual basis. Estonia joined MFC in September 2019. Estonia ranks in the top 10…
The Estonian company, Biometaan, has signed an agreement with Finland’s Convion to start selling mobile power plants running on fuel cells in the Baltic States, ERR reports. The solid oxide fuel cell power plant will generate energy from biomethane produced from cow slurry at the Mangeni PM dairy farm in the village of Koksvere in…
Russia’s Justice Ministry has declared Alexey Gorpinchenko, Saint Petersburg correspondent for Estonian public broadcaster ERR’s Russian service, a “foreign agent,” ERR reports. The ministry accuses Gorpinchenko of “denouncing” Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, disseminating “untruthful” information about the war, and attracting international support. The “foreign agent” designation carries a variety of restrictions and potential fines.
Estonia’s passenger train operator, Elron, began operating Swiss rolling stock manufacturer Stadler’s FLIRT electric trains ten years ago on 1 July 2013, ERR reports. In ten years, the trains have carried more than 66 million passengers. In 2013, train passenger numbers were at an all-time low of 4.2 million journeys. Elron will receive 16 new…
Estonia’s Prisma Peremarket will change the opening hours of its hypermarket in Narva as of 3 July 2023, ERR reports. The store, which has been open 24 hours a day for four years, will henceforth be open from 7am to midnight. Regional manager Viktoria Smirnova said that there were very few customers at night. Also,…
Estonia’s procedure for disbursing unemployment insurance benefits has changed as of 30 June 2023, ERR reports. The duration of the benefits now depends on the state of the labour market. The previous fixed framework did not consider the ease or difficulty of finding employment. Under the new system, the labour market situation will be reevaluated…
Retail turnover in Estonia saw a significant decline in the first half of 2023, primarily driven by decreases in the construction and industrial goods sectors, while food sales remained relatively stable, ERR reports. The electronics industry was particularly hard-hit, with a sharp 20% drop in sales year-on-year, specifically in computers and telecommunications devices. Bookstores also…
