The 700 proposals submitted by the government's Economic Growth Council range from highly technical to broad and fundamental reforms. Of those, 323 are currently under review by various ministries.

The government has made decisions on 315 of the proposals, supporting 249 and rejecting 66. Among the proposals not backed were calls to abolish indirect taxes, nationalize telecom infrastructure, eliminate trailer insurance requirements and exempt tips from value-added tax.

Council chair Viljar Arakas said he doesn't feel discouraged that some ideas were turned down.

"The best response from the public sector is yes. The second-best is no — you can move on quickly. The worst is 'we're still processing it,'" Arakas said.

Proposals that received government backing include eliminating the alcohol register, exempting more professions from immigration quotas, dropping ESG reporting requirements and raising merger control thresholds.

Thirteen proposals are currently being processed in the Riigikogu, while 17 have already been implemented, according to the council's data.

Among the most significant measures, Arakas pointed to streamlining planning procedures, increasing labor market flexibility and making it easier to bring in foreign workers.

At the same time, the council plans to shift its focus in the new year. Whereas the primary task until now has been submitting new ideas — some of which are still in the pipeline — it will now concentrate on monitoring implementation.

The 2027 parliamentary elections are also on the horizon. Any draft legislation not passed by then will expire. Traditionally, the Riigikogu avoids major legislative efforts in the six months leading up to elections and new initiatives in the fall are unlikely to gain traction.

Arakas said the council fully understands that the window for new proposals has closed. With roughly half its mandate period remaining, the council plans to publish an interim report in December.

Meetings with relevant ministers are also underway. Talks have already taken place with Minister of Energy and Environment Andres Sutt (Reform) and Minister of Economic Affairs Erkki Keldo (Reform). According to Arakas, ministries vary in their willingness to move forward — some are interested in boosting the economy, while others seem to stand in its way.

Starting next year, the council intends to focus on oversight rather than submitting new proposals. "We're definitely going to be demanding on that front," Arakas said.

He added that while business leaders are used to fast results, the council understands that things move more slowly in the public sector.

The full list of the council's proposals is available on a dedicated page hosted by the Government Office.

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