The amendment would apply to the under-process Nuclear Energy and Safety Act (TEOS).

SDE MP Jaak Aab explained that given the high-risk nature of building a nuclear reactor, a standard administrative permit process alone is not enough, pointing to Finland as a positive example: In that country, which has two functioning nuclear power stations, every decision on any new plant would have to be put before the legislature.

The current government bill gives no role whatsoever in the decision-making process to the Riigikogu. Once the special spatial plan for the location is completed, the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA), as the competent authority, would issue a preliminary assessment, after which the government would form its position, and the process would then proceed via the standard construction and operating permit procedures.

Both the preliminary assessment and the detailed solution of the spatial plan must go before the Riigikogu, under the SDE plan. Parliament would then make the final "yes" or "no" decision on construction.

"For such a major decision, and one involving such significant risks, this is in no way acceptable," Aab, a former government minister, added.

A June 2024 decision supporting the introduction of nuclear energy had an explanatory memorandum which stipulated the Riigikogu's role in the decision-making process must be defined in the nuclear safety law, Aab noted, while the decision also required that the national energy development plan (ENMAK 2035) assess the need for and impacts of nuclear energy.

This has not been done, however, Aab said. The development plan mentions nuclear energy only briefly as one possible controllable energy source in the future, meaning the entire process requires broader parliamentary oversight.

As to calls from opposition party EKRE during the bill's first reading in parliament for a referendum on building a nuclear power plant, Aab said he would in principle support that if the issue concerns the broader adoption of nuclear energy in Estonia.

Putting the construction of a single plant to a referendum would, however, be harder, he said, as there is not yet sufficient information about the project's exact cost or how it would fit into Estonia's energy system.

Aab noted while referendums in Lithuania and Germany have slowed nuclear energy development, in Switzerland, voters supported the use of small modular reactors (SMR) for district heating in a referendum.

"If parliament deems it necessary to hold a referendum, we will certainly support it," Aab added.

Reform Party MP Mario Kadastik said the coalition party had not yet formed a position on the issue.

"This can certainly be discussed—whether the decision-making process should also pass through parliament or whether a government decision is sufficient. In fact, we in parliament are currently adopting this law and must also amend the Government of the Republic Act. But indeed, the Riigikogu does not necessarily have to decide on any specific plant. Once the legal framework is created, the decision remains with the government. It is somewhat of a philosophical question whether parliament should decide this or whether it is sufficient for the government to do so. After all, the government itself is formed by parliament," Kadastik said.

Kadastik added the Riigikogu's primary role here is to establish the legal framework for nuclear energy, including defining licensing procedures, responsibilities, and decision-making processes, while potentially delegating final decisions to the government. While leaving open the possibility of the Riigikogu voting on individual plants, Kadastik questioned whether doing so would be necessary or practical. He also rejected the idea of a referendum, arguing such votes in Estonia are reserved for major national issues, and that SMRs have a more limited, local impact, making a referendum impractical.

An SMR would likely be the type of nuclear plant Estonia would build, if the project were to go ahead.

The government in March approved and sent to the Riigikogu the TEOS bill, creating Estonia's first comprehensive nuclear power framework. This would enable a national nuclear regulator, formal licensing procedures, and clearer conditions for investment decisions. The bill's framers say it aligns Estonian law with EU and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) requirements.

Even if TEOS passed as is, nuclear power generation would take at least a decade, with the law set to enter into force in 2027 and aimed at supporting future energy security.

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