The purpose of the bill initiated by the committee is to require the identification and monitoring of officials for whom such restrictions are appropriate because of potential conflicts of interest and to draw attention to the risks associated with their changing jobs.

The legislation would create the possibility, under the Anti-Corruption Act, of imposing a time limit of up to one year before an individual can begin working for an employer in a related sector.

"The measure set out in the bill is proportionate because the primary aim is to identify risks arising from the specific nature of a position in order to prevent conflicts of interest stemming from a person's expertise and, in some cases, their access to internal institutional information as well as, for example, state secrets, classified foreign information or other sensitive information," the bill states.

The bill also refers to this year's annual review by the Internal Security Service (ISS), which highlighted the revolving door effect, particularly in the national defense and energy sectors.

"The aim of the bill is not to restrict officials from moving to the private sector or vice versa, but to mitigate the risks of potential conflicts of interest," the bill states.

At present, the bill does not mention whether the change would be accompanied by a so-called golden handshake, under which the state would compensate officials while the employment restriction is in force.

The Anti-Corruption Select Committee decided to initiate the bill amending the Anti-Corruption Act on June 15 and submitted it to the Riigikogu on Thursday, the final sitting of the spring session.

The law would enter into force on March 1, 2027, to give institutions sufficient time to prepare for the transition.

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