No. 39/2026

Tiesību pulss is a free weekly digest published every Monday that gathers roughly 80-110 of the most important Latvian legal news items from about 89 sources, including parliament, government agencies, the tax authority, the Enterprise Register, courts and major law firms. It covers debt collection, civil procedure, arbitration, insolvency, commercial law, labour law, real estate and taxation, deliberately excluding criminal, administrative, family and inheritance law. It is available at tiesibupulss.lv in Latvian, Russian and English, and as a downloadable, searchable PDF archive.

The article explains that once a person is officially declared missing, their relatives or other close persons can obtain the necessary personal data to handle practical and financial matters related to that person, including the missing person's debts and bank accounts.

Responding to a question about a message from a debt collector received without any prior notice from the original creditor, LV portāls explains that an out-of-court debt collector must give the debtor truthful and sufficient information about the legal basis of the debt and allow them to see the supporting documents. If the collector fails to do so or refuses to substantiate the claim, the debtor is entitled to dispute it and complain to the supervisory authority.

Answering a question about enforcing a real-estate tax debt against a co-owner's undivided share, LV portāls explains the forced-auction procedure and the rights of the other co-owners. The other co-owners must be notified of the upcoming auction, and the law gives them certain advantages in acquiring the share being sold, though this is not equivalent to a classic pre-emption right.

A legal Q&A on LV portāls explains that when all incoming funds are being seized from a debtor's bank account, this usually happens because the debtor has not contacted the bailiff or reported their income sources and amount. The bailiff has no visibility into the account balance, so without the debtor's active involvement, the statutory limits on withholding — such as preserving a minimum subsistence amount — cannot be applied.

Responding to a question about wage garnishment where the debtor also has other loan payments, rent, utility costs and dependants, LV portāls explains that a bailiff withholding sums from wages applies only the deduction limits and dependant allowances set out in the Civil Procedure Law, not the debtor's other voluntary obligations. The exact amount withheld depends on the type of enforcement and the debtor's income level.

The paywalled article explains that an authority's communication with a private person is not a mere technicality but a procedural act with legal consequences — an administrative act takes effect on notification and its appeal period starts running, so it matters precisely when a document counts as served.

Until 22 March 2027, Latvia's Court Administration is running two EU-funded pilot projects offering a free 60-minute initial legal consultation to any resident regardless of income, plus state-funded mediation for civil disputes where at least one party meets certain vulnerability criteria. Mediation targets out-of-court resolution of property, employment and inheritance disputes; sign-up is by phone or email.

Pilot projects have launched giving every Latvian resident one free initial legal consultation, and people with limited financial means also state-funded mediation, excluding disputes involving children, for which separate state-funded mediation already exists. The consultations explain the mediation process, its cost, and its potential advantages compared with litigation.

TV3 reports that in the remaining months of this year the Latvian government must decide on new investment in national carrier airBaltic and on guarantees for repaying a €350 million loan. The company must reach agreement with at least two investors by year-end, or it faces bankruptcy.

The article details national carrier airBaltic's funded debt and leasing obligations, running to hundreds of millions of euros, as they stood on 14 September when the company filed for Chapter 11 restructuring in the US.

"Ir" analyses the protest staged by passenger carriers two weeks before the elections, for which they now face a fine of almost one million euros, and assesses whether the action achieved its goal.

"Ir" examines what national carrier airBaltic's announced debt restructuring under the US Chapter 11 framework means, and how it could affect the company's creditors and passengers.

Latvia's Insolvency Control Service (MKD) ceases operating on 30 September 2026, with its functions transferring to the Justice Ministry and the Court Administration. From 1 October, insolvency-process deposits must go to a new Court Administration account (LV42TREL819045817100B), and employee-claim/administration-cost reimbursements to account LV44TREL219045817700B; MKD's email and official e-address can only be used until 12:00 on 30 September.

Latvia's regional passenger carriers warn that long-term contracts signed before a succession of global crises no longer match economic reality. They say rising fuel prices and other costs have made fulfilling the state contract loss-making for some companies, creating a risk of bankruptcy.

In an interview, Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice Anda Smiltēna explains why, from 1 October, the functions of the Insolvency Control Service (MKD) will be split between the Ministry of Justice, the Court Administration and the Insolvency Administrators' Association. She notes that so-called "empty" insolvency proceedings remain a major problem, with unsecured creditors recovering only about 5% of claims on average, and stresses that reform of the sector must better protect creditors' interests.

Valka region's financial situation remains critical: over the course of 2026 the municipality has failed to substantially improve it, and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development is weighing further measures, including deferring payments, to prevent the region sliding into insolvency.

LTV's investigative programme "de facto", working with the EBU investigative journalism network, found that one of the investors in the planned "Riga Waterfront" development in Andrejsala — a Syrian national living in Dubai — was convicted in Denmark some years ago of large-scale money laundering. The article also examines the Citizenship and Migration Affairs Office's handling of the case.

The article explains the procedure for preparing a liquidation closing financial statement — it may be drawn up only after creditor claims are satisfied, liquidation costs covered and tax obligations settled; the approved statement must be filed with the tax authority within a month, and the corporate income tax return for the final period by the 20th of the following month.

The Competition Council has received a merger notification concerning investment fund INVL Private Equity Fund II's planned acquisition of fish-processing companies, and has begun assessing the transaction under the Competition Law.

A summer-2026 survey by the Patent Office and pollster SKDS finds 76% of businesses have heard of industrial-property protection (up from 73% in 2024), yet 79% still hold no registered industrial-property right. Trademarks (42%), copyright (23%) and trade secrets (18%) are seen as most relevant; the main registration motives are greater security, product recognition and fair-competition protection.

The Enterprise Register has launched an e-service that automatically drafts founding documents, based on client-entered data, for registering a limited-liability company (SIA), a small-capital SIA, or a sole trader. It applies only where the founder, board member and beneficial owner are the same natural person, who signs all documents; available via registrs.ur.gov.lv.

The Competition Council has cleared SIA "AIBE pārtika" to take over three grocery stores in Viļāni, finding the deal would not significantly affect competition in the relevant market.

The paywalled article analyses when a board member becomes personally liable for losses caused to a company — what matters is the circumstances under which a decision was made and whether the board acted in the company's interest, since an unsuccessful business decision alone does not trigger liability.

The Ministry of Economics is proposing that Riga City Council's 49% stake in district-heating company Rīgas siltums be transferred to the state, fuelling a dispute over who should control the capital's main heat supplier.

Following amendments to the anti-money-laundering law, the Enterprise Register reminds companies that when registering or updating beneficial-owner data they must also state the type and extent of control: a specific percentage where control rests on ownership or voting rights, or a description for other bases such as trust management. The Register will auto-populate some entries until 31 December 2026, but companies remain responsible for accurate information.

The Patent Office reminds that EU Regulation 2024/1745, part of the 14th sanctions package against Russia, bars it and other EU IP offices from processing new trademark, patent, design and geographical-indication applications filed by Russian nationals, Russia-based persons or Russian-registered entities, and from acting on procedural requests in pending applications. An exception applies to EU/EEA or Swiss nationals holding permanent or temporary residence there.

The paywalled article explains how, when preparing a consolidated annual report, to correctly distinguish and classify the relationships between companies within a group, such as parent and sister companies.

On 24 September the Saeima adopted Criminal Law amendments introducing criminal liability for individuals who organise cartels in public procurement - agreeing prices or coordinating bids in large tenders (from €750,000, or €1 million for construction). Previously only companies faced administrative penalties for such agreements. Whoever first voluntarily reports a violation and assists the investigation may be exempted from liability. The change followed a Senate ruling that covertly obtained recordings could not be used as evidence in the administrative procedure.

Also reported by: lsm.lv

This COBALT review covers Procurement Monitoring Bureau decisions and court rulings from August 2026 on five points: using consolidated financial statements to prove a subcontractor's turnover, ISO certification as a bonus-points criterion below EU thresholds, refining evaluation methodology after bid submission, the relevance of low profit margins when assessing abnormally low bids, and price gaps as grounds to cancel a procurement. In a 1 September 2026 ruling (case SKA-852/2026) the Supreme Court held that large price discrepancies between bidders alone do not justify cancelling a procurement unless the authority checked whether the gap stems from unclear documentation.

The Saeima adopted, in its final reading, amendments allowing self-employed individuals to carry out construction work that needs no design documentation or only a construction notice - for category one/two residential buildings and auxiliary structures. Property registration is also simplified: builders will be able to file a single application serving both cadastral registration and Land Register title registration.

Also reported by: ifinanses.lv

From 8 January 2027, the construction-permit process will be merged into a single submission that also serves as registration with the cadastre and the Land Register — the unified building registration system in force since January 2026 will be extended to all land-ownership situations, promising faster processing of 10-15 working days and notable cost savings.

Latvia's Economy Minister met AS "Rīgas Siltums" leadership to discuss limiting the district-heating tariff rise for the 2026/2027 season - the October tariff is €80.96/MWh, but December could see it climb to €97-105/MWh (20-30%). Options discussed include larger free CO2 allowances, using Latvenergo's waste heat, and channelling part of dividends to household support, without extra strain on the state budget.

On 22 September the Cabinet of Ministers amended building regulations, introducing a phased 'zero-cycle' construction procedure and a new 'detailed sketch project' stage — most changes take effect on 1 March 2027, while the notification procedure for residential buildings takes effect already on 8 January 2027.

From 9 July 2027, freight transport in Latvia must switch from paper to electronic documentation — amendments to the Road Transport Law implementing EU Regulation 2020/1056 on electronic freight transport information (eFTI) still need Cabinet and Saeima approval.

Amendments have been proposed to the Road Transport Law that would let sole traders use a leased vehicle for commercial passenger transport with the owner's consent, aiming to ease a shortage of services and widen the pool of people who can offer light-vehicle transport services.

The Cabinet of Ministers approved amendments to construction regulations (also published on likumi.lv as No. 563 and No. 564) introducing a "0 cycle" that lets certain construction work begin before the design process fully concludes, plus an expanded sketch-project stage and fewer cases requiring Health Inspectorate or Fire and Rescue Service approval. Most changes take effect 1 October 2026, the notification procedure for private-land residential building on 8 January 2027, and the full "0 cycle" system from 1 March 2027.

The Procurement Monitoring Bureau (IUB) published guidance on applying Cabinet Regulation No. 397 in public procurement, clarifying when a contracting authority must request a Constitution Protection Bureau (SAB) assessment, how to proceed on a negative opinion, and what cybersecurity information a procurement notice must include. The guidance mainly concerns Class A information-system procurements and sits in IUB's Procurement Guide.

The Cabinet approved Economy Ministry amendments to street-trading rules, dropping the municipal-approval requirement for trading on private land in favour of a simple notification. The change affects about 30% of the 16,145 street-trading permits issued in 2025 and could save businesses roughly €400,000 a year.

The government approved amendments to the Electronic Procurement System (EIS) rules setting, from 1 January 2027, an annual €140,000 (excl. VAT) cap per institution on buying software-development services via the EIS e-catalogue. The aim is to force larger development projects into open competitive procurement and improve transparency of IT-system purchases.

Amendments drafted by the Ministry of Economics provide that municipal approval will in future only be needed for street trading on municipally owned land, not on a trader's private land, where simply notifying the municipality will suffice. The ministry estimates the change will cut businesses' administrative burden by almost €400,000 a year, since in 2025 traders together spent about €1.3 million obtaining 16,145 permits.

The article examines a restaurant planning to extend its QR-code ordering system to alcohol sales consumed on the premises. The author concludes that merely using an app or website to conclude the deal does not by itself make it a distance contract under Section 6.1 of the Alcoholic Beverages Circulation Law - what matters is whether the parties are physically present at the moment of performance. This implies the statutory six-hour delivery restriction should not apply where drinks are consumed on-site with in-person age verification.

Also reported by: ifinanses.lv

The paywalled article explains amendments to the Unfair Retail Trade Practices Prohibition Law that took effect on 19 August, setting new requirements for retailer-supplier cooperation agreements and penalties for violations.

The paywalled article explains whether pay for work on a public holiday and other payments listed in Section 74 of the Labour Law must be included when calculating an employee's average earnings over the last six calendar months.

The paywalled article explains the requirement under Section 40(2)(4) of the Labour Law to state a workplace in the employment contract, and examines when an employee has the right to freely choose where to perform their duties.

State Labour Inspectorate thematic checks in construction found 446 violations - including unsecured trench walls, misused ladders and unmet safety requirements for roof and height work - at 31% of inspected firms. The Inspectorate issued 7 warnings with work-suspension orders and 5 administrative fines, reminding employers of their duty to assess risks and provide a safe working environment.

The article reviews case law on what conduct restrictions an employer or a profession's ethics code may impose on people in regulated professions (judges, police officers, border guards, teachers) even outside working hours. It concludes that breaching an ethics code in private life can trigger disciplinary liability, up to and including loss of office.

On 17 September the Saeima referred to committees a bill amending the law "On State Social Insurance" that will set out what happens when an employer has been granted a deferral for paying mandatory social insurance contributions (VSAOI) but an employee retires or leaves the job in the meantime. The goal is to stop employees having to cover their employer's unpaid contributions themselves to preserve their pension insurance record.

The Constitutional Court is examining whether rules that, in cases of forced divided property, set the land redemption price by cadastral value comply with the protection of property rights — the challenged rule requires apartment owners to redeem land at a price that may not reflect market value.

LV portāls explains that an apartment owners' association is a separate legal entity governed by its own articles of association, and unless those articles say otherwise, a person who does not own property in the building can still be elected to its board.

Prompted by a question about allocating a parking spot to a new flat owner in a shared yard, LV portāls explains that the rules for using a common yard and dividing parking spaces are set not by an individual owner but by a decision of the community of apartment owners, adopted by the required majority in the manner set out in law.

The Justice Ministry is advancing changes that merge building-registration steps into one unified process and, in specific cases, cut fees by more than 90%. For example, registering a warehouse building could save around €9,225, and cadastral measurement for an apartment building around €2,888. The changes take effect 8 January 2027 and apply to buildings on both state/municipal and private land.

Prompted by a case where a rented flat burned down, LV portāls explains that a lease does not end automatically but is governed by the Civil Law and the Residential Tenancy Law provisions on the destruction of the leased object. If the premises objectively become unusable, the tenant does not have to pay rent for the period it could not be used, and the parties still need to settle the deposit and any overpaid amounts.

On TV24, University of Latvia rector and economist Gundars Bērziņš said that in the coming years Latvia will need to find a way to fund defence spending while keeping limited fiscal space, and that one possible, publicly unpopular solution could be raising taxes if government spending cannot be cut enough.

Estonian outlet "Postimees" writes that Latvia's decision to cut fuel excise duty for three months could create a significant price gap between the two countries' filling stations, since Latvia's VAT rate is also lower. However, the resulting demand for cheaper fuel is expected to affect mainly freight trucks rather than a flow of private drivers from Estonia.

The State Revenue Service (VID) reminds residents who want a refund of overpaid personal income tax without filing an annual income declaration that they can submit an application for an automatic tax refund to VID by 30 September.

In an urgent two-reading procedure the Saeima adopted amendments that, from 1 October to the end of the year, cut the diesel excise rate from €396 to €330 per 1,000 litres — the EU-allowed minimum — while setting, for the first time, a temporary excise rate of €490 per 1,000 litres for unleaded petrol. The change is expected to reduce core state budget revenue by about €14.4 million.

The Saeima is reviewing amendments to the Personal Income Tax Law clarifying how investment accounts are taxed when a person's tax residency changes. Experts say the changes could mainly affect holders of foreign investment accounts.

On 17 September the Saeima approved in final reading amendments to the Micro-Enterprise Tax Law aimed at reducing the administrative burden on residents with small side incomes, such as private tutors and craftspeople.

The paywalled article, continuing the topic of a self-employed person's social insurance contributions, explains that they are calculated from economic-activity income and need not be paid in a month with no income.

On 17 September the Saeima adopted in final reading amendments to the Micro-Enterprise Tax Law aimed at cutting administrative burden, which could benefit handymen, private tutors, coaches, nannies, beauticians, gardeners and other residents with side income, who will now be able to pay just 10% of their earnings.

VID's Public Benefit Commission, at a regular session, backed granting public-benefit status to several associations and foundations, which entitles them to tax relief and lets donor companies claim corporate income tax deductions.

From 1 October until year-end, the excise duty on diesel drops from EUR 396 to EUR 330 per 1,000 litres, while unleaded petrol gets a temporary rate of EUR 490 per 1,000 litres; the mandatory biofuel-blending requirement is also lifted for marked agricultural diesel and military fuel.

The Budget and Finance Committee backed a proposal to tax crypto-assets the same way as stock and bond investments - tax due only when withdrawals exceed amounts invested. It also envisages a one-off voluntary declaration of holdings as of 31 December 2026 at a flat 10% rate, with penalty protection for those not already under investigation; the amendments still need three readings.

Also reported by: ifinanses.lv

The Saeima's Budget and Finance Committee gave conceptual backing to Personal Income Tax Law amendments that would exempt loyalty-programme cashback from tax, widen tax-free gift categories, raise the tax-exempt volunteer-compensation ceiling from €1,000 to €3,000 a year, and ease self-employed persons' reporting of utility payments collected on behalf of third parties. The proposal still needs three Saeima readings.

VID reports that on 18 September 2026 the EU Official Journal published Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2133, setting provisional trade-defence measures on imports of grain-oriented electrical steel flat-rolled products. The regulation applies directly, and importers must observe its duties and payment obligations when declaring the goods.

On 17 September the Saeima adopted, in third reading, amendments to the micro-business tax regime that cut the rate from 25% to 10% for annual income above EUR 12,000. The author notes the change partly answers complaints from micro-business owners about the excessive rate, though registration with the tax authority remains cumbersome. The amendments still require official publication before taking effect.

The paywalled article explains whether and when VAT must be paid on a transaction whose actual occurrence the tax authority has questioned during an audit.

Amendments have been submitted to the Personal Income Tax Law that would widen the circle of tax-exempt gifts, including between spouses and relatives, and raise the tax-free cap on volunteer compensation from EUR 1,000 to EUR 3,000 a year; the amendments still need three Saeima readings.

Over the first eight months of the year the consolidated budget shows an almost €128 million surplus versus a deficit a year earlier, but this is mainly due to faster growth in EU fund payments rather than higher tax collection alone. Taxes collected are up 6% year-on-year, yet nearly €96 million short of plan, partly because of lower excise revenue after the diesel excise rate cut.

The article summarises the tax authority's recommendations for assessing a business counterparty — a company is free to choose who it deals with, but remains responsible for booking transactions in line with regulatory requirements, so it is advisable to assess the risk elements a counterparty brings before transacting.

The Financial Intelligence Unit has published its 2026 National Risk Assessment covering 2023-2025, concluding that Latvia's ability to detect and combat financial crime has improved; fraud and tax crimes remain the highest risk, with sanctions violations elevated; 22 state and sectoral institutions took part in the assessment.

The Cabinet adopted new Regulation No. 561 on distance contracts for financial services, setting providers' pre-contractual disclosure duties, a 14-day consumer withdrawal right (30 days for private pension products), and bans on deceptive interface design or overly complex online cancellation. The general distance-contract regulation (No. 562) was amended in parallel; both take effect 25 September 2026.

ESMA reports upcoming changes to the panel of banks that set the Euribor benchmark rate - relevant to Latvian borrowers and lenders since Euribor is widely used for floating-rate loans and contractual interest calculations.

FID, working with 22 state and sector institutions, has produced the 2026 National Risk Assessment covering 2023-2025, finding that Latvia's capacity to detect, prevent and combat financial crime keeps strengthening and has reached a high maturity level. The highest-risk areas remain fraud, tax crimes, illegal drug and excise-goods trafficking, and sanctions violations; no significant new risks were identified. The assessment is meant to let banks, non-bank lenders and notaries allocate attention and resources in proportion to risk.

The Financial Intelligence Unit's new national risk assessment of money laundering and terrorism/proliferation financing for 2023-2025 finds that the biggest threats stem from tax crime, fraud, and illegal trade in excise goods. It also notes that Latvia's ability to detect and combat financial crime keeps improving, though risks are increasingly carried out through foreign financial infrastructure.

The article explains online marketplaces' and sellers' liability for product safety under the EU Digital Services Act, the Market Surveillance Regulation and the General Product Safety Regulation. Platform operators must set up reporting channels for potentially unsafe goods, regularly check the Safety Gate database, and notify consumers who bought a product within the previous six months that is later found dangerous. In Latvia compliance is overseen by the Consumer Rights Protection Centre (PTAC), while smaller businesses (under 50 employees and EUR 10 million turnover) face lighter obligations.

In 2025 PTAC examined 540 financial-services complaints (up 114.3% on 2024) and gave 2,205 consultations, directly helping consumers recover over €131,000 and preventing at least €5.2 million in losses. Complaints grew fastest in consumer credit (+320%) and debt collection (+96.6%); typical cases involved identity theft used to take out loans, assignment of claims between debt purchasers, and improper creditworthiness assessments. 75 cases (14%) were resolved in the consumer's favour.

Latvijas Banka published Q2 banking-sector indicators: profit reached €205 million (down 2.9% year-on-year) despite a 4.1% rise in core operating income. The loan portfolio grew by €704 million (+3.7%), driven by corporate lending (+4.6%). Non-performing loans held stable at 2.9%; capital ratios (CET1 18.4%, total capital 20.6%) fell roughly one percentage point on strong lending growth, and the liquidity coverage ratio dropped to 200% from 272%, still well above the 100% minimum.

In their joint autumn risk assessment, the EBA, EIOPA and ESMA warn of three key vulnerabilities for the EU financial system: excessive reliance on non-EU ICT providers and clearing/rating infrastructure, AI-enabled cyberattack risk, and the rapid, relatively opaque growth of the private-credit market. The authorities call on supervisors to strengthen crisis preparedness and monitor these risks more closely, even as the EU financial system overall remains resilient.

The Cabinet adopted amendments to the credit-intermediary registration rules (No. 542) and the consumer-credit rules (No. 543), introducing mandatory professional-liability insurance for mortgage credit intermediaries and stronger cross-border supervision under EU Directive 2023/2225. The amendments take effect 20 November 2026, part of a reform moving consumer-credit and credit-intermediary supervision from PTAC to the Bank of Latvia.

The Eurosystem is inviting e-commerce and m-commerce providers across the eurozone, including in Latvia, to apply for the digital euro beta pilot, testing its technical operation and user experience. Selected merchants must sign an agreement with the ECB and adapt arrangements with their payment service providers; participation is voluntary and unpaid. An information webinar is set for 6 October, with applications due by 27 October, 18:00 Riga time.

Latvia's government has approved new requirements for remotely concluded financial services, mainly over the internet. Consumers must be given clearer information about contract terms, and withdrawing online from a remotely concluded financial services contract will become simpler.

Answering a question about unaddressed flyers in a mailbox and bulk advertising text messages, LV portāls explains that distributing unaddressed, non-personalised advertising material is not in itself a privacy breach, since it falls outside personal data protection rules. Sending personalised marketing messages without consent, however, can breach unfair commercial practice and electronic communications rules.

PTAC took part in a meeting of the European Board for Digital Services, where EU member-state supervisory authorities discussed enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and cross-border cooperation. In Latvia, PTAC is the DSA supervisory coordinator responsible for overseeing platforms' and online intermediaries' compliance with their obligations.

In 2025 Cert.lv ran 16 phishing simulations targeting staff at public bodies and companies: almost 32% of the 15,436 emails sent were opened, and in 3,032 cases users entered authentication credentials. Separately, 27 IT system security tests found 82 vulnerabilities, including critical ones, which were fixed before they could be exploited in cyberattacks.

Following three major 2026 cyberattacks on state-run registries (LVM, CSDD, the consumer rights authority's ASDIS system) that exposed data on more than half the population, attorney Lauris Klagišs explains how Article 82 of the GDPR applies. Victims are entitled to claim compensation from the data controller or processor for both real financial loss and non-material damage.

The article looks at how, following a data breach at the Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD), fraudulent phone calls and text messages may be using information from the leaked data to make scams more convincing.

The paywalled article explains whether, and in which cases, an outsourced accounting company must appoint a person responsible for data protection.

Based on guidance from the Data State Inspectorate, the article notes that a vehicle's registration number is not by itself personal data unless linked to an identified person, but paid-parking operators must, before a camera captures the plate, give transparent information about the processing, retention period and legal basis.

DVI clarifies that automatic licence-plate reading at paid parking lots becomes personal-data processing once the plate is linked to an identifiable person, e.g. for billing or dispute resolution. Operators need not obtain consent - contract performance or legitimate interest can serve as the legal basis - but must state the processing purpose, the operator's identity and contact details, post signage before the camera zone, and keep data only as long as necessary.

The EBA published its response to the European Commission's consultation on reviewing the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), setting out priority areas for future amendments. The document could also affect Latvian market participants dealing in crypto-assets or planning related services across the EU single market.

The paywalled interview-style article with an industry expert addresses the risks created in companies by uncontrolled use of AI tools, which has outpaced both staff training and internal policy.

ESMA announced that from 2027 digital innovation and related supervisory convergence will become one of its supervisory priorities - relevant to financial-service providers active in the Latvian and EU markets that use digital/AI solutions.

On 24 September the Saeima referred for review a new bill, the "Architecture Law", which for the first time would regulate in one act the architect and landscape architect professions, their self-governance, and municipalities' role in shaping the built environment. Discussion of such a law has been ongoing since 2006.

The Saeima adopted a new Clinical University Hospitals Law that changes these institutions' legal form from a commercial company to a derived public entity, better reflecting their public role in treatment, education and research. COBALT lawyers helped develop the reform's underlying concept on behalf of Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital. The new framework is meant to give these hospitals a more stable financing and governance model, bringing Latvia's approach closer to those used elsewhere in Europe.

Amendments to the Submissions Law in force since 1 March 2026 require a public authority to answer a submission on its merits within 10 working days instead of a month; the article describes how Riga City Council departments have been overwhelmed by AI-generated bulk submissions. Experts call for the law to be clarified to let authorities leave manifestly disproportionate and repetitive requests without further action.

The Saeima has adopted amendments to the Copyright Law that expressly include the director among the authors of a stage production, alongside the playwright, set designer, costume designer, choreographer and composer, and that strengthen civil remedies against copyright infringement.

On 22 September the Cabinet of Ministers approved a strategic goal of cutting the administrative burden on businesses by EUR 1 billion by 31 December 2028, also endorsing 16 further measures toward that target; LTRK, through its Bureaucracy Reduction Group (BAG), coordinates the effort across ministries.

Amendments to Latvia's Railway Law have entered into force allowing a much faster review of the fee for using rail infrastructure to transit grain shipped from Russia. The government hopes this will let it quickly raise the cost of such transport before the end of the year.

"Jurista Vārds" published an article by University of Latvia associate professor Edvīns Danovskis and Toms Grīnbergs on a public authority's right to leave manifestly unfounded or repetitive submissions unaddressed.

The Court of Justice of the EU ruled in Case C-900/24 that EU law precludes a national rule under which price increases stemming from an unfair contract term can no longer be challenged once three years have passed without objection - such a rule effectively preserves the unfair term's effects against the consumer. The Court also found it incompatible with the Unfair Contract Terms Directive for a supplier to be allowed to unilaterally rewrite a price-adjustment clause after it is declared void, rather than leaving that to the national court.

The Constitutional Court opened case No. 2026-16-0103 on a company's challenge to the law and Cabinet Regulation No. 888 provisions that set the land redemption price when forced shared ownership in apartment buildings is terminated. The applicant argues that pricing based on cadastral value fails to reflect market value and violates the property-rights guarantee in Article 105 of the Constitution. The court will assess whether the rules are constitutional.

The Union of Greens and Farmers has collected 20 Saeima deputies' signatures to petition the Constitutional Court to assess whether the adopted hospital-reform model complies with the Constitution.

The Justice Ministry approved amendments to the unified lawyer qualification exam procedure, clarifying student rights in cases of suspected academic misconduct and allowing the commission to set alternative exam dates in emergencies. Commission composition will now reflect each university's actual student numbers, with the new rules first applying to the winter 2027 exam session.

"Jurista Vārds" summarised decisions taken by the Latvian Council of Sworn Advocates between 25 August and 17 September, including the disbarment of one advocate.

The paywalled article explains the line between permissible criticism and harm to a company's reputation — a negative review or information spread by a competitor can damage customer trust, but not every critical statement is unlawful.

The author criticises the new criminal-liability regime for procurement cartels moving through the Saeima, arguing that trying to fix a complex business and legal problem quickly, ahead of elections, with a single new criminal offence could have long-term consequences for public administration, the judiciary and the business environment. In his view, populist lawmaking risks creating more legal uncertainty than it resolves.

The paywalled opinion piece discusses a possible regulatory change that would exempt small companies from mandatory audit — the expert quoted notes that the resulting cost savings would in practice not be particularly significant.