Analysis & opinion

An opinion piece examines how the EU's unified MiCA framework is reshaping the crypto-asset sector and discusses a possible tax amnesty for crypto assets in Latvia as a way to legalise previously undeclared gains. The author notes global crypto transaction volumes reach tens of trillions of euros, making clear rules important for both residents and the economy. Relevant for tax planning and crypto-asset holders.

The article examines how far Latvia's legal system permits individual laws that settle single cases rather than set general rules, noting that at least 117 such laws have been passed since independence was restored.

The piece outlines the Party Financing Law's rules on donations to political parties. It explains that companies cannot donate, any free-of-charge benefit counts as a donation (including below-market-price services), and people with certain criminal convictions are barred from contributing.

Also reported by: ifinanses.lv

Finance Ministry advisor and 15th Saeima MP Guntars Vītols said on TV24's "Price of Money" that a tax increase is not currently planned but could become unavoidable if the state does not cut budget spending. He noted the budget must balance by 2030, when a special defence-borrowing exception ends, and outlined two possible reform directions - structural changes in public administration and a substantive spending review. If there is no political readiness to cut spending, a tax increase could become necessary.

Following a market study of wood pellets, the Competition Council concluded that the roughly 73% rise in average base retail prices (October 2025 to August 2026) resulted from several combined factors - higher raw-material costs, winter demand, rising exports and the end of Belarusian imports - rather than coordinated conduct. It found no sufficient grounds to suspect retailers of price coordination and recommended the ministry keep monitoring the market. Published 9 Oct 2026.

The analytical piece warns that trusting an AI-drafted contract to be automatically legally sound is misleading — a neatly formatted text does not mean it protects a party's interests. An additional risk arises from uploading contracts containing commercially sensitive information into AI systems, which can jeopardise confidentiality.

The article examines the risks of using AI tools in accounting and who should bear responsibility for errors caused by careless reliance on them. It stresses that accountants cannot fully trust automated output and must retain professional oversight and responsibility for the figures produced.

A Cobalt article explains the line between permissible criticism and unlawful harm to a company's commercial reputation under Latvian law. For criticism to be unlawful it must contain false factual claims or disproportionately offensive statements; companies can seek retraction and compensation, and in serious cases criminal liability for defamation may apply.

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.

On 7 September the University of Latvia Faculty of Law held its annual "September Conversation on International Law", where visiting professor Mārtiņš Paparinskis, a member and special rapporteur of the UN International Law Commission, spoke about state officials' immunity from foreign criminal jurisdiction and general principles of law. The event also awarded the Kristīne Krūma memorial scholarship to a Faculty master's student.

RGSL Associate Professor Dr Mark Leiser has produced five free YouTube lecture series for lawyers, students and policymakers on digital regulation, covering dark patterns, artificial intelligence, a critical review of the GDPR, and the forthcoming EU Digital Fairness Act.

An interview with sworn attorney Eņģelis on the legal profession's risks in the field of anti-money laundering following the Moneyval assessment. The AML/CTF Law's requirements apply to around 500 of 1,400 attorneys; the greatest risks lie in large commercial transactions, especially real estate and cash transactions. The Council of Sworn Attorneys carries out on-site and remote inspections, and since 2020 annual professional development on AML/CTF and sanctions has been mandatory for attorneys; a new sectoral risk assessment was completed in spring 2026. The new EU AML/CTF regulation and the centralised supervisory authority will require additional capacity.

The subscriber-only article looks at how European Commission scrutiny of major US technology companies over possible regulatory breaches intertwines with broader geopolitical rivalry between the US, EU and China.

A commentary on the CSDD leak warns the stolen data could fuel targeted fraud — fake SMS, calls and ads impersonating authorities leading to phishing pages. The author advises never approving unsolicited Smart-ID requests and verifying communications only via official channels; fraudulent emails already circulating in CSDD's name are cited.