Commercial law

On 9 October the Competition Council received the complete merger notification under which SIA "Petrol Property" acquires control of a filling station's assets and AS "VIADA Baltija" its lease rights, with fuel wholesale now named as an affected market alongside retail. A decision is due within one month, extendable to three, and comments are open until 29.10.2026.

On 22 October the Saeima adopted in final reading amendments to the Sustainability Information Disclosure Law transposing Directive (EU) 2026/470. From the 2027 financial year only companies with net turnover above EUR 450m and more than 1,000 employees must produce a sustainability report. A value-chain cap protects smaller business partners, and voluntary reporting needs no mandatory audit.

The amendments make the Enterprise Register itself, rather than a state notary, the decision-maker and let it issue automated decisions without an official's signature when an application is complete and checks clearly confirm it. Favourable decisions may be given by publishing the register entry instead of in writing, and applications are to be filed electronically, with paper filing phased out. The law takes effect on 7 January 2027.

On 15 October the Saeima approved amendments to the Law on the Enterprise Register of the Republic of Latvia under which, from 7 January 2027, applications to the Register must be filed electronically through the registrs.ur.gov.lv portal, and which create a legal basis for automated decisions, with transition periods for some client groups (BilancePLZ, paywalled, only the lead is visible).

Two Riga businesses are feuding over the phrase "dog brunch": SIA Tobiass, which has run such an event in Teika for five years, claims a rival pet store's similar event half a kilometre away infringes its registered trademark "Tobiass branči suņiem No1" and misleads customers. The rival's owner denies infringing, citing guidance from the Patent Office that a generic word like "brunch" cannot be privately owned.

The Competition Council uncovered a cartel in the funeral-services sector and fined eight companies a total of €47,124. The firms coordinated bids in state and municipal procurement by submitting sham offers and exchanging commercial information, affecting at least 13 tenders worth roughly two million euros in total.

On 15 October the Competition Council decided to open an in-depth review of merger case No. KL/2.2-4.1/26/30, in which the INVL PEF II fund gains decisive influence over fish-processing companies. It will assess the effect on the market for production and wholesale of secondary-processed salmon products in Latvia. Market participants could comment until 22.10.2026.

An LTV journalist analysis of 301 state and municipal capital companies found 525 board and supervisory-board seats held by 492 people, with 29 individuals simultaneously serving on multiple companies' governing bodies. The data shows some officials "rotate" between boards across unrelated sectors, raising questions about how wide the actual candidate pool for these governance roles really is.

The paywalled piece explains that a counterparty's addition to a sanctions list does not automatically end an existing contract, but a company must assess how far it may still perform it under national and EU sanctions restrictions.

Latvia's Competition Council received a merger notification for 'ARS Holding' to acquire decisive influence over medical services company 'ARS'. This is a routine concentration-control filing under which the regulator will assess the deal's effect on competition in the relevant market. No clearance decision has yet been issued.

On 13 October the Saeima's Public Administration and Local Government Committee backed, as urgent, final-reading amendments to the Enterprise Register Law shifting filings toward online electronic forms and allowing automated decisions in simple cases such as changing a registered address. Where a request is fully granted, the register entry itself will serve as the decision, while applicants retain the right to request a written decision and to appeal.

VID updated its guidance on the documents a company must submit to the tax authority when liquidating, and on settling tax obligations during that process. The material sits in the business/annual-reports section and is available as a download. It is a practical guide for companies winding down voluntarily, not through insolvency proceedings.

The article examines Commercial Law Article 161(2), which allows a capital company's shareholders to agree on a dividend split that departs from strict proportionality.

The Competition Council received a merger notification for coffee company 'Bono Coffee' to acquire decisive influence over 'Kafijas pasaule'. This is a routine concentration-control notice opening the regulator's review of the deal's effect on Latvia's coffee market. No final decision has been issued yet.

The Competition Council received a merger notification for fuel retailer 'VIRŠI-A' to acquire long-term usage rights over four filling stations previously operated by 'ASTARTE-NAFTA'. The notice opens the regulator's assessment of the deal's effect on the fuel retail market. No clearance decision has been issued yet.

On 13 October ESMA published the 2026 European Common Enforcement Priorities for listed companies' annual reports, flagging geopolitical-risk disclosure and restructuring/debt-restructuring provisions in IFRS statements, materiality assessments and climate/workforce metrics in sustainability (ESRS) reporting, and common ESEF digital-filing errors. It also published its 31st extract from enforcers' decision database, covering seven decisions.

On 13 October the Cabinet decided to ask LMT and Tet to assess themselves whether they can buy out Swedish company Telia's shareholdings, scrapping the earlier plan that involved external consultants and state companies Latvenergo and LVRTC as buyers. If the companies cannot manage a buyout, the government intends to merge LMT and Tet instead. The companies' boards must submit their proposals by 17 November.

Amendments to the Accounting Procedures Regulation, published 12 October, relax year-end inventory requirements: companies may verify assets by video or photos, reconcile receivables/payables via self-service portals or electronic exchange, and, with strong internal controls, inspect fixed assets every three years (land every five), with many detailed rules removed and left to each company's management. The regulation was adopted 6 October and took effect 13 October.

Since 1 October 2026, anyone registering a new mass-media outlet must disclose its ultimate beneficial owner, the Enterprise Register says; entities already on the register do not need to resubmit the data, but others must register it first.

From 5 October 2026 the Enterprise Register is simplifying how it records ultimate-beneficial-owner control details for entities with multiple share classes, and will stop showing the detailed per-entity control share until 9 July 2027.

On 7 October 2026 Latvijas Banka's supervisory committee fined AS "Rīgas kuģu būvētava" EUR 6,000 for missing the 30 April 2026 deadline to publish its audited 2025 annual report, in breach of the Financial Instrument Market Law. Given similar delays with its 2024 report, the company must publish the audited 2025 report by the end of 2026; the fine is payable within a month and the decision can be appealed to the Bank's council.

Omniva has filed complaints with the European Commission over state support for Latvia's and Lithuania's national postal operators, arguing it may breach EU rules on transparency of universal postal service (USP) compensation and fair competition. The complaint follows the Saeima's February decision to extend Latvijas pasts' USP obligations to 31 December 2028 without a new tender. The Transport Ministry says the EU postal directive no longer fits current market conditions, with new regulation planned for the fourth quarter of this year.

Amendments to Cabinet Regulation No. 173 on social-enterprise status will let social enterprises distribute part of their profit, though the dividend amount must be disclosed in the annual activity report. Profit distribution was not previously allowed for such enterprises.

Companies that transact with related parties face additional statutory obligations that in practice are often remembered only at year-end when closing the reporting period. The article reminds management which requirements to track and their deadlines.

A TEGOS roundup covers notable commercial-law court rulings. In case SKA-117/2026 the Senate overturned an Administrative Regional Court judgment on a company's deregistration, holding the lower court could only review the decision's lawfulness. The CJEU in case C-798/24 found EU law does not require publishing every shareholder's data, and doing so without a proven legitimate interest breaches GDPR; following that ruling the Constitutional Court resumed its case on shareholder data disclosure, to be heard in writing on 13 October.

The article looks at situations where a company's majority replaces the board, makes decisions without a minority participant, or withholds information, and analyses the legal rights available to protect minority shareholders. It stresses identifying which specific legal provisions apply to the dispute.

On 6 October the Cabinet adopted amendments letting social enterprises distribute part of their profit as dividends, provided they have not received state grant support in the past three years, while also cutting administrative burden in oversight. The Welfare Ministry will be able to assess a company's compliance on its own, without involving the Social Enterprise Commission, when requirements are met.

On 6 October the Cabinet approved amendments to the Accounting Rules allowing remote inventory checks (by video or photo), wider use of electronic reconciliation of receivables and payables with counterparties, and reliance on checks already done elsewhere to avoid duplication. The aim is to cut companies' administrative burden while placing more responsibility on management to set a suitable procedure.

The article discusses when a company should consider changing its name and how to carry out the process in practice, from choosing a new name through to registering it with the Enterprise Register. It notes that the process involves more than just the register entry.

An explainer on the role of a capital company's supervisory board: when forming one is mandatory (joint-stock companies) versus optional (limited liability companies), the minimum and maximum number of members, how the chair is elected, and restrictions on combining a board-member seat with management-board duties. The piece is a general explainer, not tied to a specific event.

From 5 October 2026 Latvia's Enterprise Register changes how it registers beneficial owners' control type and extent: differing share classes alone no longer justify an "other control type" entry, and until 9 July 2027 the register will stop recording control extent at each intermediate entity, showing only the final total. The change follows amendments to the anti-money-laundering law (effective 1 July 2026) and EU Regulation 2024/1624, to be fully transposed by 10 July 2027.

The Patent Office has issued guidelines for examining Supplementary Protection Certificate (SPC) applications, explaining the review process for medicinal and plant-protection products under EU Regulations No 469/2009 and No 1610/96. The guidelines give particular attention to key Court of Justice of the EU rulings in this area.

On 25 September the Competition Council received a notification from OÜ Infortar Agro of its intention to acquire decisive influence over Lithuanian feed producer UAB LITAGRA, whose Latvian subsidiary manufactures animal feed; the filing flags a possible vertical link between feed sales and dairy farming. Interested parties may submit views on the deal's competitive impact until 9 October, and the Council must decide within one month, extendable to three.

The Finance Ministry rejected a Riga deputy mayor's proposal to give storm-felled trees to residents for free. The ministry found that trees fallen on municipal land are municipal property with economic value and so cannot simply be given away; under public-property management rules, a municipality must first assess whether the wood can be used internally or sold, and any transfer must aim to maximize potential revenue.

The article explains the functions, tasks and powers of the supervisory council under Article 291 of the Commercial Law — it represents the company's interests and oversees the management board. A council is mandatory for joint-stock companies, while for limited-liability companies it is usually set up when there are many shareholders or they prefer not to supervise the board directly.

The Enterprise Register has launched a free e-service letting media outlets registered by 26 June 2026 with unchanged registration data file a confirmation of continued operation; it is unnecessary if change documents were filed by 27 December 2026. From 1 October, newly registered media service providers must also disclose beneficial-owner information per EU transparency requirements.

The Enterprise Register issued guidance on how to state a beneficial owner's type and extent of control, following amendments to the anti-money-laundering law that took effect on 1 April 2026. From 1 July, registered beneficial-owner information must also include the extent of control and all nationalities where a person holds more than one.

The Competition Council has received notice that Estonian dairy-farmer group company SIA Hummuli plans to acquire controlling influence over SIA Food Union Management, owner of dairy processors Rīgas Piena Kombināts and Valmieras piens. The Council must decide to clear, block or condition the deal within one month, extendable to four months for an in-depth review; interested parties may comment until 9 October.

The article explains which periodic filings and final documents — including the closing liquidation financial statement and the corporate income tax return — must be submitted to the State Revenue Service during a company's liquidation, under Article 312 of the Commercial Law. Liquidation by shareholder decision typically takes at least two months but can run longer.

Author Andris Grafs argues the state should clarify its rationale for owning stakes in companies, since Latvia's state capital portfolio is unusually large compared with OECD peers yet lacks a clear justification.

On 29 September, the Saeima's Public Administration and Local Government Committee conceptually backed amendments to the Enterprise Register law requiring electronic filing via dedicated online forms. In simple cases, such as changing a registered address, decisions could be made automatically, while people retain the right to an explanation and to challenge the decision.

The article examines Commercial Law rules on dividend distribution when it is not proportional to shareholdings. Based on the Enterprise Register's August 2026 guidance, the articles of association must set out specific principles, criteria or methodology for distributing dividends — this cannot be left solely to the shareholders' meeting or fixed only in a separate agreement.

On 29 September the Cabinet backed a bill transposing EU Directive (EU) 2026/470 that narrows which companies must prepare sustainability reports, to those with net turnover above EUR 450 million and over 1,000 employees on average. The third-country parent-company threshold rises from EUR 150 million to EUR 450 million, and a new 'value-chain cap' limits what large reporters can demand from smaller suppliers. The new rules apply from the 2027 reporting year.

Also reported by: ifinanses.lv

The Saeima's Public Administration and Local Government Committee has conceptually backed amendments to the Enterprise Register Law that would gradually introduce electronic filing and automated decisions for simple cases such as changing a registered address. People retain the right to request a written decision and appeal it, and paper filings (including via notary) remain possible for several more years during the transition. The bill still needs three readings.

On 29 September the Cabinet backed the Economy Ministry's plan for a capital fund structured as an Altum subsidiary, operating as an alternative investment fund manager registered with the central bank. Initial funding is up to EUR 20 million from Altum, with a target size of about EUR 150 million, and at least 50% of running costs expected from market income. The fund will target defence, critical infrastructure and energy, operating on commercial terms without subsidy elements.

Also reported by: ifinanses.lv

The Cabinet has backed renaming the Patent Office to Latvia's Intellectual Property Bureau from 1 January 2027, saying the current name no longer reflects its expanded remit covering patents, trademarks, designs, semiconductor topographies and geographical indications. The rename signals a push toward closer engagement with businesses and research institutions, and all three Baltic states are making similar changes in 2026. The office is drafting a 2027-2030 strategy.

An accounting-series article explains how to determine the stage of completion in long-term construction contracts so that revenue and profit are recognised correctly and on time in financial statements. It covers the principles applicable when project handover spans several years.

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 20 September the Patent Office published the latest issue of its official gazette 'Inventions, Trademarks and Designs', available on its website under 'Official Gazette'. The gazette regularly lists registered patents, trademarks and designs, serving as a key source for businesses monitoring intellectual property rights.

This NJORD article examines how sanctions compliance has shifted from a narrow compliance function into a significant management liability issue for Latvian companies. EU Directive 2024/1226, transposed into Latvian law by 10 June 2025, provides that violations can trigger liability at several levels simultaneously - for the company itself, responsible officials, and in certain cases through criminal proceedings. The article lists key risk areas for management and recommends documented risk assessments, clear escalation procedures and staff training.

VID published an informational guide on preparing the closing financial statement when liquidating a company, giving practical instructions to business owners going through liquidation. It is available under the "Company liquidation" and "Annual reports" sections.

The paywalled article on a Senate ruling of 31 July 2026 in case SKA-102/2026 analyses the State Revenue Service's power to order a board member to cover a company's overdue tax payments.

On September 10 the Competition Council cleared SIA VITA mārkets (the ELVI chain) to take over the lease of the former SIA SKAI BALTIJA "SKY" store premises at Siguldas šoseja 8, Berģi, to continue food retailing there. Assessing the deal's effect on the everyday-goods retail market, the Council found no competition concerns.

On 15 September the Cabinet of Ministers approved an Economy Ministry-drafted national position calling for an EU-level review of de minimis state-aid thresholds, including a possible rise of the general ceiling to €1 million per undertaking over three years. The current €300,000 threshold has been adjusted only once since 2006, while consumer prices in Latvia have risen roughly 51% over the past decade, which the ministry says makes the limits outdated.

An opinion piece on family-business succession notes that roughly 80% of Latvia's large family companies remain with their founders while only 16% have passed to heirs, arguing that timely planning is the decisive factor for successfully handing ownership and management to the next generation. The author cites research suggesting well-planned succession can add up to 3% growth, while poorly managed transitions can cut profitability by around 4%.

The Enterprise Register reports that all documents for registering a new company can now be prepared automatically via its online services portal, when registering an LLC, a small-capital LLC, or a sole trader.

Almost a thousand new companies were founded in Latvia in August, and more than seven thousand since the start of the year, according to Lursoft data. Riga and the greater Riga area dominate by location, while retail trade remains the most commonly declared activity for newly founded companies, even though many in fact operate in other fields.

The Competition Council has cleared Elvi franchise operator Vita mārkets to take over the former Sky store premises in Berģi, concluding the deal will not materially change market structure or create a dominant position. Sky had filed for insolvency, and the new operator will continue grocery and consumer-goods retail there under the Elvi brand.

The Enterprise Register says its registrs.ur.gov.lv portal now auto-generates the required documents for changing an SIA's or AS's registered legal address too, when the application is signed by a single person. The documents are drawn up automatically from the client's entered data, and the Register has published a step-by-step video guide.

According to the Bureaucratic Burden Reduction task force, the Economy Ministry achieved the largest reduction among ministries between December 2025 and August 2026 — an estimated €135.8 million using the international Standard Cost Model methodology. The task force has set a target of cutting the country's overall bureaucratic burden by at least €1 billion by the end of 2028.

The Enterprise Register is encouraging founders of an LLC, small-capital LLC or sole trader to use its e-service at registrs.ur.gov.lv, which automatically prepares all required incorporation documents. The service applies when the founder, board member and beneficial owner are the same individual, and now also covers applications to change a company's legal address.

LSM.lv reports that after a repeated extraordinary shareholders' meeting, a decision was made to liquidate Rēzekne-based power-tool maker "Rebir," which had operated for nearly 60 years. The company's board chair said sanctions on Russia and Belarus — its largest market — were decisive, and attempts to find alternative export routes via Turkey and Kazakhstan failed. The company was part of the Rēzekne Special Economic Zone.

Since 1 July 2026 the Anti-Money Laundering Law has allowed a beneficial owner to ask the Enterprise Register, free of charge, to conceal their data if publication would endanger life, health or property. The Register hides the data within one business day for up to a month while the request is reviewed, and the protection must be renewed annually. The data remains accessible to law enforcement and supervisory authorities.

IR.lv reports that airBaltic has agreed to costly interim financing — up to €257 million at a 25% annual rate via a senior bond issue to existing bondholders — which PM Andris Kulbergs called the last option to save the company in the first phase of recapitalization.

Draft amendments to the Industrial Property Institutions and Procedures Law would let the Industrial Property Appeal Board (RIAP) declare a registered design invalid administratively, instead of the dispute being resolved only in general courts. Public consultation runs until 15 September, and the amendments, implementing EU Directive 2024/2823, must apply by 7 December 2027.

On 27 August the Competition Council approved SIA "AMIC Latvia" acquiring usage rights over AS "VIADA Baltija"'s fuel stations and the Olaine oil base, finding the deal would not significantly lessen competition or create a dominant position, since the parties' operations do not overlap horizontally or vertically. The clearance came with no conditions attached.

airBaltic has agreed with bondholders and other creditors on terms for up to €257 million in bridge financing at a 25% annual rate, via new short-term bonds maturing 26 February 2027; the deal needs bondholder and shareholder approval at an 11 September meeting.

Czech public-transport manufacturer Škoda Group has acquired a 36% capital stake in Latvian company SIA “L-Ekspresis”, which specialises in maintenance and repair of railway rolling stock.

Lawyer Jānis Danga-Guobis (Leinonen) explains whether a separate contract must be concluded with a procurator (prokūrists). Under Section 34 of the Commercial Law, a procuration is a commercial authorisation to conclude transactions on behalf of the merchant, but the status of procurator itself does not impose an obligation to conclude a separate written contract – the procuration must be distinguished from the legal relationship underlying the procurator's actual duties, and the company may choose the most suitable model. The article is paywalled.

The Finance Ministry is proposing to significantly cut the number of Latvian companies required to prepare sustainability reports, easing the administrative burden on part of the business sector.

Kaspars Treilibs, senior lawyer at TEGOS, explains the amendments to the Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorism and Proliferation Financing (NILLTPFN) adopted on 3 December 2025, whose provisions on beneficial owner (PLG) data entered into force on 1 July 2026, implementing the requirements of Directive (EU) 2024/1640. From now on, for each beneficial owner the Enterprise Register must record all of their nationalities and a new element – the extent of control – in addition to identification data, country of permanent residence and type of control. Until 31 December 2026 the Enterprise Register will automatically record the extent of control where it can be determined from existing data (e.g. shareholder status); in other cases the entity itself must submit the information. From 1 July a beneficial owner may request that public access to their data be restricted if disclosure creates a risk of harm.

Zelma Rence (law firm Eversheds Sutherland Bitāns) explains the right of a member or shareholder to request information from the board about the company's activities. Under the Commercial Law, every member/shareholder has this right regardless of the size of their holding (with reference to a 2018 Supreme Court Senate ruling), but its scope differs between an SIA and an AS; the article examines what may be requested, when the board may refuse and what the procedure is. The article is paywalled.

Artūrs Ševčuks and Elīna Rišmite analyse the civil liability of board members in a company's liquidation proceedings. The end of their term of office does not end liability for acts or omissions during that term: under Section 169 of the Commercial Law, board members are jointly and severally liable for losses caused to the company unless they prove that they acted as diligent managers or in good faith carried out a lawful decision of the members. Commencing liquidation does not release them from such claims. The article is paywalled.

Latvia's Financial Intelligence Unit (FID) reminds that following EU sanctions against the "MERE" retail chain (linked to Sergey Schneider), suppliers have, under a general administrative act issued August 6, been allowed to reclaim their goods from the frozen stores without separate FID approval, provided sanctions conditions are met. Goods that have lost economic value must be handled under other applicable rules, including food-safety requirements; the recovery process practically began on August 7.

Latvia's Competition Council received a merger notification from AIBE pārtika SIA regarding acquisition of decisive influence over SIA LAUMIŅA 1, which runs three retail stores in Viļāni. A decision is due within one month (by September 21), extendable for an in-depth review until November 21, with stakeholder comments accepted until September 3. AIBE plans to continue operations without major changes to range or staffing.

Capitalica Asset Management has signed a €31 million loan agreement with Rietumu Banka to complete construction of building D in the Verde office quarter, bringing the bank's total financing for Verde's C and D buildings to €50 million. Building D is due for completion by the end of 2027.

Reviewing its May–July index data, LTRK found business sentiment about respondents' own companies cautiously optimistic (index at 50.76 points), while overall economic activity in the country is viewed pessimistically. The index rose 0.5 points compared with Q4 2025.

The article (paywalled, only the lead is visible) explains that under Sections 224(8) and 306(3) of the Commercial Law, a board member may resign at any time by giving notice to the company.

At its 25 August session, the Public Benefit Commission decided to recommend that the State Revenue Service grant public-benefit organization status to several associations and foundations under the relevant law. The decision is one of the commission's routine recommendations to the tax authority.

The law, adopted by the Saeima and in force since 26 August, sets a special procedure for the state to act as shareholder, creditor and bondholder in the financial stabilization of Air Baltic Corporation AS. It provides for coordinated action on equal footing with the company's other creditors should the airline face financial difficulty.

The government on Tuesday backed extending until 30 December this year the repayment deadline for airBaltic's remaining €18 million state loan principal, amending the loan agreement signed in April 2026. An extra 2% annual fee continues to accrue on the deferred amount.

The article (paywalled, only the lead is visible) explains the principle of competitive neutrality for state- and municipality-owned companies and notes the Competition Council has named this area a 2026 priority.

The Competition Council has officially published its 4 August decision finding that state forestry company Latvijas valsts meži breached Article 14.1 of the Competition Law through long-term timber-harvesting agreements. The company was ordered to comply and fined; the decision was published in the official gazette on 24 August.

The article (paywalled, only the lead is visible) explains that a board member's civil liability for a company's obligations and tax debts can persist after their term in office ends.

EUIPO and Frontex, working with Europol and EU member states, ran a joint operation that seized counterfeit goods shipments worth over €17 million within a few days. The operation targeted intellectual property rights infringements in the movement of goods.

On 13 August the Competition Council received a merger notification for SIA "Petrol Property" and AS "VIADA Baltija" acquiring control over the former "Circle K" franchise fuel station "Priežkalni 2" in Jumprava parish. KP will assess the deal's effect on the local fuel retail market; comments are invited until 31 August.

Also reported by: lvportals.lv

The article explains that expenses incurred before a company's registration in the Commercial Register are initially covered by the founders from personal funds, since under the Commercial Law a company only becomes a legal entity upon registration. Invoices issued before registration are not automatically treated as the company's invoices, but after registration the company may reimburse justified formation costs if this is provided for in the founding documents. The author stresses that receipts alone are insufficient proof — it must be established who actually bears the costs and whether they directly relate to the company's formation.

In an emergency sitting on August 20, the Saeima passed in its final reading a law letting the state extend repayment deadlines and convert its loan and bond claims against airBaltic into equity. It allows the state to buy up to €30 million of newly issued company bonds and convert up to €50 million of existing bond claims into capital, with specific decisions left to the Cabinet of Ministers. The government must report on implementation to the Saeima's Budget and Finance Committee at least once a quarter.

On 14 August the Competition Council received a merger notification from SIA "VITA mārkets" concerning lease rights to the former "Sky" store at Siguldas šoseja 8, Berģi, where an "ELVI" store is planned. A decision on approval is due within a month, and interested parties were invited to comment by 26 August.

Falber Investments, parent company of Estonian dairy producer Agrone, has agreed to acquire the Rigas piena kombinats group, which includes Valmieras piens. Completion is subject to approval by the competition authorities in Estonia and Latvia, and until then both companies will keep operating independently. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Latvia's Competition Council received a notification from "VITA mārkets" of its intent to acquire usage rights over the former "Sky" store premises in Berģi, on Sigulda highway, to open a new "ELVI" outlet there.

On 7 August the Competition Council received a merger notification from SIA "AMIC Latvia" concerning the transfer of usage rights over its fuel stations and the Olaine oil depot currently leased to AS "VIADA Baltija". The notifying party states the parties' activities do not overlap and no affected markets arise. Comments are invited until 26 August.

Also reported by: lvportals.lv

The Mere retail chain was shut down after Russian businessman Sergey Schneider, owner of the company managing Mere through Latprodukti LLC, was placed under the EU's 21st sanctions package. On 6 August Latvia's Financial Intelligence Unit issued a general administrative act allowing suppliers to reclaim goods held by sanctioned companies without a separate permit, coordinating with the Food and Veterinary Service and other agencies. Sanctions do not cancel the sanctioned companies' payment obligations to suppliers, but settlements must follow sanctions procedures.

The Competition Council has allowed SIA "Firma Madara 89" to take over premises on Kārļa Ulmaņa gatve, previously occupied by the "Sky" store until March, to open a "top!" branded shop there. The Council found the deal would not significantly alter market structure or reduce competition. The "top!" chain operates 223 stores in Latvia.

Also reported by: kp.gov.lv

Latvia's Competition Council cleared a deal by "FIRMA MADARA 89" to acquire usage rights over certain commercial assets, concluding it would not materially affect competition in the relevant market.

The Patent Office updated its patent application examination guidelines, expanding explanations on invention descriptions, prototypes, patentability assessment and biotech inventions. For the first time the guidelines cover sanctions screening, computer programs and AI-related inventions, plus a simplified sample application for first-time filers.

Ahead of the expected "airBaltic" financial stabilisation law, the Prime Minister said the Saeima must make a fundamental decision on whether the state will remain an owner of the airline, given its financial troubles and the further investment required.