COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2023 Rule of Law Report Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Latvia Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 2023 Rule of Law Report The rule of law situation in the European Union
Date: 2023-07-05
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: Latvia, administrative transparency, corruption, democracy, independence of the judiciary, infringement of EU law, pluralism in the media, political rights, rule of law

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 5.7.2023  SWD(2023) 814 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2023 Rule of Law Report          Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Latvia Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 2023 Rule of Law Report                                 The rule of law situation in the European Union {COM(2023) 800 final} - {SWD(2023) 801 final} - {SWD(2023) 802 final} - {SWD(2023) 803 final} - {SWD(2023) 804 final} - {SWD(2023) 805 final} - {SWD(2023) 806 final} - {SWD(2023) 807 final} - {SWD(2023) 808 final} - {SWD(2023) 809 final} - {SWD(2023) 810 final} - {SWD(2023) 811 final} - {SWD(2023) 812 final} - {SWD(2023) 813 final} - {SWD(2023) 815 final} - {SWD(2023) 816 final} - {SWD(2023) 817 final} - {SWD(2023) 818 final} - {SWD(2023) 819 final} - {SWD(2023) 820 final} - {SWD(2023) 821 final} - {SWD(2023) 822 final} - {SWD(2023) 823 final} - {SWD(2023) 824 final} - {SWD(2023) 825 final} - {SWD(2023) 826 final} - {SWD(2023) 827 final}  
 
 
ABSTRACT 

The Judicial Council further improved procedures for selecting and evaluating judges and is 
working towards increasing its role in the governance of the justice system. The digitalisation 
of  the  justice  system  is  being  further  strengthened  through  improvements  to  the  e-Case 
Management system and a project for an online dispute resolution system. No process has been 
initiated to ensure adequate safeguards against undue political influence in the appointment of 
Supreme Court judges.  The criminal chamber of the Supreme Court may now sit in extended 
composition  and  its  judges  may  issue  dissenting  opinions.  A  revised  Code  of  Ethics  for 
prosecutors  clarifies  their  fundamental  duties  and  sanctions  applicable  for  breaches. 
Preparatory  work  is  ongoing  to  create  a  new  centralised  Academy  of  Justice.  The  Judicial 
Council  merged  Riga  city  courts,  to  even  out  the  workload  of  judges  and  improve  judicial 
efficiency.  Overall,  the  justice  system  is  continuing  to  perform  efficiently,  and  several 
initiatives  aim  at  improving  case  management  and  the  efficient  use  of  court  resources.  The 
Ministry of Justice assessed positively the efficiency of the Economic Court, taking also into 
account the views of relevant stakeholders, and is proposing to expand its competences.  

The  new  Action  Plan  2023-2025  to  prevent  corruption  was  adopted.  Several  legislative 
amendments  aim  to  improve  the  fight  against  corruption.  The  Corruption  Prevention  and 
Combating Bureau (KNAB) continues to efficiently deal with anti-corruption issues. While the 
investigation and prosecution of corruption-related cases are carried out efficiently, the State 
Audit Office has raised concerns regarding the division of competences among various anti-
corruption  authorities.  The  electronic  system  for  asset  declarations  continues  to  work  well. 
New initiatives on integrity matters, such as the code of ethics for the Government, have been 
announced. A new law on lobbying was adopted and is expected to be fully implemented by 
2025 by setting up the lobby register. The new legislation on whistleblowing is operational, 
while  the  Ombudsperson  underlines  the  need  for  clarity  and  ensuring  effectiveness  in  the 
practice of the current whistleblowing framework. 

The general legislative framework regarding media pluralism and media freedom remains solid 
in  Latvia  and  guarantees  media  freedom  and  the  right  to  information.  The  professional 
environment  for  journalists  remains  largely  safe  in  Latvia,  although  online  threats  against 
journalist  persist.  Media  regulatory  authorities  continue  to  operate  independently.  Well-
established safeguards continue to ensure the independence of public service media. The Public 
Electronic Mass Media Council (PEMMC) continues to operate as independent supervisory 
body for the oversight of public service media.  

Measures were taken to increase the participation of civil society in decision-making at local 
level, through a new law on local government, which introduces several mechanisms to foster 
the  active  involvement  of  civil  society  at  municipal  level.  The  state  of  emergency  at  the 
Latvian-Belarusian  border  was  maintained,  restricting  access  for  media  and  civil  society 
organisations.  The  legislator  has  not  taken  measures  to  fully  implement  a  judgment  of  the 
Constitutional Court on legal, economic, and social protection for all families, as also required 
by the Supreme Court. Although state funding for civil society organisations increased, they 
perceive access to adequate funding through different sources as their main challenge.  

1 

  
 
 
 
RECOMMENDATIONS 

Overall, concerning the recommendations in the 2022 Rule of Law Report, Latvia has (made): 

  No progress on initiating a process in view of ensuring adequate safeguards against undue 
political  influence  in  the  appointment  of  Supreme  Court  judges,  taking  into  account 
European standards on judicial appointments. 

  Fully implemented the recommendation on continuing efforts towards the swift adoption 
and made some progress on the effective implementation of the Action Plan 2021-2024 to 
prevent corruption. 

  Some progress  on continuing efforts towards adopting the draft legislation on lobbying, 

and following that, ensuring the setting-up of a special lobby register. 

  Fully implemented the recommendation on taking measures to increase the participation of 

civil society in decision-making at local level. 

On this basis, and considering other developments that took place in the period of reference, it 
is recommended to Latvia to: 

  Take  measures  to  ensure  adequate  safeguards  against  undue  political  influence  in  the 
appointment of Supreme Court judges, taking into account European standards on judicial 
appointments. 

  Ensure the effective implementation of the legislation on lobbying, including the setting-

up of a special lobby register. 

2 

  
I. 

JUSTICE SYSTEM  

The Latvian justice system has three tiers. At first instance, there are nine district (city) courts 
dealing  with  civil  and  criminal  cases,  and  one  district  administrative  court.  The  Economic 
Court deals with certain economic and financial crimes. At second instance, five regional courts 
are dealing with civil and commercial cases and there is one regional administrative court. The 
Supreme  Court,  at  third  instance,  is  handling  criminal,  civil  and  administrative  cases.  The 
Constitutional  Court  carries  out  constitutional  review.  An  independent  Judicial  Council  is 
tasked with participating in the development of policies and strategies for the judicial system 
and  the  improvement  of  its  organisation.  Furthermore,  the  Council  deals  with  selecting 
candidate judges, appointing, and dismissing court presidents, determining the judicial map, 
and  approving  the  content  of  training.  Candidate  judges  are  selected  through  an  open 
competition  organised by  the Judicial  Council, ranked and placed on a list,  from  which the 
Minister for Justice proposes the candidate with the highest number of points to the Parliament 
for appointment. After three years in office and an evaluation by a judicial body, judges are 
appointed for an indefinite term by the Parliament on a proposal from the Minister for Justice. 
The  Prosecution  Office  is  an  independent  judicial  institution  under  the  authority  of  the 
Prosecutor  General.  Latvia  participates  in  the  European  Prosecutor’s  Office  (EPPO).  The 
Latvian Council of Lawyers is an independent, self-governing professional organisation, which 
oversees disciplinary proceedings regarding lawyers. 

Independence  

The level of perceived judicial independence in Latvia continues to be average among the 
general  public  and  is  now  average  among  companies.  Overall,  41%  of  the  general 
population and 43% of companies perceive the level of independence of courts and judges to 
be ‘fairly or very good’ in 20231. According to data in the 2023 EU Justice Scoreboard, whilst 
remaining average, the level decreased among the general public in the last years (it stood at 
56% in 2021 and 53% in 2022). It is also lower than in 2016 (42%). The perceived judicial 
independence among companies has increased in comparison with 2022 (27%), as well as in 
comparison with 2016 (35%). 

The Judicial Council further improved procedures for selecting and evaluating judges 
and is working towards increasing its role in the governance of the justice system. The 
selection procedure for judges in district and regional courts had already been modified by the 
Judicial Council2 in 2021 to improve the examination process3. On 28 November 2022, the 
Judicial Council further amended the selection procedure to improve the work of the selection 
committee  and  ensure  the  continuity  of  its  work4.  Moreover,  the  Judicial  Council  started 

1   Figures 49 and 51, 2023 EU Justice Scoreboard. The level of perceived judicial independence is categorised 
as follows: very low (below 30% of respondents perceive judicial independence as fairly good and very good); 
low (between 30-39%), average (between 40-59%), high (between 60-75%), very high (above 75%). 

2   To strengthen judicial independence, the competence to determine the procedure was transferred in 2018 from 
the executive to the Judicial Council. 2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation 
in Latvia, p. 2, and 2021 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Latvia, p. 2. 

3   2022 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Latvia, p. 3. 
4   The new rules provide, inter alia, that members of the selection committee will have a term of office of four 
years (instead of three), aligned with self-governing institutions and  members of the Judicial Council. The 
President of the Judicial Council or an authorized representative will also be able to participate in the selection 

3 

  
                                                           
implementing  the  new  Rules  of  Procedure  of  the  Judicial  Qualification  Committee5,  which 
introduce a uniform procedure and criteria for the assessment of the suitability of a judge to fill 
duties in a regional court and include the length of court proceedings as one of the criteria for 
evaluating the performance of judges6. As stated in the 2021 and 2022 Rule of Law Reports7, 
one  of  the  main  goals  of  the  Judicial  Council’s  strategy  for  2021-2025  is  to  take  over  the 
administrative management of the justice system, in particular as regards budgetary aspects8, 
from the Court Administration, a body under the Ministry of Justice. This objective is also part 
of the Judicial Council’s work priorities for 2023 and its staff was increased from four to seven 
employees, allowing it to dedicate more resources to court administration9.  

No steps were taken to introduce safeguards in the appointment procedure for Supreme 
Court judges. The 2022 Rule of Law report recommended to Latvia to “initiate a process in 
view of ensuring adequate safeguards against undue political influence in the appointment of 
Supreme Court judges, taking into account European standards on judicial appointments”. As 
highlighted in the 2022 Rule of Law Report, in 2022, the appointment process for the Supreme 
Court  was  marked  by  controversies  regarding  possible  undue  political  influence10.  In  the 
meantime,  two  new  Supreme  Court  judges  were  appointed,  as  Parliament  approved  the 
candidates  proposed  by  the  President  of  the  Supreme  Court11.  In  those  two  cases,  the 
appointment procedure was implemented in line with European standards, according to which 
the  appointing  authority  should  follow  in  practice  the  recommendations  or  opinions  of  an 
independent and competent authority drawn in substantial part from the judiciary12. However, 
in terms of safeguards in the appointment procedure, potential unsuccessful candidates cannot 
request judicial review against the Parliament’s decision, which also does not have to contain 
reasons for the rejection13. Since no process has been initiated to introduce adequate safeguards 
against  undue  political  influence  in  the  appointment  procedure  to  the  Supreme  Court,  no 

examination with advisory rights. Moreover, the exams will be developed by the Division of Case-Law and 
Research of the Supreme Court. Input from Latvia for the 2023 Rule of Law Report, p. 2. 

5   The  Judicial  Qualification  Committee  is  a  judicial  self-government  institution  composed  of  nine  judges, 
elected for four years at the Judges’ Conference, which performs assessment of professional activity of judges. 
Its rules of procedure are approved by the Judicial Council. 

6   Rules were adopted on 25 February 2022. Input from Latvia for the 2023 Rule of Law Report, pp. 2-3. 
7   2021 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Latvia, p. 3, and 2022 Rule of Law 

Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Latvia, p. 4. 

8   In the context of a meeting with court staff on ways to improve their remuneration system, the president of the 
Judicial Council stated that one of the main reasons why employees of district (city) courts and regional courts 
for a long time have been receiving remuneration that does not correspond to their position is that courts of 
first and second instance are still organizationally and financially subordinated to the executive branch, which 
draws up and administers their budget. See Judicial Council, press release of 5 January 2023, “Discussion on 
the possibilities of improving the remuneration system of court employees”. 

9   Information received from the Judicial Council in the context of the country visit to Latvia. 
10   2022 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Latvia, p. 3. 
11   Input from Latvia for the 2023 Rule of Law Report, p. 1. 
12   According to Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)12 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, 
para. 47, where the constitutional or other legal provisions prescribe that the head of state, the government or 
the  legislative  power  take  decisions  concerning  the  selection  and  career  of  judges,  an  independent  and 
competent  authority  drawn  in  substantial  part  from  the  judiciary  should  be  authorised  to  make 
recommendations or express opinions which the relevant appointing authority follows in practice. 

13   Figures 52 and 54, 2021 EU Justice Scoreboard. 

4 

  
                                                           
progress has been made on the implementation of the recommendation made in the 2022 Rule 
of Law Report. 

A revised Code of Ethics for prosecutors clarifies their fundamental duties, emphasising 
independence and impartiality, and sanctions applicable for breaches. The Code of Ethics, 
which prescribes the fundamental principles and obligations guiding the actions of prosecutors, 
had  remained  unchanged  since  its  adoption  in  1998.  In  a  study  published  in  2021,  the 
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recommended to review 
and update the Code of Ethics, particularly to improve its effectiveness14. The new version of 
the  Code  of  Ethics  for  Prosecutors15  emphasises  the  prosecutors’  duties  of  independence, 
impartiality,  and  legality,  as  well  as  the  citizens’  right  to  be  informed  of  the  reasons 
underpinning decisions. To clarify the consequences of breaches of the Code of Ethics, moral 
sanctions,  such  as  reprimands  and  public  apologies,  were  removed  as  an  alternative  to 
disciplinary  sanctions16.  The  previous  version  of  the  Code  of  Ethics  included  both  types  of 
sanctions, without, however, providing clear criteria to differentiate in which situations they 
would apply. 

New rules reinforced the protection of professional secrecy for lawyers. Amendments to 
the  Criminal  Procedure  Law17,  which  came  into  force  on  3  November  2022,  extended  the 
protection  afforded  to  the  secrecy  of  documents  in  the  possession  of  lawyers,  including 
correspondence  with  their  clients.  Under  the  new  rules,  an  investigating  judge  will  need  to 
authorise the inspection of items or documents that contain protected professional secrets18. 
New safeguards were also introduced for searches in a lawyer’s place of work, residence or 
vehicle19.  Such  a  search  must  now  be  carried  out  in  the  presence  of  a  representative  of  the 
Council  of  Sworn  Advocates  of  Latvia20.  An  investigating  judge  will  need  to  authorise  the 
inspection of documents or items for which secrecy is invoked.  

Quality  

The e-Case Management system was improved, and an online dispute resolution system 
is being developed to further increase the level of digitalisation of the justice system. The 
2023  EU  Justice  Scoreboard  shows  that  the  level  of  digitalisation  of  the  justice  system 
continues  to  be  high21,  although  progress  could  still  be  made  on  the  availability  of  secure 

14   OECD, Performance of the Prosecution Services in Latvia: A Comparative Study, 11 January 2021. 
15   The revision was developed in close collaboration with Delna – Transparency International Latvia. 
16   Under Art. 43(5) of the Law of 19 May 1994 on Prosecution, a prosecutor may face disciplinary liability for 
failure to comply  with the Code of Ethics and  Art.  44 of the same law  foresees the following disciplinary 
sanctions: warning, reprimand, salary reduction, demotion and dismissal from office.  

17   Law of 21 April 2005 on Criminal Procedure, Latvian Official Gazette no. 74 of 11 May 2005. 
18   Art. 121(2) of the Criminal Procedure Law afford such protection to both defence and counsel activities, as 
professional secrecy covers  “the documents detained by defence counsels and lawyers  who have provided 
legal assistance in any form, regarding information the confidentiality of which has been entrusted to him or 
her by a defendant”.  

19   Under new Art. 184(1) of the Criminal Procedure Law. 
20   The lawyer concerned has the possibility to invoke the secrecy of documents or items targeted by the search 
and to submit additional information or objections to the person in charge of the search within 24 hours. 
21   Latvia is among the most advanced Member States as regards the availability of online information about the 
judicial system, the availability of electronic communication tools for courts, digital solutions to initiate and 
follow proceedings in civil, commercial and administrative cases, the online access to published judgments as 

5 

  
                                                           
electronic communication tools for prosecution services22. The e-Case Management system, 
an online case management solution23, which became operational on 1 December 2021, was 
further developed, notably to improve the functionality of the online services to  parties and 
representatives  of  litigants24.  The  legal  framework  governing  the  operation  and  further 
development of the e-Case system was complemented with the entry into force of a new law, 
which set up a Council of e-Case monitoring, and four regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers25. 
New equipment was also provided to courts, including a videoconference management tool, 
and in January 2023, 54% of all courtrooms were equipped with videoconferencing capabilities 
(compared to 43% in July 2022). Furthermore, an online dispute resolution system is being 
developed  in  cooperation  with  the  OECD26  to  strengthen  access  to  justice  at  all  levels  and 
reduce  costs  for  citizens27.  The  OECD  is  conducting  an  in-depth  assessment  of  the  current 
practices,  challenges  and  opportunities  in  online  dispute  resolution,  and  the  use  of  digital 
technologies and data in the justice sector, in view of improving the user-centricity of pathways 
for resolving disputes28. 

The Judicial  Council merged the Riga City Courts to even out workload and improve 
judicial efficiency. As a continuation of the judicial map reform launched in 201529, the court 
reorganization  plan  was  designed  in  co-operation  between  the  Ministry  of  Justice  and  the 
Working Group for Strengthening the Efficiency of the Judiciary set up by the Judicial Council 
in 202130. The Riga City Court, which was created by merging31 the Vidzeme District Court, 
the Latgale District Court and the Pārdaugava District Court, started its work on 1 August 2022. 
The judges of the newly created Riga City Court called on the Judicial Council to proceed with 
projects to even out the workload of judges in the entire country. 

well as arrangements for producing machine-readable judicial decisions. Figures 41, 44, 46, 48 and 49, 2023 
EU Justice Scoreboard. 

22   Particularly  concerning  their  communication  with  defence  lawyers,  detention  facilities,  investigative 

authorities and courts. Figure 45, 2023 EU Justice Scoreboard. 

23   2021 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Latvia, pp. 3-4, and 2022 Rule of 

Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Latvia, pp. 5-6. 

24   For instance, the online e-service “My e-cases”, which ensures the parties’ accessibility to the case data and 
materials has been improved. Similarly, new functionalities were added to allow sworn attorneys to plan and 
manage court hearings more efficiently. Input from Latvia for the 2023 Rule of Law Report, p. 9. 

25   The  Cabinet  of  Ministers  adopted  Rules  on  e-Case  data  processing,  Rules  of  e-Case  Date  Archiving,  a 
Regulation  on  the  Council  of  e-Case  monitoring  as  well  as  an  Order  on  the  establishment  of  an  inter-
institutional working group for the implementation and development of a unified national level e-case concept 
and a unified e-case architecture, as well as for the further implementation of the e-case system. 

26   The cooperation project is planned to be completed in June 2023, and its main coordinator in Latvia is the 

Court Administration.  

27   Input from Latvia for the 2023 Rule of Law Report, p. 8. 
28   The project includes a study to determine the types of disputes that can be resolved using the new technological 
solutions, which are initially intended to cover commercial disputes, as well as to provide support to vulnerable 
groups. 

29   As noted in the 2020 Rule of Law Report, several consecutive reforms of the judicial map, which previously 
reduced the number of first instance courts from 35 to 10 district courts, helped to balance the workload of 
judges  in  different  courts,  particularly  in  cities  compared  to  the  countryside,  and  contributed  to  improved 
efficiency. 2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Latvia, p. 6. 

30   2022 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Latvia, p. 7. 
31   The courts were merged legally, not physically, and citizens may still submit or withdraw documents in and 

from any of the court's locations. Input from Latvia for the 2023 Rule of Law Report, p. 11. 

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Preparatory work is ongoing to create the new centralised Academy of Justice. As stated 
in  the  2022  Rule  of  Law  Report32,  the  establishment  of  a  unified  training  centre  for  the 
development of qualifications for judges, prosecutors, and investigators, which would provide 
more  stability  and  interdisciplinary  approach  to  the  training  of  judicial  staff,  is  a  milestone 
under Latvia’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP)33. On 21 November 2022, the Supervisory 
Board34 approved the detailed description of the project on the establishment of the Academy 
of Justice, and a reform of the qualification development system is planned.  

The criminal chamber of the Supreme Court may now sit in extended composition and 
its judges may issue dissenting opinions. This possibility, which already existed for civil and 
administrative cases, was introduced in criminal matters on 3 November 202235. This reform 
was initiated by the Supreme Court, which emphasised that the examination of complex legal 
issues in the extended composition would significantly contribute to the creation of a uniform 
and stable case law36. The competence for judicial review was transferred to courts of appeal 
in several matters37 to reduce the Supreme Court’s workload and allow it to focus on more 
complex cases38.  

Efficiency 

The  justice  system  is  overall  continuing  to  perform  efficiently.  The  2023  EU  Justice 
Scoreboard  shows  that  the  length  of  court  proceedings  and  pending  cases  were  among  the 
lowest in the EU. In 2022, the overall length of proceedings remained stable39. However, in 
2021,  the  clearance  rate  decreased  from  107%  to  92,5%  for  administrative  cases  at  first 
instance, although in 2021 pending administrative cases remained the lowest in the EU40. For 
civil and commercial cases, the number of pending cases remains low41, and the clearance rate 

32   2022 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Latvia, pp. 6-7. 
33   On proposal from the Commission, the Council adopted the Implementing Decision of 16 July 2021 on the 
approval of the assessment of the recovery and resilience plan for Latvia, under which the milestone no. 192 
states:  ‘Establishment of a  single training centre  for the  development of the qualifications of judges, court 
staff, prosecutors, assistant prosecutors and specialised investigators (interdisciplinary matters) requires the 
entry into force of the regulatory framework for the operation of the training centre and public funding ensured 
in state budget law for 2025 and 2026’. 

34   A project supervisory body, established by the Minister for Justice and consisting of representatives of the 
Ministry of Justice and the Judicial Council, which takes strategic decisions regarding the implementation of 
the project. 

35   Under the revised Art. 586 of the Criminal Procedure Law, where a 3-judge panel of the Supreme Court deems 

it appropriate, it decides on referring the case for examination in the extended composition. 

36   Supreme Court, press release of 4 November 2022. 
37   Under  modified  Art.  569  of  the  Criminal  Procedure  Law,  courts  of  appeal  are  now  competent  to  review 
judgements in criminal cases where a plea agreement imposes coercive measures to legal persons, as well as 
first instance judgements adopted in plea agreement proceedings and not yet enforced. 

38   Data shows that this reform already contributed to reducing the number of incoming criminal cases of the 
Supreme Court. According to the annual performance report submitted by its Plenary Session on 27 January 
2023, the Supreme Court received 104 cases less in 2022 than in 2021. See press release of the Supreme Court 
of 30 January 2023. 

39   Figures 5-9, 2023 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
40   Figures 12 and 15, 2023 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
41   Figures 13-14, 2023 EU Justice Scoreboard. 

7 

  
                                                           
increased over the 100% threshold42, meaning that courts are able to both deal steadily with 
incoming cases and reduce their backlog.  

New initiatives further improve case management and the efficient use of court resources. 
On 1 July 2022, the Judicial  Council approved new  guidelines for the management of case 
examination  deadlines  in  courts43,  which  focus  on  the  collection  and  analysis  of  statistical 
indicators  of  court  activity,  thus  providing  an  opportunity  to  compare  the  planned  case 
examination deadlines with the court’s performance indicators of the previous year44. Under 
the new guidelines, court presidents must submit to the Judicial Council, at the beginning of 
each year, their planned deadlines not only for incoming cases, but also for cases that have not 
been dealt with for more than two years, with a particular focus on cases pending for more than 
five years. The President of the Supreme Court may request additional information from the 
presidents of courts on the reasons for lengthy proceedings in specific cases, and they did so 
several times in 202245. The Court Administration is continuing to improve the case weighing 
model46, for which a pilot project was initiated in 2021 in several courts of first instance47, and 
is currently analysing the necessary resources for the integration of the model into the Court 
Information System. The Working Group for Strengthening the Efficiency of the Judiciary is 
continuing its work on optimising the organisation of personnel in the court system. In a report 
submitted to the Judicial Council, the working group recommended developing further the staff 
category of assistants to  judges, by restoring the qualification requirement of holding a law 
degree48, and by subjecting them to the standards of the legal profession, including by focusing 
their annual evaluation system on legal qualifications. 

The Ministry of Justice assessed positively the efficiency of the Economic Court and is 
proposing  to  expand  its  competences.  Since  November  2022,  all  ten  judges  have  been 
appointed to the Economic Court, previously functioning with nine judges since the beginning 
of its operations in March 202149. On 11 October 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a 
report, prepared by the Ministry of Justice, on the results of the first year of operation of the 
Economic Court and possibilities for its further development. The report found that, although 

42   Figure 11, 2023 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
43   The Judicial Council adopts such guidelines each year to foster a unified methodology for developing standard 
of case examination deadlines across courts and help with the concrete management of deadlines. Under the 
guidelines,  courts  must  submit  their  planned  case  examination  deadlines  to  the  Judicial  Council  at  the 
beginning of each year. 

44   Input from Latvia for the 2023 Rule of Law Report, p. 12. 
45   In  2022,  the  President  of  the  Supreme  Court  requested  information  from  four  courts  on  13  criminal  cases 
pending  for  more  than  five  years.  The  explanations  received  from  the  courts  were  communicated  to  the 
working group for strengthening the efficiency of the courts. See press release of the Judicial Council of 19 
July 2022, “Chief Justice of the Supreme Court requests the chairs of four courts to explain the reasons for 
lengthy legal proceedings”. 

46   Such a model for determining the degree of complexity of cases aims to assess the workload of courts and 
judges  more  accurately,  as  well  as  to  balance  the  workload  between  courts  and  judges.  It  can  be  used  for 
evaluation of court statistics and performance indicators, as well as for distribution of cases. 

47   See Judicial Council, press release of 7 June 2021, “The Judicial Council supports the introduction of a pilot 

version of a case weighing model”. 

48   Currently,  assistants  to  judges  cannot  provide  full-fledged  legal  support  to  judges,  and  mostly  perform 
technical duties, such as entering information into the Court Information System and into the electronic case 
management system.  

49   2021 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Latvia, p. 5, and 2022 Rule of Law 

Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Latvia, p. 8. 

8 

  
                                                           
working at incomplete capacity, the Court had demonstrated its efficiency, and its potential can 
be further exploited. It also highlighted that, compared to ordinary district courts, the Economic 
Court had a lower rate of overturned decisions than the national average50. The Ministry of 
Justice’s report concluded that the Court’s competences in civil matters should be extended, in 
the short term, without the necessity to increase resources51. In the medium term, it is envisaged 
to extend the Economic Court’s competence even further, including in criminal matters52 and 
for  large-scale  claims53.  It  is  estimated  that  the  additional  workload  would  require  five 
additional judge positions and adequate premises for the additional staff. 

II. 

ANTI-CORRUPTION FRAMEWORK 

The legislative and institutional framework to prevent and prosecute corruption is in place. The 
Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) is a specialised body with competence 
to  investigate  corruption-related  offences  and  prevent  corruption.  The  Prosecutor’s  Office 
supervises  pre-trial  investigations  of  corruption-related  offences  conducted  by  the  KNAB. 
Other institutions with anti-corruption competences are: the State Police, which investigates 
corruption in private institutions and fraud; the Internal Security Bureau, which investigates 
corruption-related criminal offences committed by the officials of the institutions subordinated 
to the Ministry of the Interior; the Internal Security Board of the State Revenue Service, which 
investigates criminal offences committed by State Revenue Service officials; the State Border 
Guard, which investigates corruption involving State Border Guard's officers and the Prison 
Administration which investigates corruption involving Prison Administration officers.  

The perception among experts and business executives is that the level of corruption in 
the  public  sector  remains  relatively  high.  In  the  2022  Corruption  Perceptions  Index  by 
Transparency International,  Latvia scores 59/100 and ranks 15th in the European Union and 
39th globally54. This perception has been relatively stable over the past five years55. The 2023 

50   The Council of Foreign Investors (FICIL) pointed out to positive feedback from the business community on 
the  establishment  and  functioning  of  the  Economic  Court,  including  because  the  stability  of  its  rulings 
contribute to legal predictability. 

51   The  Economic  Court  is  already  competent  to  rule  on  claims  arising  from  the  legal  relationship  between 
shareholders in a capital company, and is proposed to add actions arising from the disposal of shares, as well 
as cases concerning the liability of board members, founders, procurators or auditors of companies. This could 
ensure the uniformity of case-law  in actions linked to the holding of shares by avoiding the fragmentation 
jurisdiction.  The  Economic  Court  deems  this  extension  of  its  jurisdiction  would  not  necessitate  additional 
resources. Information received from the Economic Court in the context of the country visit. 

52   It is considered to give the Economic  Court competence to rule, among others, on  cases related to insider 
dealing and manipulation of financial markets, unauthorised release of financial instruments, acquisition and 
disclosure of trade secrets as well as tax evasion. 

53   The Court would deal with cases where the amount at stake goes over a certain threshold, regardless of the 
specialisation, in matters that are relevant to commercial activities (for instance the disposal of large industrial 
property, lease agreements, contracts relating to the supply of raw materials). 

54   Transparency International, Corruption Perceptions Index 2022, pp. 2-3. The level of perceived corruption is 
categorised  as  follows:  low  (the  perception  among  experts  and  business  executives  of  public  sector 
corruption scores above 79); relatively low (scores between 79-60), relatively high (scores between 59-50), 
high (scores below 50). 

55   In 2018 the score was 58, while, in 2022, the score is 59. The score significantly increases/decreases when it 
changes  more  than  five  points;  improves/deteriorates  (changes  between  4-5  points);  is  relatively  stable 
(changes from 1-3 points) in the last five years. 

9 

  
                                                           
Special  Eurobarometer  on  Corruption  shows  that  74%  of  respondents  consider  corruption 
widespread in their country (EU average 70%) and 16% of respondents feel personally affected 
by  corruption  in  their  daily  lives  (EU  average  24%)56.  As  regards  businesses,  72%  of 
companies consider that corruption is widespread (EU average 65%) and 31% consider that 
corruption  is  a  problem  when  doing  business  (EU  average  35%)57.  Furthermore,  23%  of 
respondents find that there are enough successful prosecutions to deter people from  corrupt 
practices  (EU  average  32%)58,  while  19%  of  companies  believe  that  people  and  businesses 
caught for bribing a senior official are appropriately punished (EU average 30%)59. 

Significant progress was made as the new Corruption Prevention and Combating Action 
Plan  2023-2025  was  adopted  and  it  is  now  being  implemented.  The  2022  Rule  of  Law 
Report recommended to Latvia to “continue efforts towards the swift adoption and effective 
implementation  of  the  Action  Plan  2021-2024  to  prevent  corruption”.  The  Corruption 
Prevention and Combating Action Plan 2023-2025 was adopted on 14 March 202360.  Despite 
the delay in adoption, various activities being currently part of the Action Plan were carried 
out. This fact reduced the negative impact of the delay in adoption of the Action Plan61. Overall, 
according to the OECD’s Public Integrity Indicator on strategy, Latvia is well above the OECD 
average  for  quality  of  the  strategy  (100%)  and  coverage  and  performs  well  regarding  their 
implementation plan and rate of implementation (68%)62. Thus, significant progress has been 
made on the 2022 recommendation. 

Several legislative amendments aim to improve the fight against corruption. In 2022 the 
Parliament adopted legislative amendments widening the scope of the bribery offence63. On 6 
October  2022,  the  Parliament  amended  the  Criminal  Procedure  Law  introducing  security 
measures in view of strengthening investigation and adjudication of economic and financial 

56   Special Eurobarometer 534 on Corruption (2023). The Eurobarometer data on citizens’ corruption perception 

and experience is updated every year. The previous data set is the Special Eurobarometer 523 (2022). 

57   Flash Eurobarometer 524 on Businesses’ attitudes towards corruption in the EU (2023). The Eurobarometer 
data  on  business  attitudes  towards  corruption  as  is  updated  every  year.  The  previous  data  set  is  the  Flash 
Eurobarometer 507 (2022). 

58   Special Eurobarometer 534 on Corruption (2023).  
59   Flash Eurobarometer 524 on Businesses’ attitudes towards corruption in the EU (2023).  
60   Action Plan of measures to prevent and combat corruption for 2023-2025; 2023/73.7 of 14.04.2023. 
61   As the upcoming Action Plan is expected to cover the period from 2021, certain activities already carried out 
or  those  currently  in  course  are  likely  to  be  part  of  it,  e.g.  project  ‘Strengthening  Corruption  Prevention 
Framework’  ran  in  close  cooperation  with  DG  Reform  and  OECD  experts;  two  sociological  surveys  were 
conducted within the framework of the European Economic Area grant “Support for the establishment of a 
whistle-blowing system in Latvia”, measuring the attitude of society and of entrepreneurs against corruption; 
The  Law  “On  Prevention  of  Conflict  of  Interest”  (Section  8  Paragraph  12)  was  amended,  introducing  a 
functional mechanism obliging political officials to obtain permission to combine office of a public official 
with that of another one prior to being appointed. Input from Latvia for the 2023 Rule of Law Report, pp. 15-
16; Contribution received from Delna and Transparency International in the context of the country visit in 
Latvia.  

62   Contribution from the OECD for the 2023 Rule of Law Report, p. 6.  
63   Both, the Criminal  Law and the Law on the Procedures for the  Coming into Force and Application of the 
Criminal Law were amended on 7 April 2022. The amendments, i.a. exclude the offence of intermediation in 
bribery which reflects the view that an intermediary is involved in bribery similarly to a giver of a bribe and 
hence a separate offence of intermediation is not needed.  

10 

  
                                                           
crime  in  relation  to  legal  persons64.  On  1  January  2023,  the  amendments  to  the  Public 
Procurement  Law,  which  was  a  milestone  under  Latvia’s  Recovery  and  Resilience  Plan65, 
introduced  more  detailed  rules  for  conflict  of  interest  in  public  procurement  and  a  ban  on 
creating permanent procurement commissions66.  

The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) continues to efficiently deal 
with anti-corruption issues. As of 31 December 2022, 143 out of 171 positions in KNAB 
were  filled  (28  vacant  positions  remain).  An  evaluation67  of  the  previous  national  anti-
corruption policy planning period, concluded in  2022, and awareness-raising activities68 are 
being carried out by KNAB. The new KNAB strategy for the next period 2023-2026 period 
was introduced69. As currently KNAB does not have an overarching methodology for a national 
report  containing  concrete 
the  OECD  announced  a 
corruption 
recommendations for a national corruption risk assessment methodology in Latvia that would 
help KNAB to identify high-risk areas and set priorities70. 

risk  assessment, 

The investigation and prosecution of corruption-related cases is carried out by various 
authorities. Overall, public procurement and the health sector remain the main areas at high 
risk of corruption71. In 2022, KNAB has carried out a wide range of activities72. In 2022, the 
KNAB  Division  for  Investigation  of  Administrative  Violations  initiated  315  departmental 
investigations, and concluded a total of 314 departmental investigations. KNAB initiated 248 
administrative violation proceedings for the violation of the provision of the Law on Prevention 

64   The amendments concern, i.a. a prohibition to carry out certain activities, a prohibition to make changes in the 
registers kept by the Enterprise Register, and a prohibition of transfer of the company. They are applicable to 
legal persons in case of resistance to the achievement of the goal of criminal procedure, failure to comply with 
the legally prescribed procedural obligations, or when there is a reason to believe that the proceedings will be 
interfered with or a physical person will commit a new offence in the interests or for the benefit of a legal 
entity or due to inadequate supervision or control by the legal entity. 

65   The Council adopted the Implementing Decision of 16 July 2021 on the approval of the assessment of the 
recovery  and  resilience  plan  for  Latvia,  under  which  the  milestone  no.  209  states:  “Entry  into  force  of 
regulatory  framework  for  improving  the  competition  environment  and  reducing  corruption  risks  in  public 
procurement.” 

66   Amendments of the Public Procurement Law, 3 March 2022. The Parliament made similar amendments in the 
Law on the Procurements of Public Service Providers and the Law on Public-Private Partnership on 5 May 
2022 and the Law on Procurements in the Field of Defence and Security on 13 October 2022. 

67   KNAB  Report  ‘On  the  final  impact  assessment  of  the  implementation  of  the  Corruption  Prevention  and 

Combating Guidelines 2015-2020’.  

68   In 2022, KNAB published ‘Guidelines on how to recognise corruption’, addressed to the general public and 
businesses,  which  explain  general  signs  that  may  indicate  administrative  corruption,  political  corruption, 
corruption in public procurements and illegal financing of political parties with easy-to-follow examples and 
checklists. The material also contains information on how to act in suspicious situations.  

69   The strategy is a medium-term management document, the purpose of which is to ensure effective planning 
and  implementation  of  the  activities  of  KNAB  within  the  framework  of  the  functions  and  tasks  under  its 
competence. The new KNAB strategy defines 5 priority directions, 24 strategic goals, the tasks for achieving 
them, 57 performance indicators and their achievable values. Input from Latvia received for the 2023 Rule of 
Law Report. p. 21. 

70   Contribution from the OECD for the 2023 Rule of Law Report, p. 7. 
71   The Flash Eurobarometer on Businesses’ attitudes towards corruption in the EU shows that 22% of companies 
in Latvia (EU average 26%) think that corruption has prevented them from winning a public tender or a public 
procurement  contract  in  practice  in  the  last  three  years.  Flash  Eurobarometer  524 on  Businesses’  attitudes 
towards corruption in the EU (2023). Input from Latvia received for the 2023 Rule of Law Report, pp. 25-28. 

72   Input from Latvia for the 2023 Rule of Law Report, p. 30. 

11 

  
                                                           
of  Conflict  of  Interest,  260  decisions  were  taken,  and  97  decisions  on  refusal  to  initiate 
administrative proceedings were taken. In 2022, KNAB imposed fines on 202 public officials, 
for a total of EUR 36 595. Overall, administrative fines imposed by KNAB were paid for a 
total of EUR 31 410. The data on cases remain stable in terms of number of initiated criminal 
proceedings  (39  in  2021).  In  2022,  KNAB  transferred  18  criminal  proceedings  to  the 
Prosecutor's Office, proposing the initiation of criminal prosecution against 31 natural persons 
and 6 legal entities73. Those include also high-level corruption cases sent to court, for instance 
regarding the case transferred to prosecution against four former board members of a state-
owned enterprise74, three senior civil servants75 and a company’s board chairman offering a 
bribe  to  the  member  of  the  Riga  City  Council76.  As  regards  cases  of  foreign  bribery,  as  of 
October 2022, KNAB had transferred 4 criminal cases for prosecution for suspected bribery of 
foreign  public  officials77.  In  turn,  the  Prosecutor’s  Office  has  been  handing  foreign  bribery 
cases to court78. In 2022, the Internal Security Bureau initiated 16 criminal investigations (out 
of  50  total)  related  to  corruption,  also  in  2022,  the  Internal  Security  Bureau  proposed 
prosecution  in  15  criminal  proceedings  connected  with  corruption79.  Overall,  according  to 
Transparency  International,  Latvia  is  the  only  EU  Member  State  to  have  improved  its 
performance  in  combating bribery of foreign public  officials80.  In  2022  the  Economic  Court 
received  10  new  cases81  and  currently  10  cases  are  pending.  Those  are  mostly  related  to 
bribery82. In 2022, the State Border Guard initiated 20 criminal proceedings against 20 natural 
persons for bribing a State Border Guard official. In 2022, the State Border Guard proposed 
prosecution in 19 criminal proceedings connected with bribery.  

The Prosecutor General’s Office83 is expecting to finalise the follow-up on the results of 
its performance review. This review on the effectiveness of investigations and trials of the 
criminal offences in the economic and financial area84 was carried out by the State Audit Office 
in  December  2020,  in  line  with  the  two-year  action  plan85  of  April  2021  addressing  those 

73   KNAB, Annual Report 2022.  
74   Statement  of  KNAB,  ‘KNAB  encourages  the  prosecution  of  four  former  officials  of  the  national  railway 

company’, 3 January 2022. 

75   Statement of KNAB, Office for the Prevention and Combating of Corruption, ‘Procedural activities carried 

out by KNAB’), 24 August 2022. 

76   The Baltic Times, Businessman Trubko sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for bribery, 14 April 2023. 
77   Statement of KNAB of 10 October 2022, Office for the Prevention and Combating of Corruption, ‘20 years 

in the field of anti-corruption’.  

78   Statement of the Public Prosecutor’s Office), 5 May 2022. Statement of the Public Prosecutor’s Office), 3 June 

2022.  

79   Input received from Latvia to the 2023 Rule of Law Report. 
80   Transparency International, Exporting Corruption 2022, p. 4. 
81   Against around 300 cases received in 2022 for money laundering cases - Information received in the context 

of the country visit to Latvia from the Economic Court. 

82   Information received in the context of the country visit to Latvia from the Economic Court. 
83   Information received in the context of the country visit to Latvia from the Prosecution Office. 
84   State Audit Office (2020), Performance audit Effectiveness of investigations and trials of the criminal offences 
in  the  economic  and  financial  area.  The  audit  was  conducted  in  cooperation  with  the  Organization  for 
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which provided comparative information on organisation 
of prosecution services in selected countries. OECD (2021), Performance of the Prosecution Services in Latvia 
- A Comparative Study.  

85   State  Audit  Office  (2021),  Press  release:  Plan  to  implement  the  SAO’s  recommendations  for  streamlining 

prosecution of economic and financial crimes. 

12 

  
                                                           
recommendations.  The  result  of  this  exercise  should  be  finalised  by  the  end  of  202486. 
Currently, four KNAB investigators are involved in three criminal proceedings led by EPPO87. 
According  to  EPPO  the  issue  of  insufficient  resources  on  the  Latvian  side  remains  to  be 
addressed88. 

The  State  Audit  Office  has  expressed  concerns  regarding  the  shortcomings  of  the 
institutional  framework  in  relation  to  investigation  of  corruption-related  cases.  On  9 
November 2022, the State Audit Office published an audit report89 related to the number and 
distribution  of  investigative  anti-corruption  competencies,  as  well  as  the  capacity  of  the 
relevant authorities to deal with corruption cases. It was for instance noted that while the initial 
idea of setting up KNAB was to centralise the investigation of all corruption crimes and set up 
regional KNAB departments, this objective was not implemented due to insufficient funding90. 
The  report  states  that  KNAB  initiates  and  investigates  only  16%  of  all  cases  related  to 
corruption91. As such, the functions of the relevant institutions significantly overlap. Also, the 
Report underlines that there are no criteria for determining the effectiveness and volume of 
investigatory  work92.  The  Council  for  Prevention  of  Crime  will  be  the  coordinating  body 
responsible for addressing the recommendations made to the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry 
of the Interior, the Ministry of Finance, and the investigative authorities93. 

The electronic system on asset declarations keeps improving in both legal and operational 
terms.  Concerning the annual  declarations for 2022,  65 125 declarations of public officials 
were  submitted  in  the  Payment  Administration  Information  System  (PAIS)  and  the  system 
automatically accepted 43 649 declarations, ensuring an automated verification of declarations 
by set criteria while the remaining declarations were checked manually94. The State Revenue 
Service  conducts  in-depth  verification  on  submission  and  filling  of  no  less  than  2%  of  all 

86   Input received from Latvia to the 2023 Rule of Law Report. 
87   One of the proceedings was started in 2021, and two were started in 2022. Input from Latvia for the 2023 Rule 

of Law Report, p. 18. 

88   Contribution from the EPPO for the 2023 Rule of Law Report, Annex, p. 22. 
89   State Audit Office of the Republic of Latvia (2022), ‘Inquiry Authorities in Latvia: the issue of competences 

and resources, but not the issue of numbers’.  

90   The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the task to carry out a feasibility evaluation regarding the possibility 
to extend the competence of KNAB to investigate private sector corruption but the evaluation was not finalised 
at the time of completion of the audit report. 

91   The  remaining  ones  are  taken  over  by  other  agencies,  namely  the  Internal  Security  Bureau,  the  Internal 
Security Board of the State Revenue Service, the State Border Guard, the Prison Administration and the State 
Police. The Report also states that those institutions have competence to investigate service-related offences 
committed by their own officials, which creates potential conflicts of interest. The auditors estimated that if 
the KNAB investigated all corruption criminal offences, there would be an additional 160 criminal proceedings 
on  average  every  year  where  97%  of  criminal  proceedings  would  refer  to  corruption  criminal  offences 
committed in public sector and 3% of criminal proceedings in private sector. Thus, the number of criminal 
proceedings initiated by the KNAB yearly would increase fivefold. The auditors point out that KNAB has 
been tasked several times to address the issue  of expanding its institutional jurisdiction  by centralising the 
investigation of corruption criminal offences since 2015, but no result has been achieved so far. State Audit 
Office of the Republic of Latvia (2022), ‘Inquiry Authorities in Latvia: the issue of competences and resources, 
but not the issue of numbers’. 

92   State Audit Office of the Republic of Latvia (2022), ‘Inquiry Authorities in Latvia: the issue of competences 

and resources, but not the issue of numbers’.  

93   Information received in the context of the country visit in Latvia from the State Chancellery. 
94  Information received in the context of the country visit in Latvia from the State Revenue Service. 

13 

  
                                                           
submitted declarations annually95. The SRS initiated 282 administrative violation proceedings 
in 2022 for violations found in the activities of state officials96. In 2022, 370 decisions were 
taken on administrative liability cases for offences conducted by public officials97. In 2021 – 
2022,  administrative  decisions  came  into  force  regarding  97  cases  of  failure  to  submit 
declaration in time and 154 cases of declaration of false data. The majority of the cases are 
minor98. Currently, the PAIS system also allows public officials to clarify the declarations in 
the  Electronic  Declaration  System  before  it  is  published  on  the  public  database.  That 
improvement has increased the detection of gaps in the asset declarations by 50% according to 
the State Revenue Service99. In view of ensuring a uniform understanding of the legal norms, 
the amendments to the Law on Prevention of Conflict of Interest suggested by State Revenue 
Service are currently being discussed in the Ministry of Justice100. The State Revenue Service 
is also planning the next round of amendments that are expected to set the time limit for the 
availability of public officials’ declarations in the database to be made public especially for the 
public officials who terminated employment relationships long time ago or deceased101.  

Substantive  progress  has  been  made  on  integrity  matters.  On  20  October  2022,  further 
amendments  were adopted to  the  Law on Prevention of Conflict  of  Interest  in  Activities of 
Public Officials in view of strengthening restrictions for members of local government councils 
to  obtain  income102.  GRECO  has  welcomed  the  progress  made  on  integrity  matters  in  top 
executive  functions  and  law  enforcement  agencies103.  Also,  in  line  with  a  GRECO 
recommendation104, an amendment was adopted introducing a mechanism obliging political 
officials to obtain a relevant permission prior to combining offices. In 2022, KNAB received 

95   Nevertheless, GRECO raises the fact that it does not seem that all the asset declarations of the top executive 
power public officials are subject to an in-depth and independent scrutiny (manual check) and the SRS, being 
part  of  the  Ministry  of  Finance,  may  not  be  considered  fully  independent,  on  the  basis  of  the  limited 
information  provided  by  the  authorities.  GRECO,  Fifth  Evaluation  Round,  Second  Compliance  Report  on 
Latvia, p. 11.  

96  Information received following the country visit in Latvia from the State Revenue Service. 
97   The main reasons were the indication of false information, non-compliance with submitting declarations on 
time, as well as for not submitting lists of public officials on time and in the correct order. Information received 
from the State Revenue Service following the country visit in Latvia. 

98   Information on detected violations of the "Law on the  prevention of conflict of interest in the activities of 

public officials". 

99   Information received from the State Revenue Service in the context of the country visit in Latvia. 
100  The purpose of those amendments is to reduce the number of incorrectly completed declarations by public 
officials because of the interpretation of legal norms, and the number of violations that occur due to ambiguous 
understanding  of  legal  norms.  Those  amendments  notably  aim  at  defining  more  precisely  the  amount  of 
information to be provided in declarations of public officials, to determine a longer time period for updating 
declarations of public officials. Input from Latvia for the 2023 Rule of Law Report, p. 23.  

101  Currently the regulatory acts do not specify the time limit for the public availability of declarations, but only 
the  time  limit  for  their  storage.  Information  received  following  the  country  visit  in  Latvia  from  the  State 
Revenue Service. 

102  The amendments prohibit the members to be remunerated by organisations and companies from funds that 
have  been  provided  by  the  respective  municipality.  These  officials  will  also  not  be  allowed  to  receive 
remuneration from an organisation for two years since they have made a decision or participated in decision 
making to grant public funds to the organisation. Amendment of the Law on Prevention of Conflict of Interest 
in Actions of Public Officials, adopted on 20 October 2022. The amendment will enter into force on 1 April 
2023. 

103  GRECO, Fifth Evaluation Round, Report on Latvia, p. 17.  
104  GRECO, Fifth Evaluation Round, Report on Latvia, Recommendation viii Part ii, p. 8. 

14 

  
                                                           
an EU grant for a project focusing on the evaluation of the Law on Prevention of Conflict of 
Interest in Activities of Public Officials to be carried out by experts of the OECD105. The OECD 
intends to also produce a report analysing current approaches and inputs for assessing internal 
control  systems  in  Latvia,  with  a  focus  on  the  prevention  of  corruption  and  conflicts  of 
interests106.  As  regards  the  restrictions  regarding  post-employment  activities,  according  to 
Section 6(4) of the Law on Transparency of Interest Representation that entered into force on 
1 January 2023 foresees a two-year cooling off period107. 

The Cabinet of Ministers intends to adopt a code of ethics for the Government. In 2022, 
the  State  Chancellery108  published  the  results  of  an  analysis  of  integrity  risks  of  certain 
politicians and high-level civil servants and advisors of the executive regarding areas such as 
policy making, policy implementation and co-ordination, appointment and career development 
of subordinate officials109, which was welcomed by GRECO110. In January 2023, a training for 
the newly appointed governmental officials was carried out111.According to the declaration of 
the new Cabinet of Ministers, a code of ethics for the Government is expected to be developed 
on this basis112. Both developments were welcomed by GRECO113 due to its recommendation 
from 2020 to revise and update the Parliament’s code as well as to complement it with practical 
measures to provide guidance and counselling114.  

Some  progress  has  been  made  regarding  legislation  on  lobbying,  as  a  new  law  was 
adopted,  although  certain  challenges  still  need  to  be  addressed  for  the  system  to  be 
operational.  The  2022  Rule  of  Law  Report  recommended  to  Latvia  to  “continue  efforts 
towards adopting the draft legislation on lobbying, and following that, ensure the setting-up of 

105  The  project  focuses  on  evaluating  the  quality  of  internal  anti-corruption  system  rules  and  developing  a 
methodology  to  evaluate  the  quality  of  these  systems,  developing  national  corruption  risk  assessment 
methodology and corruption latency level evaluation methodology. It is carried out with close cooperation 
with  DG  Reform  of  the  Commission  and  OECD  experts.  Report  on  the  implementation  of  the  corruption 
prevention and combatting plan for 2015-2020. 

106  The  report  will  contain  a  final  methodology  for  assessing  the  effectiveness  of  internal  control  systems  for 
preventing  corruption  and  conflicts  of  interest  in  Latvia,  including  key  indicators  that  determine  the 
effectiveness  of  the  system.  Currently,  approximately  80%  of  State  and  Municipal  institutions  have 
implemented  internal  control  systems.  However,  their  quality  and  understanding  of  the  requirements  is 
variable and has not been assessed so far.  – Contribution received in the context of the 2023 Rule of Law 
Report from OECD, p. 6-7. 

107 During their term of office, a representative of a public authority is prohibited from being a representative of 
interests in cases in which they are involved as a representative the public authority. This limitation also applies 
for  two  years  after  the  end  of  the  term  of  office  for  cases  in  which  the  person  has  been  involved  as  a 
representative of public authority. 

108 The State Chancellery is a central public administration institution directly subordinated to the Prime Minister. 
109  For the purposes of the analysis the ‘political office holders of the executive’ are: Members of the Cabinet of 
Ministers  (President  of  the  Ministers,  Ministers,  Member  of  the  Prime  Minister  and  Minister  for  Special 
Purposes), parliamentary Secretary, Head of Cabinet office of a member of the Cabinet, Advisers, advisers, 
assistants to a member of the Cabinet of Ministers. The analysis identified and assessed different risks, for 
example, orders issued by political officials in areas of public procurement and governance of state-owned 
enterprises contrary to the division of competences between political and administrative officials  - Analysis 
of integrity risks, 2022. 

110  GRECO, Fifth Compliance Round, Compliance report on Latvia, p. 4. 
111  Information received from the State Chancellery in the context of the country visit to Latvia. 
112 Declaration of envisaged activity of the Cabinet of Ministers, 14 December 2022  
113  GRECO, Fifth Evaluation Round Second compliance report on Latvia, p. 6. 
114  GRECO, Fourth Evaluation Round, Addendum to the Second compliance report, Latvia, p. 6.  

15 

  
                                                           
a  special  lobby  register”.  The  Law  on  Transparency  of  Interest  Representation115,  that  was 
adopted  on  13  October  2022  and  entered  into  force  on  1  January  2023116,  is  considered  a 
positive development in view of promoting transparency by the civil society117. At the same 
time, numerous questions regarding implementation remain to be addressed. Those concern in 
particular the definition of the ‘interest representation’118, which currently remains vague and, 
as such, could lead to confusion as to which cases should be registered. Similarly, a sanctioning 
system  for  breaches  has  not  yet  been  introduced  and  the  authority  responsible  for  the 
implementation of the law has not been defined119. According to the State Chancellery, certain 
aspects of the new Law will be addressed by September 2023 through a Cabinet Regulation 
which  is  expected  to  bring  more  clarity  on  the  adopted  rules120.  The  creation  of  an  interest 
representation  registry  and  an  interest  representation  declaration  system  is  expected  to  be 
operational by 1 September 2025. Also in 2025, the Ministry of Justice, in cooperation with 
KNAB and the State Chancellery, is expected to provide an official report to the Parliament 
assessing the necessity to introduce sanctions  for breaches of the  Law. The report will also 
include an indication of the authority competent for the implementation of the Law121. Some 
progress has therefore been made regarding the 2022 recommendation.  

New amendments entered into force regarding political party financing, while no changes 
took place regarding the rules on revolving doors. The amendments adopted on 24 February 
2022 in the Law on Financing of Political Parties entered into force on 1 November 2022122. 
In  context  of  the  Parliament  elections  carried  out  on  1  October  2022,  KNAB  organised 
seminars  for  campaigners,  as  well  as  political  parties  on  pre-election  campaigning 
restrictions123. As regards the examination of submissions and complaints related to alleged 
political  party  financing  and  pre-election  campaigning  restrictions,  KNAB  initiated  512 
departmental  examinations,  and  by  the  end  of  2022  had  completed  535  departmental 
examinations.  For  violations  of  the  Law  on  Financing  of  Political  Parties  and  Pre-election 

115  Interest Representation Transparency Law, adopted on 13 October 2022. 
116  The  Law  has  been  designed  to  minimise  the  potential  burden  on  interest  representatives,  particularly  by 
keeping them free from an obligation to declare lobbying contacts (the respective obligation is imposed on the 
lobbied  persons).  It  defines  the  terms  of  representation  of  interests  and  representative  of  interests,  sets  an 
obligation to register representation of interests, as well as system of registering/declaring representation of 
interests’ activities, obligations of representatives of interests and public officials, and restrictions in processes 
of representation of interests. 

117  Information received from Delna and Transparency International in the context of the country visit in Latvia. 

Contribution from ENNHRI for the 2023 Rule of Law Report, p. 8. 

118  Saeima Press Service (2022), Saeima adopts Law on Transparency of Representation of Interests, 18 October 

2022.  

119 Written contribution received from the Ombudsperson’s office in the context of the country visit, pp. 1-2. 
120  The Cabinet Regulation will address other information to be published in the registry as well as its scope and 
the order in which a public official will be ensured access to the registry. The responsible for development of 
these Regulations in Ministry of Justice together with State Chancellery. - Input from Latvia for the 2023 Rule 
of Law Report, p. 17. 

121  Input from Latvia for the 2023 Rule of Law Report, p. 17. 
122  Amendments  to  the  Law  on  Financing  of  Political  Organisations  (Parties)  of  19 July  1995,  adopted on  24 

February 2022. 

123  Input from Latvia received for the 2023 Rule of Law Report, p. 30. 

16 

  
                                                           
Campaign  Law  in  2022,  KNAB  initiated  87  administrative  violation  proceedings  against 
political parties and other legal and natural persons124. 

The new legislation on whistleblowing is operational, while the Ombudsperson underlines 
the need for ensuring its effectiveness  in practice.  The Whistleblowing  Law entered into 
force  on  4  February  2022125.  The  system  is  operational  and  the  main  contact  for  whistle-
blowers  is  the  State  Chancellery.  Overall,  in  2021,  527  whistleblowing  submissions  were 
received  while  153  of  them  were  recognised  as  whistleblowing,  including  25  cases  of 
corruption126. As regards submission made to KNAB, 55 submissions on whistleblowing were 
received in 2022, including 15 on corruption (8 on bribery and 7 on conflicts of interest) while 
the  cases  recognised  as  whistleblowing  were  11  overall,  including  10  on  corruption  (4  on 
bribery and 6 on conflicts of interest)127. Various awareness raising activities were undertaken 
in  2022128,  including  issuing  of  specific  guidelines  on  whistleblowers129.  Nevertheless, 
according  to  the  Ombudsperson,  there  is  a  need  to  ensure  that  the  existing  mechanism  for 
protecting the rights of whistleblowers is effectively functioning in practice130. 

III.  MEDIA PLURALISM AND MEDIA FREEDOM 

The Latvian legal framework concerning media pluralism and media freedom is based on a set 
of  constitutional  safeguards  and  legislative  measures.  The  Constitution  prohibits  censorship 
and guarantees freedom of expression and information. Electronic media is regulated by the 
Electronic  Mass  Media  Law  (EMML)131,  which  also  implements  the  Audiovisual  Media 
Services Directive. 

124  As a result of the examinations, KNAB took 57 decisions against political parties for the established violations, 
imposing a total of over EUR 13 000 in fines, and seven decisions on the repayment of financial resources to 
the  State  budget  for  a  total  of  nearly  EUR  137 000.  In  2022,  political  parties  pursuant  to  the  decisions  of 
KNAB, repaid to the State budget unlawfully acquired funding for a total of EUR 80 000, as well as voluntarily 
repaid a total of EUR 1 600, and a total of EUR 10 500 in fines. Input from Latvia received for the 2023 Rule 
of Law Report, p. 30. 

125  Whistleblowing Law, adopted on 20 January 2022. 
126  Information received in the context of the country visit in Latvia from the State Chancellery.  
127  Input from Latvia received for the 2023 Rule of Law Report, pp. 24-25. 
128  A  second  awareness  raising  campaign  was  conducted  by  the  State  Chancellery  (“An  employee  -  it  is  not 
nothing”).  The  State  Chancellery’s  guidelines  were  updated  and  published  on  trauksmescelejs.lv.  Two 
sociological surveys were conducted within the framework of the European Economic Area grant “Support 
for  the  establishment  of  a  whistle-blowing  system  in  Latvia”,  measuring  the  attitude  of  society  and  of 
entrepreneurs against corruption. – Input from Latvia for the 2023 Rule of Law Report, p. 16. 

129  Guidelines on whistleblowers are available here: https://trauksmescelejs.lv/vadlinijas. 
130  The Ombudsperson pointed out in case 2022-02-27J that, in Latvia, regulatory acts do not identify an authority 
which would have competence over whistleblowing issues, including the verification that the authority that 
dealt with the whistleblower’s report has ensured the protection of the individual’s rights. In the absence of 
such supervision, public confidence in the effectiveness of the whistleblowing mechanism and in the protection 
of the whistleblower may be significantly reduced. As a result, a person may lack motivation to report the 
violations  found  in  the  public  interest.  In  the  opinion  of  the  Ombudsperson,  the  authority  competent  for 
carrying out that task could be the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which has the necessary legal instruments to 
ensure control over whistleblowing issues. Written contribution received from the Ombudsperson’s office in 
the context of the country visit, p. 1. Ombudsperson (2023), Ombudsperson Annual Activity Report 2022, p. 
58. 

131  Latvian Electronic Mass Media Law, Latvijas Vēstnesis, 118, 28.07.2010. 

17 

  
                                                           
Since the 2022 Rule of Law Report, there have been no changes to the legal framework 
concerning  the  regulator  for  audiovisual  media  services132.  The  media  regulator,  the 
National  Electronic  Mass  Media  Council  (NEMMC),  supervises  the  compliance  of  the 
operations  of  electronic  mass  media  with  the  Constitution,  the  EMML  and  other  relevant 
legislation.  Regulatory  safeguards  are  in  place  for  the  independence  of  the  NEMCC.  The 
EMML provides that while carrying out its tasks, the National Electronic Media Council shall 
not  seek  or  take  instruction  from  any  other  body.  Financial  and  human  resources  of  the 
NEMCC have  remained  stable133. As in the past  year, the Media Pluralism  Monitor (MPM 
2023) reports a low risk for the independence of the media authorities134.  

Since the 2022 Rule of Law Report, there have been no significant changes in the legal 
framework  concerning  transparency  of  media  ownership135.  The  public  can  obtain  the 
information  on  media  ownership  from  the  website  of  the  NEMCC136  and  the  Register  of 
Enterprises.  All  media  outlets  registered  in  Latvia  must  provide  the  information  on  their 
beneficial owners to the Register of Enterprises, and service providers are obliged to provide 
information on their beneficial owners and any changes in such ownership to the NEMCC. As 
pointed  out  in  the  2022  Rule  of  Law  Report137,  the  Government  has  included  measures  to 
promote  public  access  to  media  ownership  information  in  the  Latvia’s  National  Open 
Government Action Plan for 2022-2025; the work on the implementation of those measures by 
the NEMCC is ongoing138. There has been no development regarding media concentration. The 
Latvian framework does not provide for any specific measures regulating the involvement of 
media  regulators  in  the  context  of  the  assessment  of  media  mergers  and  acquisitions. 
Concerning operating licenses, there is no specific limit in terms of number of licenses, which 
are awarded by the NEMMC following a tender procedure139. The MPM 2023 indicates a low 
risk for the transparency of media ownership140, registering an improvement compared to the 
previous report where the indicators of transparency of media ownership scored a medium risk.  

The  Public  Electronic  Mass  Media  Council  (PEMMC)  continues  to  operate  as 
independent supervisory body for the oversight of public service media. As reported in the 
2022 Rule of Law Report141, the Law on Public Electronic Mass Media and their Management 
(PEMML)142  established  the  PEMMC  with  the  aim  of  ensuring  the  independence  and 
promoting quality of public service media. Specific safeguards to ensure the independence of 
the  PEMMC  are  provided  for  in  the  PEMML143.  The  PEMMC  develops  and  approves  the 
public service remit, including the annual public service plan, and prepares proposals for the 

132  Act amending the Electronic Mass Media Law, adopted on 5 November 2020. 
133  Information received in the context of the country visit in Latvia from the NEMMC. 
134  2023 Media Pluralism Monitor, Latvia, p.15. 
135  Act amending the Electronic Mass Media Law, adopted on 11 June 2020. 
136  www.neplp.lv. 
137  2022 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Latvia, p. 14. 
138  Information received from the Ministry of Culture in the context of the country visit to Latvia. 
139  Article 15 of the Electronic Mass Media Law. 
140  2023 Media Pluralism Monitor, Latvia, p.17. 
141  2022 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Latvia, p. 14. 
142  Law on Public Electronic Mass Media and their Management (LPEMMM), adopted on 19 November 2020. 
143  Article 12 and Article 13 of the Law on Public Electronic Mass Media and their Management (LPEMMM). 

18 

  
                                                           
draft annual State budget law in relation to the financial resources necessary for the fulfilment 
of the public service remit. 

Well-established  safeguards  ensure  the  independence  of  public  service  media.  The 
editorial independence of public service media144 is guaranteed by the PEMML, which ensures 
fair  and transparent  appointment procedures for  management  and board  functions of public 
service media145. Public service media in Latvia are financed by annual allocations of the state 
budget.  The  Law  stipulates  that  the  annual  subsidies  to  the  public  service  media  cannot  be 
smaller than in the previous year146. However, according to stakeholders, the funding of public 
service  media  by  the  state  budget  is  restrictive  and  unstable,  and  a  more  adequate  and 
predictable funding model should be adopted147. A proposal by the PEMMC, aiming to change 
the financing model for public service media, together with the plan to merge Latvian Radio 
(LR)  and  Latvian  Television  (LTV)  in  2024,  is  still  under  discussion148.  The  MPM  2023 
indicates the independence of public service media governance as an area of low risk149.  

Access to information and documents held by public authorities is safeguarded through 
legislation. The Law on the Press and Other Mass Media150 establishes the right for the press 
to access information held by the state bodies and public organisations and prohibits censorship 
of the press and other mass media151. Public access to information is also guaranteed by the 
Freedom of Information Law152.  The MPM 2023 reports a low risk for the protection of right 
to information153. 

While  the  professional environment  for  journalists  continues  to  be  largely  safe,  online 
threats against journalists remain an issue. The threats against journalists remain an issue, 
especially  in  the  online  environment  where  women  journalists  are  particularly  targeted154. 
Since the publication of the 2022 Rule of Law Report, one new alert has been published for 
Latvia on the Council of Europe’s Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety 
of journalists155. The alert concerns the decision of the NEMCC to  revoke the broadcasting 
licence  of  the  Russian  independent  television  channel  Dozhd,  “due  to  a  threat  to  national 

144 According to European Parliament’s Flash Eurobarometer: News & Media Survey 2022, 51% of respondents 

in Latvia stated that they trust public TV and radio stations, above the EU average of 49%. 
145  108 Article 3 of the Law on Public Electronic Mass Media and their Management (LPEMMM). 
146 Article 70(1) of the Law on Public Electronic Mass Media and their Management (LPEMMM) 
147  Information received from PEMMC in the context of the country visit to Latvia. 
148  Information received from PEMMC in the context of the country visit to Latvia. 
149 2023 Media Pluralism Monitor, Latvia, p.23. 
150  Law 
20  December 

and  Other  Mass  Media, 

the  Press 

1990 

on 

of 

available 

at: 

https://likumi.lv/ta/en/en/id/64879. 

151 Latvia ranks 16th in the 2023 Reporters without Borders World Press Freedom Index compared to 22nd in the 

previous year. 

152  Freedom of Information Law (Latvijas Vēstnesis, 334/335, 06.11.1998). 
153  2023 Media Pluralism Monitor, Latvia, p.13. 
154  Information received from journalists’ associations in the context of the country visit to Latvia. 
155  On the Council of Europe Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists. 

19 

  
                                                           
 
 
security and public order” (156). Several associations of journalists and NGOs expressed their 
concern about the NEMMC decision which they considered disproportionate157.  

IV.  OTHER INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES RELATED TO CHECKS AND BALANCES 

Latvia is a unicameral, parliamentary democracy, in which the Constitutional Court can carry 
out  ex-post  constitutional  review  of  laws,  including  in  concrete  cases  on  the  basis  of  a 
constitutional complaint. Draft laws may be submitted to the Parliament by the President, the 
Government, Parliamentary committees, at least five members of the Parliament, or one-tenth 
of the electorate. In addition to the justice system, also the Ombudsperson’s Office158, acting 
as a national human rights institution, and civil society play a role in the system of checks and 
balances.  

A new law aims to facilitate the participation of civil society in local decision-making. The 
2022 Rule of Law report recommended to Latvia to “take measures to increase the participation 
of civil  society in  decision-making  at  local  level”. As highlighted in  the  2022 Rule of  Law 
Report, the involvement of civil society in local government was assessed as weaker than at 
national  level159.  The  Law  on  Local  Government160,  which  entered  into  force  on  1  January 
2023,  introduces  several  mechanisms  to  foster  the  active  involvement  of  civil  society  at 
municipal level161. A new participatory budget, whose implementation will be mandatory from 
2025 onwards, will enable residents to determine themselves how part of the local government 
budget is spent on development issues162. The law also provides for the organisation of advisory 
resident councils in municipalities, which would be elected at  general meetings of residents 
and maintain a dialogue between the local population and the municipal council. The law also 
envisages  other  forms  of  public  participation,  such  as  the  possibility,  for  residents  of  the 
municipality,  to  submit  a  collective  submission  to  the  city  council,  or  the  organisation  of 

156  Dozhd  TV  operations  in  Russia  were  suspended  by  the  Russian  authorities  over  its  anti-war  coverage  in 
relation to the invasion of Ukraine. The independent station had been operating in exile from Latvia since July 
2022, until its broadcasting authorization was revoked by Latvia’s media regulator in December 2022, based 
on three violations of the Latvian broadcasting law. The European Association of Journalists considers that 
appropriate steps were taken by Dozhd to address the three violations and that the editorial errors in question 
do not meet the threshold necessary for the outright revocation of a media outlet’s broadcasting licence. In 
January this year Dozhd TV was granted a license by the authorities of the Netherlands and is now broadcasting 
from this country. 

157  https://eng.lsm.lv/article/features/media-literacy/latvian-journalists-association-calls-tv-rains-punishment-

disproportionate.a485906/;  Latvia:  Media  regulator  urged  not  to  revoke  TV  Dozhd  license  pending  court 
review – European Federation of Journalists (europeanjournalists.org); Latvia: Media regulator urged not to 
revoke Dozhd license pending court review - European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ecpmf.eu). 
158  The Latvian Ombudsperson’s Office is a national human rights institution accredited with an “A Status” by 

the GANHRI Sub-Committee on Accreditations, in compliance with the Paris Principles. 
159  2022 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Latvia, pp. 18-19. 
160  Law of 20 October 2022 on Local Government, published in Latvian Official Gazette no. 215 of 4 November 

2022. 

161  See Franet (2023), Country research – An update on developments regarding civic space in the EU and an 

overview of the possibilities for human rights defenders to enter EU territory – Latvia, p. 4. 

162  Under Art. 59 and 60 of the Law on Local Government, the residents of the administrative territory of the 
municipality decide on the  use of the participation budget,  which  will represent at  least  0.5 percent of the 
average municipality’s revenues from personal income tax and real estate tax. 

20 

  
                                                           
municipal  referenda.  More  generally,  Civic  Alliance  Latvia163  considers  that  the  legal 
framework for civic participation is favourable and public administration follow the rules both 
at  local  and  national  level,  but  notes  that  civil  society  also  calls  public  authorities  for  non-
formal consultative processes as well as more meaningful engagement and feedback164. In view 
of all these participatory mechanisms, the 2022 recommendation has been fully implemented. 

The state of emergency restricting access to the Latvian-Belarusian border, including for 
the media and civil society organisations, was maintained. The state of emergency at the 
border with Belarus was introduced in August 2021165. The Cabinet of Ministers extended this 
several  times  for  an  extensive  period,  currently  until  10  May  2023,  taking  into  account  the 
continuing  risks  of  irregular  migration  and  hybrid  attacks  by  the  Belarusian  regime166.  The 
Order declaring the state of emergency gives the State Border Guard the right to apply, under 
certain conditions, physical force to prevent illegal border crossings167, and access to the border 
area  for  the  media  has  been  significantly  restricted168.  A  report  published  on  30  June  2022 
noted that media and civil society organisations (CSOs) face restrictions in accessing the border 
zone  to  provide  humanitarian  aid  and  report  on  the  situation169.  Two  draft  laws  are  being 
discussed in Parliament, to clarify the powers of the State border Guard170 and to empower the 
Government to introduce a temporary reinforced border guarding regime in certain situations, 
respectively171. 

The legislator has not taken measures to fully implement a judgment of the Constitutional 
Court on legal, economic, and social protection for all families, as also required by the 
Supreme Court. In 2020, the Constitutional Court of Latvia ruled that the Latvian Constitution 
requires  the  legislator  to  ensure  legal  protection  and  measures  of  social  and  economic 

163  Civic  Alliance  Latvia’s  membership  comprises  138  CSOs,  representing  a  total  of  approximately  70  000 

individuals citizens, or 70% of all persons involved in CSOs in Latvia. 
164  Civic Alliance Latvia, Annual Civic Space Report – 2022 – Latvia, p. 9. 
165  Order No. 518 of the Cabinet of Ministers of 10 August 2021, on the Declaration of an Emergency Situation, 
initially covered the Ludza, Krāslava and Augšdaugava municipalities as well as the city of Daugavpils.  

166  Ministry of the Interior, press release of 1 February 2023. 
167  The Order declaring the state of emergency stipulates that ‘the State Border Guard, the National Armed Forces, 
and the State Police shall use the means and procedures at their disposal in order to prevent persons from the 
illegal  crossing  of  the  state  border  of  the  Republic  of  Latvia  and  the  Republic  of  Belarus’  and  that,  upon 
establishing that the person does not comply with the order to immediately stop the attempt to illegally cross 
the  state  border  or  to  immediately  return  to  the  country  from  which  the  person  crossed  the  border,  those 
authorities have the right, ‘in a state of extreme necessity, to apply physical force and special means in order 
to ensure the execution of this order’. 

168  Under applicable guidelines, a special pass is required to access an area 2 km from the national border line, 
and the presence of media in a 12-metre radius from the border is prohibited. Journalists need to plan media 
visits in advance with the State Border Guard, and to be accompanied by border guards at all times. Their 
presence during defence measures, return operations or patrols is not allowed. 

169  Diversity Development Group and Providus, Comparative report on the influx of irregular migrants across the 
border of Belarus: the response by the governments of Lithuania and Latvia, pp. 32-34. Latvian authorities 
however indicated that, in 2022, aid to migrants was provided both by the border guards directly and by civil 
society organizations through the assistance of the border guards. 

170  The draft amendments to the State Border Guard Law foresee a more clearly defined pattern of action for a 
border guards, including as regards the use of physical force, towards persons attempting to enter the country 
illegally. 

171  The draft amendments to the Law on the State Border Law of the Republic of Latvia would allow the Cabinet 
of  Ministers  to  introduce  such  a  regime  in  a  specified  area  in  case  of  disproportionately  high  number  of 
irregular crossings or attempts to cross the state border. 

21 

  
                                                           
protection and support to all families, including families of same-sex partners172, and gave the 
lawmaker  a  deadline  until  1  July  2022  to  comply  with  its  judgment173.  Under  Latvian  law, 
judgments of the Constitutional Court are binding on all State authorities174. While the law still 
does not recognise the possibility to register same-sex unions despite the deadline given by the 
Constitutional Court175, administrative courts gave a series of decisions recognising the legal 
existence of same-sex relationships upon individual requests. In particular, in a judgment of 10 
December 2021, the Supreme Court considered that, insofar as it does not allow registration of 
family relations of a same-sex couple, Latvian legislation does not comply with the Latvian 
Constitution as interpreted by the Constitutional Court, and that couples should be able to have 
their relationship recognised by a court until legislation provides for the possibility to record it 
in a civil register176. This solution remains however more burdensome for the families involved, 
as it presupposes filing an application before an administrative court and a lengthy procedure, 
instead of applying for a civil registration.  

On 1 January 2023, Latvia had eight leading judgments of the European Court of Human 
Rights pending implementation, an increase of one compared to the previous year177. At 
that time, Latvia’s rate of leading judgments from the past 10 years that remained pending was 
only at 16% (compared to 12% in 2022) and judgments had been pending implementation for 
1 year and 3 months (compared to 1 year and 5 months on average in 2022)178. On 15 June 
2023, the number of leading judgments pending implementation remains eight179. 

172  Judgment of 12 November 2020 in case no. 2019-33-01. The Constitutional Court underscored that, although 
the legislator has discretion in determining the form of the legal, social and economic protection of all families, 
this discretion does not extend to deciding whether such protection should be afforded to families. It added 
that, in establishing the legal regulation and measures for protection and support, the legislator must take into 
account  general  principles  of  law  and  other  provision  of  the  Latvian  Constitution,  international  and  the 
European Union law. 

173  Noting the complexity and significant impact of the necessary reform, the judgment of the Constitutional Court 
had given the legislator a deadline until 1 June 2022 to fulfil the positive obligation to ensure adequate legal, 
social and economic protection for all families. 

174  Art.  32(2)  of  the  Law  of  5  June  1996  on  the  Constitutional  Court  provides  that  “the  Constitutional  Court 
judgement and the interpretation of the relevant legal norm provided therein shall be obligatory for all State 
and local government authorities (also courts) and officials, as well as natural and legal persons”. 

175  Draft  legislation  providing  for  a  civil  partnership  applicable  to  same-sex  relationships  was  tabled  by  the 
Minister of Justice in Parliament in early 2022, but was eventually rejected by the Legal Affairs Committee. 
176  Judgment of the administrative chamber of the Supreme Court in case no. SKA-[B1]/2021. Paras. 17 and 18 
of the judgment highlight that the legislature had failed its legal obligation under the Constitution, since the 
law should provide for the recognition and registration of families of same-sex couples, and no overriding 
public interest justifies failure to comply with that obligation. At para. 23 of its judgment, the Supreme Court 
ruled that, given the legislative lacuna, administrative courts may deliver judgments replacing the registration 
of a relationship by the State, which may then be used to claim certain family rights. 

177  The  adoption of necessary execution  measures  for a  judgment by the European  Court of Human  Rights is 
supervised by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. It is the Committee’s practice to group 
cases against a State requiring similar execution measures, particularly general measures, and examine them 
jointly. The first case in the group is designated as the leading case as regards the supervision of the general 
measures and repetitive cases within the group can be closed when it is assessed that all possible individual 
measures needed to provide redress to the applicant have been taken. 

178  All figures are calculated by the European Implementation Network and are based on the number of cases that 
are considered pending at the annual cut-off date of 1 January 2023. See the Contribution from the European 
Implementation Network for the 2023 Rule of Law Report, p. 1. 

179 Data according to the online database of the Council of Europe (HUDOC-EXEC). 

22 

  
                                                           
The  Ombudsperson’s  Office  continues  to  operate  effectively,  while  the  rate  of 
implementation of its recommendations decreased. The Ombudsperson’s Office, accredited 
with ‘A’ status by the UN Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), 
continues processing a large number of complaints and issuing opinions and recommendations 
to  public  authorities180.  In  2023,  it  requested  additional  financial  resources,  particularly  to 
ensure competitive remunerations for its staff and secure human resources to conduct research 
activities181. The number of complaints made by citizens regarding alleged violations of the 
right  to  a  fair  trial  decreased  significantly  between  2021  and  2022,  and  the  Ombudsperson 
made a number of proposals to ministries and the legislator to safeguard this right182. However, 
the  rate  of  implementation  by  public  authorities  of  recommendations  issued  by  the 
Ombudsperson has steadily decreased since 2020183.  

State  funding  for  civil  society  organisations  increased,  but  limited  access  to  adequate 
funding from different sources is perceived as the main challenge. The civic space in Latvia 
is still assessed as narrowed184. The state funding available to CSOs through the NGO Fund 
increased from EUR 1.5 million in 2021 to almost EUR 1.9 million in 2022185 and to EUR 2.3 
million  in  2023186.  CSOs  can  also  apply  for  co-financing  for  projects,  financed  by  foreign 
funds, aimed at the development of a cohesive and civically active society, as well as funds for 
regional projects or programmes promoting the civic participation of minorities187. According 
to data, while the estimated number of associations and foundations working in the field of 
civil  society  is  stable188,  the  financial  activity  of  CSOs  is  decreasing,  which  indicates 
weaknesses in their financial sustainability. The vast majority of CSOs in Latvia consider the 
availability and adequacy of financial resources as one of the most significant constraints to 
their activities189. This financial precariousness is exacerbated by an insufficient diversification 
of funding sources, as annual accounts show that most CSOs rely on a single main source of 
revenue190, and other factors perceived by CSOs as constraints in their financial environment, 

180  Ombudsperson Annual Activity Report 2022, pp. 8-12. In 2022, the Ombudsperson’s Office dealt with 1634 
referrals from citizens, conducted 61 inspections following such referrals, issued 173 recommendations to the 
administration and provided advice to citizens in 2426 cases. 

181  Input from the Ombudsman’s Office for the 2023 Rule of Law Report, p. 7.  
182  Ombudsperson Annual Activity Report 2022, pp. 20-21. For instance, on 30 August 2022, the Ombudsperson 
made  recommendations  to  ensure  the  representation,  in  criminal  proceedings,  of  the  owners  of  property 
illegally acquired. 

183  The  rate  of  implementation  was  of  82,61%  in  2020,  of  76,44%  in  2021  and  72,22%  in  2022.  See 

Ombudsperson Annual Activity Report 2022, p. 10. 

184  2022 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Latvia, p. 18. See also rating given 
by Civicus, Latvia. Ratings are on a five-category scale defined as: open, narrowed, obstructed, repressed and 
closed. 

185  2022 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Latvia, p. 18. 
186  Information received from the Ministry of Culture in the context of the country visit to Latvia. 
187  Input from Latvia for the 2023 Rule of Law Report, p. 36. 
188  The precise identification of such organisations does not rely on a legal classification, but research based on 
their activities allowed to identify around 1 000 CSOs active in Latvia in 2022. See Civic Alliance Latvia, 
Resources of civil society organisations: current situation and needs 2022, p. 5.  

189  According to a survey conducted in 2022, 69% of CSOs assess their overall financial resources as insufficient. 
See Civic Alliance Latvia, Resources of civil society organisations: current situation and needs 2022, p. 13. 

190  Ibid. p. 11, and Civic Alliance Latvia, Annual Civic Space Report – 2022 – Latvia, p. 7. 

23 

  
                                                           
such as the tax burden191. In January 2023, organisations representative of civil society had 
sent a letter192 to the Cabinet of Ministers calling for the inclusion of sustainable funding for 
civil society activities in the national budget for 2023. CSOs criticised the fact that the 2023 
budget did not include the proposed measures and was planned without consulting civil society, 
as no centralised mechanism exists to enable CSOs to present their proposals in the process193.  

191  Surveys show that 38% of CSOs consider tax rates are a major obstacle, one out of three has issues with the 
legal framework for donations and one in four with tax laws and regulations. Civic Alliance Latvia, Resources 
of civil society organisations: current situation and needs 2022, p. 13.  

192  Letter  of  4  January  2023  from  Civic  Alliance  Latvia  and  the  organisations  in  the  Council  for  the 
Implementation  of  the  Memorandum  of  Cooperation  between  the  Cabinet  of  Ministers  and  the  council  of 
NGOs. The letter was proposing to include in the budget for 2023, among others, additional funding for a 
dialogue  between the  Cabinet of Ministers and civil society at all stages of decision-making, as  well  for a 
targeted civil society development policy. 

193  Civic Alliance Latvia, press release of 13 February 2023, “Budget for the year 2023 – unfriendly for the civic 

society”. 

24 

  
                                                           
Annex I: List of sources in alphabetical order* 

* The list of contributions received in the context of the consultation for the 2022 Rule of Law report 
can  be  found  at  https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/2022-rule-law-report-targeted-stakeholder-
consultation_en. 

Analysis of integrity risks, 2022 https://www.mk.gov.lv/lv/media/13295/download?attachment.  

Cabinet of Ministers Order No. 518 of 10 August 2021 on the Declaration of an Emergency Situation 
https://www.mk.gov.lv/en/article/regarding-declaration-emergency-situation-1.  

Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (2023), Media pluralism monitor 2023 – country report 
on Latvia. 

Civic Alliance Latvia (2022), Resources of civil society organisations: current situation and needs 2022 
https://nvo.lv/uploads/cso_resources_current_situation_and_needs_2022.pdf. 

Civic Alliance Latvia (2023), Annual Civic Space Report – 2022 – Latvia. 

Civic Alliance Latvia (2023), Letter of 4 January 2023 from Civic Alliance Latvia and the organisations 
in  the  Council  for  the  Implementation  of  the  Memorandum  of  Cooperation  between  the  Cabinet  of 
Ministers and the council of NGOs https://nvo.lv/uploads/lpa_1472.pdf.  

Civic Alliance Latvia (2023), Press release: Budget for the year 2023 – unfriendly for the civic society, 
13 
2023 
https://nvo.lv/en/zina/budget_for_the_year_2023__unfriendly_for_the_civic_society._  

February 

Civicus, Monitor tracking civic space – Latvia https://monitor.civicus.org/country/latvia/.  

Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau, Annual Report 2021.  

Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (2022), Contribution from the Council of Bars and Law 
Societies of Europe (CCBE) for the 2022 Rule of Law Report. 

Council of Europe, Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists - Latvia 
https://fom.coe.int/en/pays/detail/11709534.  

Council  of  Europe:  Committee  of  Ministers  (2010),  Recommendation  CM/Rec(2010)12  of  the 
Committee of Ministers to member states on judges: independence, efficiency and responsibilities. 

Council of the European Union (2021) Council Implementing Decision of 6 July 2021 on the approval 
of the assessment of the recovery and resilience plan for Latvia, and Annex. 

Declaration  of  envisaged  activity  of 
https://www.mk.gov.lv/lv/media/14490/download?attachment.  

the  Cabinet  of  Ministers,  14  December  2022 

Directorate-General for Communication (2022), Special Eurobarometer 523: corruption. 

Directorate-General  for  Communication  (2023),  Flash  Eurobarometer  507:  businesses’  attitudes 
towards corruption in the EU. 

Diversity  Development  Group  and  Providus  (2022),  Comparative  report  on  the  influx  of  irregular 
migrants  across  the  border  of  Belarus:  the  response  by  the  governments  of  Lithuania  and  Latvia, 
https://providus.lv/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/NIEM_comparative_report_Lithuania_Latvia.pdf.  

European Commission (2020), 2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation 
in Latvia. 

European Commission (2021), 2021 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation 
in Latvia. 

25 

  
European Commission (2021), EU Justice Scoreboard. 

European Commission (2022), 2022 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation 
in Latvia. 

European Commission (2022), EU Justice Scoreboard. 

European Commission (2023), EU Justice Scoreboard. 

European Implementation Network (2023), Contribution from the European Implementation Network 
for the 2023 Rule of Law Report. 

European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI) (2023),  Contribution from the 
European Network of National Human Rights Institutions for the 2023 Rule of Law Report. 

European 
https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2832. 

Parliament’s 

Flash 

Eurobarometer:  News  &  Media 

Survey 

2022, 

Franet,  Latvian  Centre  for  Human  Rights  (2023),  Country  research  –  An  update  on  developments 
regarding civic space in the EU and an overview of the possibilities for human rights defenders to enter 
EU territory – Latvia, Vienna, EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, https://fra.europa.eu/en/country-
data/2023/civic-space-report-2023. 

GRECO, Fifth Evaluation Round Second compliance report on Latvia. 

GRECO, Fourth Evaluation Round, Addendum to the Second compliance report on Latvia. 

Guidelines on whistleblowing, https://trauksmescelejs.lv/vadlinijas. 

Judicial Council (2021), Press release: The Judicial Council supports the introduction of a pilot version 
of  a  case  weighing  model,  7  June  2021  https://www.at.gov.lv/en/jaunumi/par-tieslietu-padomi/the-
judicial-council-supports-the-introduction-of-a-pilot-version-of-a-case-weighing-model-
10666?year=2021&month=06.  

Judicial Council (2022), Decision no. 17: Guidelines for the management of case examination deadlines 
in 
February 
2022https://www.at.gov.lv/files/uploads/files/9_Tieslietu_padome/Lemumi/2022/TP_lem_nr17_pielik
ums.pdf. 

courts, 

25 

to 

explain 

Judicial Council (2022), Press release: Chief Justice of the Supreme Court requests the chairs of four 
courts 
2022 
https://www.at.gov.lv/en/jaunumi/par-notikumiem/chief-justice-of-the-supreme-court-requests-the-
chairs-of-four-courts-to-explain-the-reasons-for-lengthy-legal-proceedings-
11249?year=2022&month=07.  

proceedings, 

reasons 

lengthy 

legal 

July 

the 

for 

19 

Judicial Council (2023), press release of 5 January 2023, “Discussion on the possibilities of improving 
the  remuneration  system  of  court  employees”,  https://www.at.gov.lv/en/jaunumi/par-tieslietu-
padomi/discussion-on-the-possibilities-of-improving-the-remuneration-system-of-court-employess-
11496?year=2023&month=01.  

KNAB, Annual Report, 2022. 

KNAB, Report on the final impact assessment of the implementation of the Corruption Prevention and 
Combating Guidelines 2015-2020. 

KNAB, Statement: KNAB encourages the prosecution of four former officials of the national railway 
company, 3 January 2022. 

KNAB, Statement: Procedural activities carried out by KNAB, 24 August 2022. 

Latvian  Constitutional  Court, 
2020, 
https://www.satv.tiesa.gov.lv/web/viewer.html?file=https://www.satv.tiesa.gov.lv/wp-
content/uploads/2019/12/2019-33-01_Judgment.pdf#search=. 

12  November 

Judgment 

of 

2019-33-01, 

26 

  
Latvian Electronic Mass Media Law, Latvijas Vēstnesis, 118, 28.07.2010.  

Latvian Government (2023), Input from Latvia for the 2023 Rule of Law Report. 

Latvian Ministry of Justice (2022), Information Report, “Results of the first year of the functioning of 
development”, 
and 
the 
https://tapportals.mk.gov.lv/attachments/legal_acts/document_versions/55c637b8-adbc-43d1-84fa-
303a16f270b5/download.  

Economic 

further 

Court 

its 

Latvijas Republikas Valsts kontrole (2022), Audit report ‘Izmeklēšanas iestādes Latvijā: kompetenču 
un resursu, bet ne skaita jautājums’ , 2022. 

Latvijas Republikas Valsts kontrole (2022), Audit report ‘Par Korupcijas novēršanas un apkarošanas 
biroja 2021.gada pārskata sagatavošanas pareizību’. 

Lsm.lv (2022), ‘Experts critical of Saeima's rejection of Supreme Court candidate’.  

Lsm.lv (2022), Saeima deputy Bondars has parliamentary immunity removed 
https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/saeima/saeima-deputy-bondars-has-parliamentary-immunity-
removed.a459676/.  

Media Pluralism Monitor 2023, Country Report for Latvia. 

Ministry of the Interior, press release of 1 February 2023, The state of emergency at the Latvia–Belarus 
border  is  extended  until  10  May  2023  https://www.iem.gov.lv/en/article/state-emergency-latvia-
belarus-border-extended-until-10-may-
2023#:~:text=On%2031%20January%2C%20the%20Cabinet,Belarusian%20regime%20on%20the%2
0Latvian%E2%80%93.  

OECD (2021), Performance of the Prosecution Services in Latvia – A Comparative Study.  

Ombudsperson (2023), Ombudsperson Annual Activity Report 2022. 

Organization  for  Economic  Co-operation  and  Development  (OECD)  (2021),  Performance  of  the 
Prosecution Services in Latvia – A Comparative Study https://www.oecd.org/gov/performance-of-the-
prosecution-services-in-latvia-c0113907-en.htm.  

Providus (2021), Open letter of 16 August 2021 from Providus and six other organisations to the highest 
the  border  between  Latvia  and  Belarus 
officials  of  Latvia  on 
https://providus.lv/raksti/atklata-vestule-latvijas-augstakajam-amatpersonam-par-situaciju-uz-latvijas-
un-baltkrievijas-robezas/.  

situation  on 

the 

Public 
https://www.prokuratura.lv/lv/aktualitates/2022/aktualitates/ekonomisko-lietu-tiesai-nodoti-procesa-
par-piespiedu-ietekmesanas-lidzekla-piemerosanu-juridiskajai-personai-materiali-2616.  

Prosecutor’s 

(2022), 

Office 

Statement 

Prosecutor’s 

Public 
https://www.prokuratura.lv/lv/aktualitates/2022/aktualitates/tiesai-nodoti-procesa-par-piespiedu-
ietekmesanas-lidzekla-piemerosanu-juridiskajai-personai-materiali-2657. 

Statement, 

Office, 

June 

3 

2022 

Report on the implementation of the corruption prevention and combatting plan for 2015-2020. 

Reporters Without Borders - Latvia https://rsf.org/en/country/latvia  

Saeima,  Press  Service  (2022),  Saeima  adopts  Law  on  Transparency  of  Representation  of  Interests 
https://www.saeima.lv/en/news/saeima-news/31503-saeima-adopts-law-on-transparency-of-
representation-of-interests. 

State Audit Office (2020), Performance audit effectiveness of investigations and trials of the criminal 
offences in the economic and financial area.  

State  Audit  Office  (2021),  Press  release:  Plan  to  implement  the  SAO’s  recommendations  for 
streamlining prosecution of economic and financial crimes. 

27 

  
State  Audit  Office  of  the  Republic  of  Latvia  (2022),  Inquiry  Authorities  in  Latvia:  the  issue  of 
competences and resources, but not the issue of numbers. 

State  Border  Guard  (2021),  Guidelines  for  Media  visits  to  Latvian-Belarus  State  borders, 
https://www.rs.gov.lv/lv/media/5457/download.  

Supreme Court (2021) Judgment of the administrative chamber of 10 December 2021 in case no. SKA-
[B1]/2021 
https://www.at.gov.lv/files/uploads/files/3_Jaunumi/Par_tiesas_sedem/SKA-B1-
2021.docx.  

Supreme Court (2022),  Press release: Amendments to the Criminal  Procedure Law: extended court 
composition  and  dissenting  conclusions  of  senators  of  the  Senate  Department  of  Criminal  Cases, 
https://www.at.gov.lv/en/jaunumi/par-notikumiem/amendments-to-the-criminal-procedure-law-
extended-court-composition-and-dissenting-conclusions-of-senators-of-the-senate-department-of-
criminal-cases-11414?year=2022&month=11.  

solution 

Supreme Court (2023), Press release: Law amendments initiated by Department of Criminal Cases and 
cases, 
reduce 
complex 
https://www.at.gov.lv/en/jaunumi/par-notikumiem/law-amendments-initiated-by-department-of-
criminal-cases-and-complex-solution-to-legal-issues-reduce-the-number-of-incoming-cases-
11527?year=2023&month=01.  

incoming 

number 

issues 

legal 

the 

to 

of 

The Baltic Times (2023), Businessman Trubko sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for bribery, 14 April 
2023. 

Transparency International (2022), Contribution from Transparency International for the 2022 Rule of 
Law Report. 

Transparency International (2022), Exporting Corruption. 

Transparency International (2023), Corruption Perceptions Index 2022. 

28 

  
 
 
Annex II: Country visit to Latvia 

The Commission services held virtual meetings in February 2023 with: 

Internal Security Board of the State Revenue Service 
Internal Security Bureau (Ministry of Interior) 
Judicial Council 

  Association of Journalists 
  Association of Judges 
  Bar Association 
  Civic Alliance Latvia 
  Constitutional Court 
  Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) 
  Council of Lawyers 
  Delna – TI Latvia 
  Economic Court 
  Foreign Investors’ Council in Latvia (FICIL) 
 
 
 
  Latvijas Televīzija (LTV) 
  Latvijas Radio (LR) 
  Ministry of Culture 
  Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
  Ministry of Interior 
  Ministry of Justice 
  National Electronic Mass Media Council 
  Ombudsperson’s Office 
  Parliamentary Working group for the elaboration of a lobbying transparency law 
  Prosecutor’s Office 
  Providus 
  Public Electronic Mass Media Council 
  State Audit Office 
  State Border Guard 
  State Chancellery 
  State Police 
  Supreme Court 

* The Commission also met the following organisations in a number of horizontal meetings:  

  ALDA (European Association for Local Democracy) 
  Amnesty International  
  Civil Liberties Union for Europe  
  Civil Society Europe 
  Culture Action Europe  
  European Centre for Press and Media Freedom  
  European Civic Forum  
  European Federation of Journalists  
  European Partnership for Democracy  
  European Youth Forum  
  Free Press Unlimited 
  Front Line Defenders 
 

ILGA Europe  

29 

  
 
International Commission of Jurists 
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)  
International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network 
International Press Institute  
JEF Europe  

 
 
 
 
 
  Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa 
  Philea  
  Reporters Without Borders  
  SOLIDAR 
  Transparency International EU 

30