COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2026 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 2026 Rule of Law Report The rule of law situation in the European Union
Date: 2026-07-17
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: Latvia, administrative transparency, corruption, democracy, freedom of the press, human rights, independence of the judiciary, pluralism in the media, rule of law, whistleblowing

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 17.7.2026  SWD(2026) 914 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2026 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 2026 Rule of Law Report                       The rule of law situation in the European Union {COM(2026) 900 final} - {SWD(2026) 901 final} - {SWD(2026) 902 final} - {SWD(2026) 903 final} - {SWD(2026) 904 final} - {SWD(2026) 905 final} - {SWD(2026) 906 final} - {SWD(2026) 907 final} - {SWD(2026) 908 final} - {SWD(2026) 909 final} - {SWD(2026) 910 final} - {SWD(2026) 911 final} - {SWD(2026) 912 final} - {SWD(2026) 913 final} - {SWD(2026) 915 final} - {SWD(2026) 916 final} - {SWD(2026) 917 final} - {SWD(2026) 918 final} - {SWD(2026) 919 final} - {SWD(2026) 920 final} - {SWD(2026) 921 final} - {SWD(2026) 922 final} - {SWD(2026) 923 final} - {SWD(2026) 924 final} - {SWD(2026) 925 final} - {SWD(2026) 926 final} - {SWD(2026) 927 final} - {SWD(2026) 928 final} - {SWD(2026) 929 final} - {SWD(2026) 930 final} - {SWD(2026) 931 final}  
 
 
ABSTRACT 

Latvia  is  taking  further  steps  to  strengthen  the  independence  of  the  justice  system  through 
plans to introduce safeguards to protect the appointment procedure for judges of the Supreme 
Court from undue influence. In addition, the Government proposed amendments to the Law 
on Judicial Powers to increase the role of the Judicial Council regarding the administration of 
courts.  The  Judicial  Academy  started  operating  and  conducting  trainings  for  judges  and 
prosecutors.  Resources  were  redirected  to  the  development  of  a  court  support  staff  system. 
Access  to  legal  aid  in  proceedings  before  the  Constitutional  Court  was  expanded.  The 
jurisdiction  of  the  Economic  Court  is  under  revision,  while  courts  generally  continue  to 
perform efficiently. 

The  Corruption  Prevention  and  Combating  Action  Plan  2026-2027  was  adopted. 
Investigation  and  prosecution  of  corruption  cases  continue  to  be  effective,  and  the  overall 
number  of  corruption  cases  remains  stable.  While  there  have  been  efforts  to  improve  the 
implementation  of  conflicts  of  interest  rules,  the  post-employment  framework  has  not  been 
strengthened  yet.  The  electronic  system  for  asset  declarations  with  an  automatic  checking 
tool continues to work effectively. Steps have been taken towards adopting ethical rules for 
Cabinet  Members  and  the  tasks  of  the  Mandate,  Ethics  and  Submissions  Committee  in  the 
Parliament  have  been  expanded.  While  a  voluntary  list  of  interest  representatives  has 
been established, only limited steps in the implementation of the legislation on lobbying have 
been  taken.  The  competences  of  the  Corruption  Prevention  and  Combating  Bureau  in  risk 
analysis  have  been  strengthened,  while  the  Bureau  continues  reviewing  declarations  on 
parties’ finances efficiently and was designated as the new contact point for whistleblowing. 
Public  procurement  remains  a  high-risk  area,  despite  efforts  to  strengthen  mitigation 
measures and to provide safeguards.  

The  audiovisual  media  regulator  continues  to  operate  independently,  with  additional  staff 
strengthening its monitoring capacity. The merger of public television and radio into Latvian 
Public  Media  has  been  completed.  Amendments  to  the  law  on  the  Press  and  Other  Mass 
Media  were  adopted  to  introduce  mandatory  registration  of  media  service  providers  and 
disclosure of beneficial ownership information, including data on state advertising. The legal 
framework guaranteeing access to information remains stable. The professional environment 
for  journalists  remains  overall  safe,  although  online  safety  has  reportedly  deteriorated.  An 
Action Plan on the safety of journalists has been approved, including the transposition of the 
Anti-SLAPP Directive. 

The Parliament is discussing amendments to the Ombudsperson nomination process aimed at 
expanding  the  right  to  nominate  candidates  to  include  the  Latvian  President  alongside  the 
existing  nominating  authority  of  Parliament.  Considerations  are  also  ongoing  regarding 
possible amendments to the Law on the Constitutional Court, including measures to further 
safeguard  the  independence  of  judges  of  the  Constitutional  Court.  The  civic  space  remains 
open, while civil society organisations report an increase in negative narratives and funding 
challenges. 

1 

 
 
RECOMMENDATIONS 

Overall, based on the recommendations in  the 2025 Rule of Law Report, considering other 
developments  that  took  place  in  the  period  of  reference,  and  in  addition  to  recalling  the 
relevant  commitments  made  under  the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Plan,  the  Commission 
concludes the following:  

•  Some  progress  has  been  made  to  ensure  adequate  safeguards  against  undue  political 
influence in the appointment procedure for Supreme Court judges, as a draft law allowing 
challenges to parliamentary decisions rejecting a candidate was published and submitted 
to  Parliament  for  consideration.  Since  the  reform  remains  to  be  adopted,  it  is 
recommended  to  Latvia  to  take  forward  the  legislative  process  to  ensure  adequate 
safeguards  against  undue  political  influence  in  the  appointment  procedure  for  Supreme 
Court judges, taking into account European standards on judicial appointments. 

•  Limited progress has been made to ensure the effective implementation of the legislation 
on lobbying, as a temporary voluntary list of interest representatives was set-up. Since the 
establishment of the dedicated Register for Interest Representation has been delayed and 
the publicly available information remains limited, it is recommended to Latvia to ensure 
the  effective  implementation  of  the  legislation  on  lobbying,  including  as  regards  the 
special interim lobby register. 

2 

 
 
 
 
I. 

JUSTICE SYSTEM1  

Independence  

The  level  of  perceived  judicial  independence  in  Latvia  continues  to  be  average  among 
both the general public and companies. Overall, 50% of the general population and 52% of 
companies perceive the level of independence of courts and judges to be ‘fairly or very good’ 
in  20262.  The  perceived  judicial  independence  among  the  general  public  has  significantly 
increased  in  comparison  with  2025  (42%)  and  has  slightly  decreased  in  comparison  with 
2022  (53%).  The  perceived  judicial  independence  among  companies  has  significantly 
increased in comparison with 2025 (41%), as well as in comparison with 2022 (27%).  

Some  progress  has  been  made  on  the  recommendation  to  ensure  adequate  safeguards 
against  undue  political  influence  in  the  appointment  procedure  for  Supreme  Court 
judges3.  In  January  2026,  the  Judicial  Council  concluded  that  all  political  decisions  by  the 
Parliament in judicial appointment procedures4 fall within the scope of constitutional review 
under  the  Constitutional  Court  Law.  In  the  Judicial  Council’s  view,  the  Judicial  Council 
holds the right to request the Constitutional Court to assess the legality of such acts against 
higher-ranking  norms5.  Taking  note  of  the  Judicial  Council’s  conclusion  on  this,  the 
Government has prepared amendments to the Law on Judicial Power to formalise this right, 
by  explicitly  permitting  challenges  against  parliamentary  decisions6.  The  draft  amendments 
were published in May 2026 and submitted to the Parliament for consideration7. In this light, 
some progress has been made on the recommendation.   

Amendments  are  being  prepared  to  increase  the  Judicial  Council’s  role  in  the 
administration  of  courts.  The  draft  amendment  to  the  Law  on  Judicial  Powers  include 
provisions  to  transfer  the  management  of  the  Court  Administration  from  the  Ministry  of 
Justice  to  the  Judicial  Council8  in  matters  relating  to  the  organisation  of  court  work,  the 
career  of  judges  and  the  budgeting  of  the  district  and  regional  courts9.  The  amendments 
would grant additional responsibilities to the Judicial Council, including the appointment and 
dismissal of district and regional court presidents, as well as transfers of judges. The aim of 
this  reform  is  to  strengthen  the  self-determination  of  the  courts10  and  to  reinforce  judicial 
independence by reducing influence of the executive over key judicial functions11.   

1   An overview of the institutional framework for all four pillars can be found here.  
2   Figures 48 and 50, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard and Figures 51 and 53, 2024 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%). 

3   The  2024  and  2025  Rule  of  Law  Report  recommended  Latvia  to  ‘take  measures  to  ensure  adequate 
safeguards  against  undue  political  influence  in  the  existing  appointment  procedure  for  Supreme  Court 
judges,  taking  into  account  European  standards  on  judicial  appointments.’  No  progress  was  previously 
assessed on this recommendation in 2024 and 2025. 
Including those without a separate formal decision, such as a written act. 

4  
5    Latvian Government (2026), written input, p. 1 and Latvian Government (2026a), additional written input. 
6   Latvian Government (2026a), additional written input. 
7   Public portal of draft legislation Latvia (2026a). 
8   Country  visit  Latvia,  Supreme  Court,  and  Council  of  Bars  and  Law  Societies  of  Europe  (2026),  written 

input, p. 159. Public portal of draft legislation Latvia (2026a). 

9   Public portal of draft legislation Latvia (2026a). 
10   Public portal of draft legislation Latvia (2026a). 
11   Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (2026), written input, p. 159. 

3 

 
 
Quality  

Compulsory  specialisation  was introduced for  the recruitment of judges, with the new 
Judicial Academy expected to also improve availability of judges across different areas 
of expertise. The 2024 State Audit Office performance audit on human resources in Courts 
noted the lack of candidates to fill vacancies in the judiciary12. While vacant judges’ positions 
remain, the Judicial Council considers that the main pressing issue is not, as previously, the 
overall  number  of  judges,  but  rather  the  shortage  of  judges  with  certain  specialisations,  for 
example in criminal cases13. In January 2025, the Judicial Academy14 commenced planning, 
organising and conducting trainings addressed to judges and prosecutors as well as other staff 
in  the  administration  of  justice15.  The  Judicial  Academy  cooperates  closely  with  the 
judiciary16  and  it  is  seen  to  play  an  important  role  in  ensuring  availability  of  judges  with 
different  specialisations,  as  well  as  making  the  judiciary  more  attractive  in  the  long  term17. 
The Judicial Academy also plans to provide training for applicants for the position of judge 
and prosecutor for a fee18.  

Resources  were  reallocated  to  strengthen  court  support  staff.  The  judicial  assistants 
continue  to  experience  high  turnover,  with  low  salaries  relative  to  the  level  of  required 
qualifications  as  well  as  more  attractive  opportunities  in  the  private  sector  seen  as  the 
probable explanations19. In 2025, the Judicial Council decided to redirect part of the funding 
allocated  for  unfilled  judicial  posts  to  the  development  of  the  court  support  staff  system, 
including to address the high turnover of judicial assistants, designated as one of its priorities 
for the year20. In addition, the proposed amendments to the Law on Judicial Powers include 
redefining  the  requirements  for  court  employees,  including  introducing  a  new  court  lawyer 
position  across  the  judiciary  to  support  judges  in  legal  work21,  allowing  to  raise  the  salary 
category  for  judicial  assistants22.  In  parallel,  a  review  of  the  service  pension  regulation  for 

12   2024 Rule of Law Report, Latvia, p. 4. State Audit Office (2024). 
13   European  Network  of  Councils  for  the  Judiciary  (2026),  p.  29.  Country  visit  Latvia,  Supreme  Court  and 
Judicial Council. Most candidates who apply to become judges are specialised in the civil area and not in 
the criminal area. Since September 2025, judicial recruitment requires candidates to choose an initial field 
of law (e.g., criminal, civil, or administrative) in which they wish to specialise, acting as a quality filter and 
reducing the risk of  candidates entering without expertise in the  chosen field. Country visit Latvia, Court 
Administration. 

14   Establishing the Judicial Academy was one of the reforms under Latvia’s Recovery and Resilience Plan and 
it has been supported by the Commission’s Technical Support Instrument. The aim of the Judicial Academy 
is to develop the skills and competences necessary for professional performance and personal development 
throughout the judicial career. 

15   Country visit Latvia, Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, Judicial Council, Association of Judges, Council 
of Sworn Advocates and the Office of the Ombudsperson. Latvian Government (2026a), additional written 
input. 

16   Country visit Latvia, Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, Council of Sworn Advocates, the Office of the 

Ombudsperson. 

17   Country visit Latvia, Supreme Court and Judicial Council. 
18   Country  visit  Latvia,  Court  Administration,  Supreme  Court  and  Judicial  Council.  Latvian  Government 

(2026a), additional written input. 

19   Country visit Latvia, Court Administration, Constitutional Court, Supreme Court and Judicial Council. 
20   European Network of Councils for the Judiciary, written input p. 29. Country visit Latvia, Supreme Court 

and Judicial Council. 

21   Latvian  Government  (2026),  written  input,  p.  12.  Country  visit  Latvia,  Ministry  of  Justice.  Court  lawyer 
would correspond to a senior assistant judge with legal qualifications.  Working Party on Specialisation of 
Judges (2024). Public portal of draft legislation Latvia (2026a). 

22   Country  visit  Latvia,  Supreme  Court  and  Judicial  Council.  Council  of  Bars  and  Law  Societies  of  Europe 

(2026), written input, p. 164. 

4 

 
 
judges  and  prosecutors  is  underway  as  part  of  a  wider  reform  across  public  services23, 
including  a  transitional  provision  for  an  evaluation  of  how  the  new  pension  regime  might 
affect judges’ careers24. The Latvian Association of Judges and the Judicial Council pointed 
to  the rushed legislative process25.  At the same time, efforts for further digitalisation of the 
justice system continued26. The level of digitalisation of the justice system remains high, with 
digital technology broadly available in court proceedings27. 

Access to legal aid in Constitutional Court proceedings was expanded and a maximum 
payable  fee  to  start  litigation  was  introduced.  In  April  2026,  amendments  to  the  State 
Ensured  Legal  Aid  Law  were  adopted,  expanding  access  to  state-ensured  legal  aid  in  the 
proceedings of the Constitutional Court, by making it available at the stage of preparing an 
application, without requiring the applicant to first submit an application to the Constitutional 
Court without the benefit of legal aid28. Stakeholders see this as an important improvement 
for accessibility to the Constitutional Court29. In April 2025, a cap was introduced in the Civil 
Procedure  Law  setting  a  maximum  payable  fee  to  start  litigation  in  State  court30  which  is 
perceived as functioning well in practice31. At the same time, the current levels of litigation 
costs and maximum compensation awards may limit access to justice for smaller companies, 
as successful claims might not fully cover incurred losses or deliver proportionate recovery32.  

Efficiency 

The  jurisdiction  of  the  Economic  Court  is  being  revised,  refining  it  in  criminal  cases 
while  extending  it  in  commercial  cases.  The  proposed  amendments  would  refine  the 
jurisdiction of the Economic Court to allow it to focus on matters which fall within its main 
area  of  competence,  such  as  criminal  offences  of  organised  crime,  corruption  and  financial 
crimes. In parallel, its jurisdiction would be expanded in commercial cases33. These changes 
are  aimed  at  enhancing  the  specialised  nature  of  the  Economic  Court34.  Business 
representatives  welcomed  the  specialisation  and  quality  of  the  judgments  of  the  Economic 
Court,  while  considering  it  fundamental  that  the  extension  of  competences  comes  with 
recruitment  of  additional  judges35.  To  contribute  to  handling  complex  economic  cases,  the 
Riga Regional Court has been determined as the single regional court for the appeals from the 

23   Latvian Government (2026), written input, p. 5. 
24   The  President  of  Latvia  suggested  adding  a  transitional  provision,  underlining  the  importance  of  judges’ 

independence and financial security. Latvian Public Media (2026a). 

25   European Network of Councils for the Judiciary (2026), p.  61.  Country visit Latvia,  Judicial Council and 

Latvian Association of Judges. 

26   The  E-case  portal  was  developed  further  to  continue  the  digitalisation  of  litigation  processes  and 
investigations, for instance by adding a new calendar function to view case information on scheduled court 
hearings, introducing an e-form to submit complaints against procedural decisions, as well as setting up an 
online service for calculating state compensation. Latvian Government (2026), written input, pp. 7-8.   

27   Figures 44 and 45, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard.  
28   Latvian Government (2026), written input, p. 5. 
29   Country visit Latvia, Constitutional Court and Latvian Association of Judges. 
30   European Association of Judges (2026). 
31   Country visit Latvia, Foreign Investors Council in Latvia. 
32   Country visit Latvia, Foreign Investors Council in Latvia. 
33   For instance, the jurisdiction would be expanded to claims for  acquisition of shares or stocks of a  capital 
company or termination of its activities,  claims of merchants for the payment of insurance compensation, 
and  claims  arising  from  financial  instruments.  Latvian  Government  (2026),  written  input,  pp.  10-11,  and 
Latvian  Government  (2026a),  additional  written  input.  Country  visit  Latvia,  Court  Administration  and 
Economic Court. 

34   Country visit Latvia, Supreme Court and Judicial Council. 
35   Country visit Latvia, Foreign Investors Council in Latvia and Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 

5 

 
 
Economic Court36. However, business representatives raise procedural concerns, noting that 
the appeals instance lacks the same level of specialised economic and commercial expertise 
and risks to undermine the objective of specialisation of the Economic Court37.  

II. 

ANTI-CORRUPTION FRAMEWORK  

The  perception  among  experts,  citizens  and  business  executives  is  that  the  level  of 
corruption in the public sector is relatively low. In the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index 
by  Transparency  International,  Latvia  scores  60/100  and  ranks  13th  in  the  European  Union 
and 37th globally38. This  perception is  relatively stable over the past  five years39. The 2026 
Special  Eurobarometer  on  Corruption  shows  that  79%  of  respondents  consider  corruption 
widespread  in  their  country  (EU  average  71%)  and  25%  of  respondents  feel  personally 
affected by corruption in their daily lives (EU average 30%). As regards businesses, 64% of 
companies consider that corruption is widespread (EU average 65%) and 17% consider that 
corruption  is  a  problem  when  doing  business  (EU  average  37%).  Furthermore,  29%  of 
respondents find that there are enough successful prosecutions to deter people from  corrupt 
practices  (EU  average  38%),  while  21%  of  companies  believe  that  people  and  businesses 
caught for bribing a senior official are appropriately punished (EU average 31%)40.  

The  Corruption  Prevention  and  Combating  Action  Plan  2026-2027  was  adopted,  and 
the  competences  of  the  Corruption  Prevention  and  Combating  Bureau  have  been 
strengthened. The Action Plan 2023-2025 has concluded and the Corruption Prevention and 
Combating  Bureau  (KNAB)  is  preparing  an  evaluation  report,  which  is  expected  to  be 
submitted in June 202641. The next Action Plan 2026-202742 was adopted by the Cabinet of 
Ministers  in  April  202643.  It  sets  out  four  objectives  focused  on  transparency,  institutional 
sustainability and integrity, minimising corruption risks in public procurement, and ensuring 
the effective repression of corruption, alongside 19 activities44. The 2026 amendments to the 
Law on KNAB establish strategic and tactical corruption risk analysis as a core function of 
the  Bureau45.  KNAB’s  corruption  risk  analysis  information  system  is  planned  to  be 
interconnected  with  other  national  registers,  further  enhancing  information  exchange  and 
strengthening  national  capacity  for  corruption  prevention  and  combating46.  In  parallel,  the 
State  Audit  Office  is  conducting  an  independent  evaluation  of  KNAB’s  performance  to 
ensure its future effectiveness47, an action which civil society organisations have been calling 
for48. 

36     Latvian Government (2026a), additional written input. 
37   Country visit Latvia, Foreign Investors Council in Latvia and Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 
38   The level of perceived corruption is categorised as follows: low (above 79); relatively low (between 79-60), 

relatively high (between 59-50), high (below 50). 

39   In 2021, the score was 59, while, in 2025, the score is 60. The score significantly increases/decreases when 
it changes more than five points; improves/deteriorates (changes between 4-5 points) and is relatively stable 
(changes from 1-3 points) in the last five years.  

40   Data from Special Eurobarometer 573 (2026) and Flash Eurobarometer 582 (2026). 
41   Latvian Government (2026), written input p. 15; Public portal of draft legislation Latvia (2026b). 
42   Corruption  Prevention  and  Combating  Action  Plan  2026-2027.  The  new  plan  has  been  developed  by  a 
working  group  of  41  institutions,  including  six  non-governmental  organisations,  Latvian  Government 
(2026a), additional written input. 

43   Corruption Prevention and Combating Action Plan 2026-2027. 
44   Latvian Government (2026), written input p. 15. 
45   KNAB (2026a). 
46   Parliament (2026), written input.  
47   Country visit Latvia, State Audit Office.  
48   Country visit Latvia, Providus.  

6 

 
 
Investigation  and  prosecution  of  corruption  cases  remain  effective  overall,  and  the 
number of corruption cases remains stable. KNAB, as well as the Internal Security Bureau 
and the State Border Guard, continue to efficiently investigate and refer corruption offences 
for  prosecution49.  As  regards  high-level  cases,  around  ten  cases  are  ongoing  before  the 
Economic  Court,  while  no  judgments  were  issued  in  202550.  The  fight  against  corruption 
remains  one  of  the  priorities  of  the  Office  of  the  Public  Prosecutor51.  The  Corruption 
Prevention  Coordination  unit  at  the  Office  of  the  Prosecutor  General  was  integrated  in  the 
Pre-Trial Criminal Proceedings and Litigation Unit of the Criminal Justice Department of the 
Office of the Prosecutor General, and the position of the Chief Prosecutor was  liquidated52. 
While  some  challenges  persist  on  the  investigation  of  high-level  corruption  cases,  such  as 
long duration and absence of witnesses, authorities reported positive developments regarding 
cooperation with foreign jurisdictions53. As regards the EPPO, cooperation with KNAB and 
the  Office  of  the  Prosecutor  General  is  effective.  KNAB  cooperated  with  the  EPPO  in  six 
cases in 202554. A dedicated support unit for the European Delegated Prosecutors was set-up 
in the Office of the Prosecutor General in 202555. 

While  there  have  been  some  efforts  to  improve  the  implementation  of  conflicts  of 
interest  rules,  the  post-employment framework has  not  been  strengthened  yet.  As 
regards  implementation,  in  2025,  the  KNAB  examined  a  total  number  of  828  declarations 
regarding potential conflicts of interest. In 110 cases, the public officials were fined (for an 
overall amount of EUR  17 630)56. The authorities are considering new rules on conflicts of 
interest  based  on  a  more  risk-based  approach57.  In  preparation,  the  State  Chancellery,  the 
KNAB and the Ministry of Welfare finalised a report on ‘cooling-off periods for work in the 
public sector’58. In parallel, an amendment to the Law on Prevention of Conflicts of Interest 
in Activities of Public Officials was adopted in Parliament, aiming to allow a reduction of the 
‘cooling  off`’  period  from  two  years  to  one  year  in  individual  cases  to  ensure 
proportionality59. 

49   Latvian  Government  (2026),  written  input  pp.  20  ff.;  the  State  border  guard  transferred  seven  cases  for 
prosecution,  noting  a  gradual  reduction  of  corruption  cases  in  the  area  of  their  competence.  The  Internal 
Security Bureau initiated a total of 52 criminal investigations; KNAB transmitted a total of 45 proceedings 
against 53 natural persons and one legal person to the prosecution service. KNAB (2025), p. 4. 

50   Country  visit  Latvia,  Economic  Court.  In  2024,  at  least  10  high-level  cases  were  ongoing  and  at  least  2 

were finalised.  

51   Country visit Latvia, Office of the Prosecutor General. A total of 24 prosecutors focus on anti-corruption at 

local, regional and national level. 

52   Latvian  Government  (2026),  written  input,  pp.  14-15.  Country  visit  Latvia,  Office  of  the  Prosecutor 

General. 

53   A  recent  Supreme  Court  judgment  facilitates  the  admissibility  of  evidence  received via Interpol  channels 
and  close  cooperation  has  been  established  with  the  most  relevant  neighbouring  countries;  a  remaining 
challenge  for  cooperation  is  the  geopolitical  situation.  Country  visit  Lavia,  the  Office  of  the  Prosecutor 
General. Latvian Government (2026a), additional written input. 

54   Country visit Latvia, KNAB. 
55   The unit consists of the head of unit, a senior assistant prosecutor, two lawyer-consultants, a translator and a 

senior transaction operations analyst. Country visit Lavia, the Office of the Prosecutor. 

56   Latvian Government (2026), written input, p. 17. 
57   A  risk-based  approach  in  anti-corruption  involves  identifying,  assessing  and  prioritising  corruption  risks 
based on their impact and likelihood. It allows organisation to use their resources efficiently, focusing on 
high-risk  areas  and  avoiding  unnecessary  expenditure  on  low-risk  activities,  Country  visit  Lavia,  State 
Chancellery.  

58   Latvian Government (2026), written input, p. 15. 
59   Law  on  Prevention  of  Conflicts  of  Interest  in  Activities  of  Public  Officials.  Country  visit  Latvia,  State 

Chancellery. Latvian Government (2026a), additional written input. 

7 

 
 
The  electronic  system  for  asset  declarations  with  an  automatic  tool  checking  the 
declarations  continues  to  work  effectively.  The  reduction  in  staff  following  a  re-
organisation  of  the  State  Revenue  Service  (SRS)  in  2024  had  no  negative  impact  on  its 
operation,  following  the  introduction  of  an  automatic  risk  assessment  system  for  public 
officials’  declarations  and  the  implementation  of  an  automated  solution  that  compares  the 
information  provided  in  these  declarations60.  As  a  result,  out  of  the  total  of  the  61  778 
declarations  submitted  by  public  officials,  only  9,75%  required  manual  intervention. 
Decisions regarding administrative violations were made in 505 cases61. 

Ethical  rules  for  Cabinet  Members  in  the  Government  have  been  prepared  and  the 
tasks  of  the  Mandate,  Ethics  and  Submissions  Committee  in  the  Parliament  were 
expanded. The State Chancellery has prepared a code of ethics for Cabinet Members, which 
the latter are currently reviewing62. The Parliament extended the tasks to the mandate of the 
Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Committee, which now includes preparing and publishing 
recommendations,  explanations  and  other  documents63.  In  2025,  the  Committee  actively 
monitored  compliance  with  the  Code  of  Ethics  for  Members  of  the  Parliament  reviewed 
several complaints and issued one written warning for violation of the Code of Ethics64. 

lobbying65.  Latvia  amended 

While  a  voluntary  list  of  interest  representatives  has  been  established,  there  has  been 
limited progress  on the recommendation to ensure the  effective implementation of the 
legislation  on 
the  Law  on  Transparency  of  Interest 
Representation in June 202566. The amendment delayed the establishment of the Register of 
Interest  Representation  and  the  System  for  Declaring  Interest  Representation,  initially 
foreseen by 2025, until September 202867. Based on the same amendment, a voluntary list of 
interest  representatives  available  to  the  public  has  been  set-up  in  the  Enterprise  Register  of 
the Republic of Latvia, and additional information about interest representation activities has 
been published on the websites of the respective public institutions since September 202568. 
While  these  publications  have  slightly  improved  the  implementation  of  the  legislation  on 
lobbying, the information publicly  available remains limited69. As a result, limited progress 
has been made to ensure the effective implementation of the legislation on lobbying. 

KNAB continues reviewing declarations on political parties’ finances efficiently. Latvia 
has a solid legislative framework to ensure transparency of political party financing, which is 
also  efficiently  implemented.  KNAB  examined  the  election  revenue  and  expenditure 
declarations  submitted  by  political  organisations  running  in  the  2024  European  Parliament 
elections,  and  it  held  ten  political  parties  administratively  liable  for  various  violations  and 
issued  a  warning  or  imposed  a  total  fine  of  EUR  6  80070.  In  addition,  KNAB  verified  the 
declarations  of  45  parties  for  local  elections  and  held  22  of  them  liable  for  violations  in 

60   Latvian Government (2026a), additional written input. 
61   Latvian Government (2026a), additional written input. 
62   Country visit Lavia, State Chancellery. 
63   Parliament (2026), written input.  
64   Parliament (2026), written input. 
65   The  2025  Rule  of  Law  report  recommended  Latvia  to  ‘ensure  the  effective  implementation  of  the 

legislation on lobbying, including as regards the special interim lobby register.’. 

66   Law on Transparency in Interest Representation. 
67   Latvian Government (2026), written input, p. 1.  
68   Latvian Government (2026), written input p. 1; Latvian Government (2026a), additional written input. As 
of 5 February 2026, 23 interest representatives have been included in the voluntary list  - 4 natural persons 
and 19 legal persons (of which 7 limited liability companies and 12 associations). 

69   Country visit Latvia, Delna, Providus and Civic Alliance Latvia.  
70   KNAB (2025a). 

8 

 
 
202571.  KNAB  also  audits  and  publishes  annual  reports  of  political  parties.  For  2025,  it 
published  the  reports  of  63  parties,  along  with  related  updates,  and  completed  69  audits  of 
these reports. KNAB also continued its work on the development of an electronic data entry 
system that would enable the automated transmission of annual returns and election revenue 
and expenditure declaration, as well as the automatic calculation of funding limits applicable 
to donors and members72.  

KNAB  was  designated  as the new  contact  point  for  whistleblowing.  The  Whistleblower 
Law  was  amended,  transferring  the  contact  point  for  whistleblowers  from  the  State 
Chancellery  to  KNAB73.  The  contact  point  became  operational  in  March  2026.  The 
amendment  also  provides  for  further  protection  of  whistleblowers,  although  it  does  not 
guarantee anonymity. KNAB has received 80 submissions as whistleblower reports, and 2021 
other  submissions  in  202574.  Additionally,  the  amendment  stipulates  that  the  Bureau  will 
handle the whistleblower reports where the competent authority is not clearly identifiable, as 
well  as  provide  further  training  for  designated  contact  persons  and  those  responsible  for 
whistleblowing procedures75. In addition, the Government developed an e-learning course for 
public administration and organised an international conference on whistleblowing in 202576.  

Public procurement remains a high-risk area for corruption, although the Government 
has  made  efforts  to  strengthen  mitigation  measures  and  to  provide  safeguards. 
Businesses’  attitudes  towards  corruption  in  the  EU  show  that  28%  of  companies  in  Latvia 
(EU average 30%) think that corruption has prevented them from winning a public tender in 
practice in the last three years77. 49% of businesses perceive the level of independence of the 
Procurement  Monitoring  Bureau  as  very  or  fairly  good  when  it  is  reviewing  public 
procurement cases78. The Single Market and Competitiveness Scoreboard on access to public 
procurement  in  Latvia  reports  24%  of  single  bids  for  2025  (27%  EU  average).  Public 
procurement  continues  to  be  identified  as  a  high-risk  area  for  corruption79.  The  authorities 
have  undertaken  various  measures  to  mitigate  these  risks,  ranging  from  the  adoption  of 
dedicated  plans80,  trainings  and  public  awareness,  to  incentives  for  public  officials81  and 
hackathons82.  In  addition,  public  procurement  procedures  in  the  field  of  construction, 
wastewater, waste, cleaning and environmental services as well as architecture, construction 
and engineering services are subject to additional monitoring as they have been identified as 

71   KNAB (2025b).   
72   KNAB (2026c), p. 27. 
73   Latvian Government (2026), written input, p. 18. 
74   KNAB (2026c), p. 4. 
75   KNAB (2026c), p. 11. 
76   Latvian Government (2026), written input, p. 18. 
77   Flash  Eurobarometer  582  on  Businesses’  attitudes  towards  corruption  in  the  EU  (2026).  This  is  2 

percentage points below the EU average. 
78   Figure 59, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
79   For  example,  the  EPPO  investigated  alleged  corruption  in  a  case  relating  to  high-level  IT  procurement 
fraud, leading to the detention of 20 suspects. EPPO (2026). The investigation led to questions on potential 
impact  on  upcoming  elections,  and  the  President  of  the  Republic  called  for  manual  vote  counting  in  the 
2026 parliamentary elections. Latvian Public Media (2026b). 

80   The  Office  of  Citizenship  and  Migration  Affairs  has  adopted  a  dedicated  plan  with  mitigation  measures, 
Order  No.  2/2026  "On  Approval  of  the  Anti-Corruption  Measures  Plan  of  the  Office  of  Citizenship  and 
Migration Affairs for 2026-2028". Latvian Government (2026), written input, p. 15. 

81   Such measures seem to have proven successful in reducing cases of bribery or attempted bribery in relation 

to border checks. Country visit Latvia, State Border Guard. 

82   KNAB organized two anti-corruption data hackathons on reducing corruption risks in public procurement 

using AI solutions. Latvian Government (2026a), additional written input. 

9 

 
 
risk areas83. While the centralisation of some procurement related activities at the Ministry of 
Interior  seems  to  have  a  positive  effect84,  challenges  due  to  limited  competition  and 
agreements  among  bidders  seem  to  persist  especially  at  the  local  level85.  In  this  regard, 
stakeholders  have  pointed  out  the  lack  of  criminal  sanctions  for  cartels  of  bidders86. 
Additional  concerns  have  been  raised  by  foreign  investors  about  an  ongoing  reform  of  the 
public procurement system, which seems to reduce the level of openness and transparency of 
competitions87.  Other  high-risk  sectors,  which  have  been  identified  as  particularly 
challenging, are immigration and health services88. 

III.  MEDIA PLURALISM AND MEDIA FREEDOM  

The  regulator  for  audiovisual  media  services,  the  National  Electronic  Mass  Media 
Council (NEPLP), continues to operate independently and remains effective. NEPLP is 
composed  of  five  members  elected  by  Parliament  for  a  term  of  five  years.  The  Electronic 
Mass  Media  Law  sets  the  conditions  for  appointment  and  dismissal  of  the  members  to 
preserve  independence  and  accountability.  In  2025,  the  NEPLP  received  additional  staff  to 
enhance  its  monitoring  capacity89.  The  functioning  of  the  new  Advisory  Council  to  the 
NEPLP  in  its  first  year  has  proven  to  be  effective  and  productive,  with  quarterly  meetings 
that consistently provide support to the Council's initiatives and decision-making processes90. 
The 2026 Media Pluralism Monitor (MPM) continues to consider a very low risk (10%) for 
the independence and effectiveness of the media authorities91. According to the MPM 2026, 
self-regulation  continues  to  be  considered  partly  effective,  while  the  regulatory  framework 
does not provide specific legal or self-regulatory safeguards for journalists in situations such 
as  ownership  changes,  and  journalists’  participation  in  professional  organisations  remains 
relatively low92 . 

The  merger  of  the  public  television  and  radio  into  Latvian  Public  Media  (LSM)  was 
completed,  with  no  perceived  effects  on  independence  and  media  pluralism.  2025  was 
the first year of functioning of LSM. New editor-in-chief was appointed from an open contest 
and approved by the Public Electronic Mass Media Council (SEPLP). Given the expiration of 
the SEPLP’s first term in August 2025, the changes in its membership, as well as the October 
2026  elections  and  the  upcoming  new  composition  of  the  Parliament,  it  was  decided  to 
continue developing the new LSM financing model within a broader reform process. Under 
this process, the Council will submit a reform package to the Parliament by the end of 2027, 
that includes changing LSM’s legal status from a state enterprise to a derived public entity93. 
The  use  of  Russian  language  was  discontinued  in  public  linear  broadcasting  on  1  January 
202694.  As  a  result,  LSM  has  developed  a  new  strategy  on  minorities  and  it  continues  to 
produce  Russian-language  news  for  its  online  channels,  as  well  as  news  in  Ukrainian  and 
English. LSM has opened a new studio in Daugavpils to maintain contact with the Russian-

83   Latvian Government (2026a), additional written input. 
84   Country visit Latvia, Ministry of Interior. 
85   Country visit Latvia, Chamber of Commerce and Foreign Investors Council in Latvia.  
86   Country visit Latvia, Chamber of Commerce and Foreign Investors Council in Latvia. 
87   Baltijas Balss Latvia (2026). 
88   Latvian Government (2026), written input, p. 19. 
89   Country visit Latvia, NEPLP. 
90   Country visit Latvia, NEPLP. 
91   2026 Media Pluralism Monitor, country report for Latvia, p. 12. 
92   2026 Media Pluralism Monitor, country report for Latvia, p. 27. 
93   Country visit Latvia, SEPLP. 
94   Country visit Latvia, Ministry of Culture. 

10 

 
 
speaking minority and ensure the region receives high-quality news coverage95. LSM plans to 
integrate  minority  related-  topics  directly  into  the  main  public  media  offer,  instead  of 
isolating them into separate channels or segments96. 

Amendments to the Press Law introduced transparency rules. Amendments to the law on 
the Press and Other Mass Media were adopted by the Parliament in June 202697, introducing 
mandatory  registration  of  media  service  providers  and  disclosure  of  beneficial  ownership 
information,  with  a  view  to  alignment  with  the  European  Media  Freedom  Act98.  They  also 
provide  access  to  information  about  funding  allocated  for  State  advertising  by  public 
institutions  and  other  public  entities  through  the  Mass  Media  Register99.  The  risk  level  for 
transparency of media ownership increased from medium to medium-high (56%) in the 2026 
MPM100. 

Access to public information remains stable. While the legal framework guaranteeing the 
right of access to information in the Freedom of Information Law is considered effective101, 
Latvian Association of Journalists report that public authorities sometimes deny access on the 
grounds  of  national  security,  which  is  difficult  to  challenge102. Although  the  MPM  2026 
again  refers  to  some  issues  about  public  institutions  being  slow  and  overly  bureaucratic  in 
responding  to  information  requests,  and  to  recent  examples  of  institutions  requiring 
electronically  signed  documents  when  journalists  submit  questions  on  current  issues,  it 
considers the protection of the right to information a very low-risk area (16%)103. 

The  professional  environment  for  journalists  continues  to  be  overall  safe,  although 
online  safety  has  reportedly  deteriorated.  Since  the  publication  of  2025  Rule  of  Law 
Report  there  were  no  cases  of  physical  violence  reported104.  A  further  deterioration  in  the 
online environment, especially for female journalists, was, however, observed105. According 
to  stakeholders,  there  has  not  yet  been  a  SLAPP  case106.  In  November  2025,  the  Latvian 
Cabinet  of  Ministers  approved  the  Safety  of  Journalists  and  Other  Media  Professionals 
Action  Plan  developed  by  the  Ministry  of  Culture  in  collaboration  with  various  State 
institutions  and  media  organisations107.  The  plan  included  the  transposition  of  the  Anti-
SLAPP Directive and the transposing Law entered into force on 7 May 2026, covering both 
domestic and cross-border cases. Since the publication of the 2025 Rule of Law Report, the 
Council  of  Europe’s  Platform  to  promote  the  protection  of  journalism  and  safety  of 
journalists108 and the Mapping Media Freedom platform109 did not publish new alerts about 

95   Country visit Latvia, LSM. 
96   Country visit Latvia, Ministry of Culture. 
97   Latvian Government (2026a), additional written input. 
98   Country visit Latvia, Ministry of Culture. 
99   Country visit Latvia, Ministry of Culture. 
100   2026 Media Pluralism Monitor, country report for Latvia, p. 22. 
101   Country visit Latvia, LSM. 
102   Country visit Latvia, Latvian Association of Journalists. 
103   2026 Media Pluralism Monitor, country report for Latvia, p. 12. 
104   Country visit Latvia, Latvian Association of Journalists. 
105   Country visit Latvia, Latvian Association of Broadcasting Organisations and Ombudsperson. 
106   Country visit Latvia, Latvian Association of Journalists and Ombudsperson. 
107   Latvian Government (2026) written input, p. 30. 
108   Council of Europe Safety of Journalist Platform (2026). 
109   Mapping Media Freedom (2026). 

11 

 
 
Latvia.  The  2026  MPM  indicator  for  journalistic  profession,  standards,  and  protection 
remains stable at medium-low risk (50%)110. 

IV.  OTHER INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES RELATED TO CHECKS AND BALANCES 

Amendments  to  the  Ombudsperson  nomination  process  are  being  discussed  in  the 
Parliament.  The  amendments  would  expand  the  right  to  nominate  candidates  for  the 
Ombudsperson, providing that in  addition  to  members of the Parliament (not  less than 10), 
also  the President  of the Republic could  nominate candidates for the position. This  follows 
the  selection  and  appointment  more  participatory  and 
recommendations 
transparent111.  The  Parliament  would  continue 
the  Ombudsperson.  The 
Ombudsperson,  which  is  the  National  Human  Rights  Institution,  was  re-accredited  with  A-
Status in October 2025112. Due to general austerity measures, the Ombudsperson revised its 
budget  and  reduced  planned  expenses  for  research,  training  and  travel.  It  also  assumed  an 
additional mandate as the national contact point for Artificial Intelligence with no additional 
funds allocated for this task for 2026113. 

to  make 

to  elect 

Amendments to the Law on the Constitutional Court are being considered. The aim of 
the amendments  is  to  strengthen the independence of judges of the Constitutional  Court by 
ensuring the possibility that their decisions cannot result in negative repercussions after their 
mandate  ends114.  The  draft  amendments  to  the  Constitutional  Court  Law  would  introduce a 
“guarantee of return” allowing prosecutors appointed as members of the Constitutional Court 
to return to an equivalent position within the Prosecutor’s Office and retain eligibility for a 
prosecutor’s service pension115. Amendments were also adopted to improve the regulation of 
the  institution  of  a  judge’s  separate  opinion116.  This  allows  judges  who  disagree  with  a 
decision  to  terminate  the  proceedings  or  its  reasoning  to  submit  a  separate  opinion  at  their 
discretion, while retaining the existing right of judges to submit separate opinions regarding 
judgements on merits117.  

Less than half of companies surveyed in Latvia express confidence in the effectiveness of 
investment protection.  43% of companies are very or fairly confident that investments are 
protected by law  and courts, a figure that has increased in  comparison  with  2025 (37%)118. 
The main reasons listed by companies for their lack of confidence are the frequent changes in 
legislation  and  concerns  about  quality  of  the  law-making  process  (29%)119.  As  regards 
authorities  relevant  for  economic  operators,  42%  perceive  the  level  of  independence  of  the 
national competition authority (Competition Council) as very or fairly good, a figure which 

110   2026 Media Pluralism Monitor, country report for Latvia, p. 12. 
111   Latvian Government (2026), written input, p. 36. This amendment follows a 2020 recommendation by the 
Global  Alliance  of  National  Human  Rights  Institutions  Sub-Committee  on  Accreditation,  recommending 
further improvements to make the selection and appointment more participatory and transparent, including 
to  maximise  the  number  of  potential  candidates  from  a  wide  range  of  societal  groups  and  educational 
qualifications. 

112   Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (2025), p. 26. 
113   Country visit Latvia, Office of the Ombudsperson. 
114   Latvian Government (2026), written input, p. 3. 
115   Latvian Government (2026), written input, p. 3. 
116   Latvian Government (2026), written input, p. 4. 
117   Country visit Latvia, Constitutional Court. Latvian Government (2026a), additional written input. 
118   Figure 52, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
119   Figure 53, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard. 24% of the surveyed investors perceive concerns about the quality 
of the law-making process and concerns about quality, efficiency or independence of justice as a reason for 
the lack of confidence in investment protection. 

12 

 
 
has  increased  in  comparison  with  2025  (37%)120.  The  Supreme  Court  has  jurisdiction  in 
several  business-related  cases,  including  in  cases  related  to  public  procurement,  public 
concessions, public contracts and economic regulation. A number of judicial mechanisms to 
improve  efficiency  are  available  in  these  cases,  including  the  possibility  to  apply  interim 
measures,  joint  examination  of  similar  cases  and  the  consolidation  of  multiple  appeals121. 
Foreign  investors  expressed  concerns  that  public  procurement  practices  and  large-scale 
contract  awards  may  adversely  affect  the  business  environment  and  investment  climate, 
highlighting  a  concentration  of  contracts  among  a  limited  number  of  recipients122. 
Amendments  to  the  Public  Procurement  law  are  being  discussed  to  centralise  procurement, 
which  would  be  welcomed  by  foreign  investors123,  while  further  improvements  on 
transparency are still considered necessary124.  

On 1 January 2026, Latvia had 7 leading judgments of the European Court of Human 
Rights  pending  implementation,  a  decrease  of  2  compared  to  the  previous  year125.  At 
that  time,  Latvia’s  rate  of  leading  judgments  from  the  past  10  years  that  had  been 
implemented  was  at  81%  (compared  to  79%  in  2025;  19%  remained  pending),  and  the 
average time that the judgments had been pending implementation was 1 year and 6 months 
(compared  to  1  year  and  3  months  in  2025)126.  The  oldest  leading  judgment,  pending 
implementation  for  more  than  3  years,  concerns,  among  other  issues,  the  domestic  court’s 
failure  to  take  account  of  a  trade-union  element  in  a  labor  dispute  of  the  applicant127.  As 
regards  the  respect  of  payment  deadlines,  on  31  December  2025  there  was  1  case  in  total 
awaiting confirmation of payments (compared to 2 in 2024)128. By 17 June 2026, the number 
of leading judgments pending implementation had increased to 8129. 

Civic  space  remains  open  and  cooperation  with  the  Government  continues  to  be 
positive, while civil society organisations report an increase  in negative narratives and 
funding challenges. Civic space in Latvia continues to be rated as ‘open’ by Civicus130. The 
implementation  of 
the  Memorandum  of  Cooperation  between  Non-Governmental 
Organisations  and  the  Cabinet  of  Ministers  has  begun  with  the  establishment  of  the 
Memorandum  Council as the central  platform for civic  dialogue131.  While  cooperation with 
the Government continues to  be  positive, civil  society  organisations  reported an increase  in 

120   Figure 60, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard.  
121   Figures 66 and 67, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard. The data presented reflects exclusively the mechanisms in 
place at the level of the highest administrative jurisdictions; the same or other mechanisms may be in place 
at lower instance administrative courts. 

122   Foreign  investors  also  reported  challenges  with  short  submission  deadlines,  lack  of  transparency  of  the 
procurement  process,  and  the  exclusive  use  of  Latvian  language  in  procurement  documentation.  Country 
visit Latvia, Foreign Investors Council in Latvia and Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 

123   Country visit Latvia, Foreign Investors Council in Latvia. 
124   Country visit Latvia, Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 
125   For an explanation of the supervision process, see the website of the Council of Europe. 
126   All figures calculated by the European Implementation Network (EIN) and based on the number of cases 
that are considered pending at the annual cut-off date of 1 January 2026. EIN (2026), written input, p. 6. 

127   Judgment of the ECtHR, 59402/14, Straume v. Latvia, pending implementation since 2022. 
128   Council of Europe (2026), p. 163. 
129   Data according to the online database of the Council of Europe (HUDOC). 
130   Latvia’s  score  is  86/100.  Ratings  by  Civicus  are  on  a  five-category  scale  defined  as:  open,  narrowed, 

obstructed, repressed and closed. 

131   The  Council  for  the  Implementation  of  the  Memorandum  of  Cooperation  between  Non-Governmental 
Organisations  and  the  Cabinet  of  Ministers  (Memorandum  Council).  Country  visit  Latvia,  Civic  Alliance 
Latvia. 

13 

 
 
negative narratives on their role, including from political actors132, prompting the civil society 
to suggest putting in place an early warning system to document and report concerns before 
they  escalate133.  At  the  same  time,  civil  society  organisations  face  growing  funding 
pressure134, compounded by uncertainty surrounding key domestic and international funding 
mechanisms135 and continued challenges in participation in discussions on public funding136. 

132   Country visit Latvia, Civic Alliance Latvia, Providus. This included the public debate surrounding Latvia’s 
potential  withdrawal  from  the  Istanbul  Convention,  which triggered  widespread  civil  society  engagement 
through  protests  and  petitioning,  leading  the  President  to  return  the  draft  law  to  Parliament  for 
reconsideration. Fundamental Rights Agency (2026), p. 206-209. 

133   Country visit Latvia, Civic Alliance Latvia. 
134   Country visit Latvia, Civic Alliance Latvia and Providus. 
135   Country visit Latvia, Transparency International Latvia. 
136   Country visit Latvia, Civic Alliance Latvia and Providus. 

14 

 
 
Annex I: List of sources in alphabetical order* 

* The list of contributions received in the context of the consultation for the 2026 Rule of Law Report 
can 
https://commission.europa.eu/publications/2026-rule-law-report-targeted-
found 
stakeholder-consultation_en.  

be 

at 

Baltijas Balss Latvia (2026), Public Procurement Reform - Fight Against Bureaucracy or Sabotage?, 
https://bb.lv/statja/ekonomika/2026/02/12/reforma-publicnyx-zakupok-borba-s-biurokratiei-ili-
vreditelstvo. 

CEPEJ (2026), Study on the judicial systems in EU Member States. 

Centre  for  Media  Pluralism  and  Media  Freedom  (2026),  Media  Pluralism  Monitor  2026,  Country 
report for Latvia. 

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

Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (2026), Contribution for the 2026 Rule of Law Report, 
https://www.ccbe.eu/fileadmin/speciality_distribution/public/documents/ROL/RoL_Position_papers/
EN_ROL_20260327_CCBE-contribution-to-the-Rule-of-Law-Report-2026.pdf. 

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 (2026), Supervision of the execution of judgments decisions of the European Court 
of Human Rights, https://rm.coe.int/2025-annual-report/48802b1633. 

European Association of Judges (2026), Contribution for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

European  Centre  for  Press  and  Media  Freedom,  Mapping  Media  Freedom,  Latvia  country  profile, 
https://www.mappingmediafreedom.org/. 

European Commission (2026), EU Justice Scoreboard. 

European Commission (2024), EU Justice Scoreboard. 

European Commission (2026), Flash Eurobarometer 582 on businesses’ attitudes towards corruption 
and  businesses’  perception  of 
the  EU 
and in selected enlargement countries in 2026.  

independence  of  national 

justice  systems 

the 

in 

European  Commission  (2025),  2025  Rule  of  Law  Report,  Country  Chapter  on  the  rule  of  law 
situation in Latvia. 

European  Commission  (2024),  2024  Rule  of  Law  Report,  Country  Chapter  on  the  rule  of  law 
situation in Latvia. 

European  Commission (2026), Special  Eurobarometer 573 on  citizens’  attitudes  towards  corruption 
in the EU in 2026.  

European Implementation Network (EIN) (2026), Input from the European Implementation Network 
for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

European  Network  of  Councils  for  the  Judiciary  (2026),  Contribution  for  the  2026  Rule  of  Law 
Report. 

EPPO 
(2026),  Latvia:  20  suspects  detained  over  €1.5  million  IT  procurement 
https://www.eppo.europa.eu/en/media/news/latvia-20-suspects-detained-over-eu15-million-it-
procurement-fraud. 

fraud, 

Fundamental  Rights  Agency  (2026),  FRA  submission  to  the  2026  European  Commission  annual 
report on the rule of law. 

Global  Alliance  of  National  Human  Rights  Institutions  (2025),  Report  and  recommendations  of  the 
46th 
https://ganhri.org/wp-
content/uploads/2026/01/sca-report-46th-session-24122025-EN.pdf. 

Sub-Committee 

Accreditation, 

session 

the 

on 

of 

15 

 
Global  Alliance  of  National  Human  Rights  Institutions  Sub-Committee  on  Accreditation  (2020), 
Report 
2020, 
https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Countries/NHRI/GANHRI/SCA_Report_Decem
ber_2020_-_24012021_-_En.pdf. 

KNAB (2026a), The Saeima strengthens the performance of risk analysis as a function of the KNAB, 
Saeima strengthens risk analysis as a function of the KNAB | Corruption Prevention and Combating 
Bureau. 

last  elections 

KNAB (2026b), KNAB has held almost half of the political organisations that stood as candidates in 
responsibility,  knab.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/knab-saucis-pie-
the 
administrativas-atbildibas-gandriz-pusi-no-aizvaditajas-velesanas-kandidejusajam-politiskajam-
organizacijam. 

to  administrative 

KNAB (2026c), Annual Report 2025, https://www.knab.gov.lv/en/media/7922/download?attachment. 

KNAB (2025a), The KNAB has examined the revenue and expenditure declarations of the European 
Parliament  elections  by  political  parties,  KNAB  pārbaudījis  politisko  partiju  Eiropas  Parlamenta 
vēlēšanu ieņēmumu un izdevumu deklarācijas | Korupcijas novēršanas un apkarošanas birojs. 

KNAB (2025b), Report on the verification of the revenue and expenditure declarations of municipal 
elections 
organisations, 
2025 
https://www.knab.gov.lv/lv/media/7814/download?attachment. 

policial 

June 

by 

of 

7 

Latvian Government (2026), Input from Latvia for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

Latvian Government (2026a), Additional written input from Latvia for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

Latvian  Public  Media  (2026a),  President  orders  Saeima  to  re-evaluate  replacement  of  judges' 
retirement  pensions  with  special  pensions  (Prezidents  liek  Saeimai  vēlreiz  vērtēt  tiesnešu  izdienas 
pensiju  aizstāšanu  ar  speciālajām  pensijām),  https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/latvija/20.02.2026-
prezidents-liek-saeimai-velreiz-vertet-tiesnesu-izdienas-pensiju-aizstasanu-ar-specialajam-
pensijam.a635561/. 

Latvian  Public  Media  (2026b),  President  Rinkēvičs:  Back  to  manual  vote  counting  in  this  year's 
elections,  https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/president/23.03.2026-president-rinkevics-back-to-manual-
vote-counting-in-this-years-elections.a640034/. 

Parliament (2026), Written input. 

(2025),  Saeima 

Parliament 
https://www.saeima.lv/en/news/saeima-news/35338-saeima-approves-amendments-to-the-service-
pension-system. 

amendments 

approves 

pension 

service 

the 

to 

system, 

State  Audit  Office  (2024),  Performance  audit  on  the  ‘Availability  and  development  of  human 
resources 
the  Courts  of  Latvia’,  https://www.lrvk.gov.lv/en/getrevisionfile/29740-J2RD-
kxrwjumAYd1ZQNdSJZjDb6mRsn_.pdf. 

in 

Public  Portal  of  Draft  Legislation  Latvia  (2026a),  Amendments  to  the  Law  on  Judicial  Power 
(Grozījumi  likumā  "Par  tiesu  varu),  https://tapportals.mk.gov.lv/legal_acts/14240852-dff8-4173-
bde9-6ebceb7c76ce. 

Public Portal of Draft Legislation Latvia (2026b), Informative report “On the final impact assessment 
of  the  implementation  of  the  Action  Plan  for  the  Prevention  and  Combatting  of  Corruption  2023-
2025”, https://tapportals.mk.gov.lv/legal_acts/ae871621-54fb-481f-a1ca-8baab82939e2. 

Working Party on Specialisation of Judges (2024), On the specialisation of land register cases in the 
courts  (Tiesnešu  specializācijas  darba  grupa,  Par  zemesgrāmatu  lietu  specializāciju  tiesās), 
https://www.tieslietupadome.lv/lv/media/9019/download?attachment. 

16 

 
Annex II: Country visit to Latvia 

The Commission services held virtual meetings in February 2026 with: 

Internal Security Bureau 

•  Bar Association (Council of Sworn Advocates) 
•  Civic Alliance Latvia 
•  Constitutional Court 
•  Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) 
•  Council of Sworn Advocates 
•  Court Administration 
•  Delna – Transparency International Latvia 
•  Economic Court 
•  Foreign Investors’ Council in Latvia (FICIL) 
• 
•  Judicial Council 
•  Latvian Association of Broadcasting Organisations 
•  Latvian Association of Journalists 
•  Latvian Association of Judges 
•  Latvian Association of Press Publishers 
•  Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry 
•  Latvian Public Media 
•  Ministry of Culture 
•  Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
•  Ministry of Interior 
•  Ministry of Justice 
•  National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP) 
•  Ombudsperson’s Office 
•  Prosecutor General’s Office 
•  Providus 
•  Public Electronic Mass Media Council (SEPLP) 
•  State Audit Office 
•  State Boarder Guard 
•  State Chancellery 
•  State Revenue Service 
•  Supreme Court 

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

•  Civil Liberties Union for Europe 
•  Civil Society Europe 
•  End FGM EU 
•  European Civic Forum 
•  European Partnership for Democracy 
•  Human Rights Watch 
• 
• 

ILGA-Europe 
International Federation for Human Rights 

17 

 
 
•  Philea - Philanthropy Europe Association 
•  Transparency International EU 

18