The Ministry of Climate and Energy (KEM) has withdrawn the draft order submitted for inter-agency approval on Wednesday, the 26th of August, which envisaged declaring a state of emergency in the healthcare, energy supply and water management sectors in Latvia’s eastern border region, according to information published on the Draft Legal Acts (TAP) portal.
KEM representatives told the LETA news agency that, in light of discussions in the public domain and what the ministry considers to be some inaccurate interpretations of the document’s substance and purpose, the document is currently no longer publicly available on the TAP portal.
To reduce the risk of further communication problems and misinterpretation, the ministry also plans to clarify the title of the document. At the same time, the information provided by KEM does not indicate that the initiative itself or the draft order has been abandoned.
The ministry is continuing work on a temporary legal solution, while
the next step will be to develop permanent regulations governing the provision of critical services
during an aerial threat over the long term.
KEM also stated that it initiated the drafting of the relevant Cabinet of Ministers order on the basis of a government instruction requiring all ministries, where necessary, to submit proposals to the Ministry of Justice by the 30th of September this year for the legal framework needed in their respective sectors to ensure continuity of operations in the event of threats to Latvia’s airspace.
The ministries were instructed to clearly define the objective or problem, propose a conceptual solution for achieving that objective or addressing the problem, and explain why the issue cannot be resolved under the existing legislation governing their respective sectors.
As previously reported, KEM had prepared and submitted for inter-agency approval a draft order proposing that a state of emergency be declared until the 1st of December this year in the healthcare, energy supply and water management sectors in Latvia’s eastern border region.
The proposal was justified by the threat of an escalation in Russia’s military activities
and the need to address potential threats to Latvia’s airspace.
The proposed state of emergency would have applied to the municipalities of Alūksne, Augšdaugava, Balvi, Daugavpils, Krāslava, Līvāni, Ludza, Preiļi and Rēzekne, as well as the cities of Daugavpils and Rēzekne.
KEM explained that unmanned aerial vehicles and other unidentified objects are being detected with increasing frequency in Latvian airspace or near the country’s border, potentially posing a threat to public safety, human health and the operation of critical infrastructure.
The draft order provided for temporary exemptions from working-time and overtime regulations, additional remuneration and employee protection measures to ensure the continuity of critical services during an aerial threat.
Minister of Climate and Energy Jānis Vitenbergs (National Alliance) explained on Thursday that the draft order concerning a state of emergency in Latvia’s border region was not a signal of an imminent invasion, but rather a preventive measure intended to ensure the continuity of critical services in the event of an aerial threat.
KEM stressed that the draft order, entitled “On Declaring a State of Emergency in Latvia’s Eastern Border Region,” did not itself provide for the immediate declaration of a state of emergency, but instead set out measures to be taken if such a state of emergency were declared.
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