On Thursday, the Saeima adopted in the final reading amendments to the Civil Protection and Disaster Management Law, introducing a mandatory requirement to build shelters for certain types of buildings, as well as regulations on how such shelters must be constructed, adapted, and used in the event of war or disaster.
Starting from the 1st of January 2027, the construction of shelters will be mandatory for many newly planned buildings. The amendments also impose obligations on municipalities.
According to the State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD), which has surveyed over 4 710 sites across Latvia, 394 locations currently meet shelter standards, while 1 200 partially comply, VUGD representatives previously informed the Saeima’s Defence, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Committee.
The law defines a shelter as a structure or part of a structure intended to protect people from disasters, military invasion, or war.
Three categories of shelters are introduced:
- Category I – the highest level of protection, shielding against blast waves, chemical agents, ionizing radiation, radioactive dust, and shrapnel.
- Category II – shelters providing protection against blast waves and shrapnel.
- Category III – shelters adapted from existing buildings to reduce impact from blast waves and shrapnel.
Mandatory shelter construction from 2027 will apply to multi-apartment buildings with more than five floors, kindergartens, schools, and universities, inpatient healthcare institutions, public buildings with at least 2 500 square meters of floor space
Owners of other buildings not covered by the mandatory requirement may voluntarily establish shelters. However, shelter owners will be obliged to maintain them so that people can access and use them in the event of a disaster, threat thereof, military invasion, or war.
Municipalities will be required to maintain a registry of shelters in their territory. They will also be allowed to support shelter construction in both public and private buildings and provide necessary equipment.
Additionally, if a building with a shelter undergoes renovation, reconstruction, or change of use, the shelter must be preserved.
The Cabinet of Ministers will be tasked with defining the criteria for recognizing a structure or part of a structure as a shelter, inspection procedures for shelters and requirements for civil protection signs and their placement
In light of recent storm damage and based on municipal experiences, the amendments also allow municipalities to organize clean-up measures not only in public areas but also on private property. This includes helping residents who may be unable to remove fallen trees or debris themselves. The procedures will be set in local government regulations.