At a meeting of the Saeima’s Public Administration and Local Government Committee on Tuesday, several MPs pointed out shortcomings in the draft Cemetery Law, prompting the creation of a working group to develop necessary solutions.
As the committee reviewed the draft law before its second reading, which aims to establish a unified framework for the creation, maintenance, expansion, and allocation of cemeteries and burial plots, MP Andrejs Ceļapīters noted that with more than 70 submitted amendments, “the draft is clearly not of sufficient quality.”
MP Uģis Mitrevics (National Alliance) added that the large number of proposals shows that some articles of the bill contain “diametrically opposite provisions.” He also emphasized that the same rules cannot be equally applied to cemeteries in Riga and those outside the capital.
A representative of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (VARAM) explained that the bill was drafted following recommendations by the State Audit Office and in light of a Constitutional Court ruling regarding cemetery management in Jūrmala.
Subsequent audits revealed inconsistent practices among municipalities,
threatening the constitutional right to a dignified farewell. The ministry stressed that the goal is not to regulate everything in detail but to ensure fundamental human rights and create a unified national process.
Committee chairman Oļegs Burovs (For Riga!) announced that a working group meeting will be held at the end of November, bringing together all parties — including MPs who submitted amendments — to resolve outstanding issues before the committee resumes substantive work.
The draft law stipulates that municipal councils will decide on the establishment, expansion, or closure of cemeteries, defining their name, boundaries, and permitted types of burials.
Municipalities may restrict cemetery access for visitors under specific circumstances
but must justify such restrictions. At the same time, they must ensure public access for cultural or religious traditions, even during restricted periods.
Municipalities are also required to plan cemetery development in advance in line with their territorial development plans.
Cemeteries are closed to new burials when no free space remains, and columbaria are closed when all urn niches are full.
The law outlines basic maintenance requirements, including clear signage indicating the cemetery name, access restrictions, and contact details for the managing authority. Municipalities must also physically mark cemetery boundaries, though not necessarily with fences — natural or infrastructural boundaries may suffice.
Each cemetery must have at least one waste collection point
and, depending on visitor volume, a water source and toilet. A one-year transition period is provided for municipalities to install these facilities if they are not yet in place.
Municipalities will also be obliged to create and maintain an electronic burial registry for all municipal cemeteries, containing a minimum set of required information. Existing local data must be incorporated within three years of the law’s entry into force.
The bill introduces a uniform procedure for assigning burial plots in municipal cemeteries.
Plots will be granted by municipalities as special usage rights to public property.
Priority will be given based on the deceased’s last declared residence or additional registered address, though allocation may also follow the applicant’s residence. Applicants may also request a plot near an existing family grave to create family burial areas.
Municipal decisions to grant or deny a burial plot may be appealed
to the Administrative District Court.
The bill sets out the responsibilities of grave holders, including preparing graves for burial, cleaning them within three months afterward, removing withered flowers and wreaths, maintaining plantings, and keeping the area in good order.
It also establishes a single national procedure for declaring graves neglected and revoking usage rights. Cemetery managers must inspect graves at least once per year (between April 1 and November 1) and record long-term neglect — such as decayed flowers, fallen branches, litter, or broken structures — that significantly harms the cemetery’s overall appearance.
If a grave is found neglected, the municipality issues a formal notice and informs the grave holder, granting a three-year period to clean and restore it.
If the holder is unknown, an informational notice is placed at the grave with the caretaker’s contact details, and, if necessary, published elsewhere — including in the official gazette “Latvijas Vēstnesis.”
Information about neglected graves will also be made publicly available in the electronic cemetery registry.
If a grave remains neglected after the given period, the municipality may revoke the burial rights.
The new law will replace existing municipal cemetery regulations once it comes into force. However, a transition period will allow local regulations to remain valid until the 30th of June, 2027, provided they do not contradict the new law.
The Cemetery Law is expected to enter into force on the 1st of January, 2026.
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