About: Latvia Archives

Offshore wind could not only propel the Baltics to the forefront of the energy transition, but also to the ranks of clean energy exporters, writes Lukas Trakimavičius.

Lithuanian state-controlled energy company Ignitis Group will start supplying liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Poland next year when a new pipeline between the two countries comes online, its CEO said on Monday (1 March).

Latvia's prime minister on Tuesday (5 January) fired his health minister in a row over coronavirus vaccination policy, straining ties within the governing coalition.

Belarus will close its borders with EU neighbours Poland and Lithuania and step up security measures at the Ukrainian frontier, President Alexander Lukashenko announced on Thursday (17 September).

The Baltic states on Monday (31 August) banned embattled Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko as he cracked down further on the opposition movement following another huge rally at the weekend.

A coalition of EU member states have hit out at the bloc's efforts to stem the spread of disinformation, calling the self-regulatory framework currently in place "insufficient and unsuitable."

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia opened their borders to each other at the stroke of midnight, creating the first "travel bubble" within the European Union in a bid to jump-start economies broken down by the coronavirus pandemic.

The EU should provide more funds to enable faster movement of military forces across Europe, defence ministers from four eastern European member states said on Tuesday (10 March), two weeks before the bloc starts a new round of divisive talks over the next seven-year budget.

The United States and Baltic states on Sunday (6 October) agreed to beef up cooperation to protect the Baltic energy grid from cyber-attacks as they disconnect from the Russian electricity grid.

When NATO's Centre for Strategic Communication in Riga discovered how easy it was to dupe its soldiers online, it has started looking for ways of countering false information, which comes, in large part, from Russia. EURACTIV's media partner der Tagesspiegel reports.

Latvia said Thursday (27 June) that lawmakers will vote next month on whether to suspend its participation in the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly after the rights body agreed to reinstate Russia.

Europe’s power politics are playing out more and more in the Baltic Sea, as the energy potential of the sea basin shifts more into the limelight. 

The European Commission published last week its assessment of what the four candidates offered for hosting the newly formed European Labour Agency. Now the ball is in the member states’ court and their decision will be known on 13 June. EURACTIV looked into the offers.

The Latvian parliament will on Wednesday (29 May) choose the Baltic state's next president, with long-time European Court of Justice judge and former Soviet dissident Egils Levits the frontrunner.

Like for its fellow Baltic states Estonia and Lithuania, Latvia’s EU accession was a milestone for a country that used to be part of the Soviet Union until 1991.

Thousands of Estonians lit candles across the Baltic state on Monday (25 March) in memory of the victims of Soviet mass deportations launched 70 years ago that saw tens of thousands sent to labour camps in Siberia, where many of them died.

Norway’s Supreme Court will on Tuesday (15 January) hear arguments on whether EU ships can fish for snow crab off Arctic islands north of Norway without permission from Oslo, a case that could decide who has the right to explore for oil in the region.

Latvia’s president nominated a current MEP as prime minister on Monday (7 January), after two other picks failed to form a government after elections held in October.

Three EU members voted against, five abstained and one didn’t vote during the formal ratification on Wednesday (19 December) in New York of the Global Compact on Migration.

A United Nations conference adopted a migration pact in front of leaders and representatives from over 160 countries in Morocco on Monday (10 December), despite a string of withdrawals, including several EU countries, driven by anti-immigrant populism.

In the light of growing Russian disinformation campaigns, we should watch the parliamentary elections in Latvia tomorrow (6 October) closely, writes Harry Nedelcu.

In a thorough and critical documentary, two filmmakers raise questions about the disproportionate power of BNP Paribas, one of Europe’s largest banks. The documentary is a case study calling into question the credibility of European banking regulation. EURACTIV France reports.

EU nations may boast the world's most stringent anti-money laundering rules, but recent scandals show that criminals are good at exploiting the bloc's Achilles' heel: a patent lack of coordination.

The fight against corruption is one of the key campaign issues for the Latvian parliamentary elections on 6 October. However, the strange cabals, which are likely driven by Russia, are tending to tarnish the entire political class. EURACTIV France reports.