Latvia

[LV] Latest Developments in the Field of Media Legislation

IRIS 1995-9:1/26

Volker Kreutzer

Institute of European Media Law (EMR), Saarbrücken/Brussels

In IRIS 1995-7:5, we reported that Parliament had rejected the Latvian Radio and Television Act and referred it back to the committee. The Act has now been passed on a second attempt and has come into force.

Further legislation is being discussed. A Freedom of Information Act is, for example, in the pipeline. This makes it possible to classify information as "public", "confidential" or a "state secret", and specifies the empowering state authorities. It expressly states that the classification of information as confidential may not be misused to conceal misconduct by an individual or the state. Changes in the field of copyright law can also be expected shortly. For one thing, penalties for copyright violations are to be increased, with prison sentences of up to six years for the worst offenders.