People in Latvia are more optimistic about their financial situation, according to a new SKDS poll for Luminor Bank conducted in December 2024, Baltic News Network reports. The survey showed that 42% of respondents expected their financial situation to improve in 2025, with 22% expecting much better and 21% slightly better finances. Meanwhile, 24% of…
The Baltic and Polish transmission system operators (TSO) plan to apply for around EUR 600mn of EU funding for infrastructure investments from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), ERR reports. The funds would be divided equally between the four companies. The companies would use the funds for investments in protecting their critical energy infrastructure. Kalle Kilk,…
Estonia has implemented a new rounding rule for cash payments as of 1 January 2025, The Baltic Guide reports. Under the new “Swedish rounding” rule, the final cash transaction totals will be rounded to the nearest five cents, reducing the need for one and two cent coins. The coins will still remain legal tender, however….
Latvia would support Estonia or Finland if they requested consultations with allies under NATO’s Article 4, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics announced, LETA reports. He was responding to questions about the recent sabotage of undersea power and data cables in the Baltic Sea. Rinkevics stressed the need for bolstering the physical presence of NATO allied forces…
The Lithuanian government may change the terms of a tender for the right to build a second 700 MW offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea, Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas announced, Baltic News Network reports. Speaking in an interview with Ziniu Radijas, Vaiciunas said that the Energy Ministry was looking for solutions to ensure the…
Lithuania should not support the ratification of the EU-Mercosur Association Agreement, Lithuania’s Agriculture Minister, Ignas Hofmanas, stated, Baltic News Network reports. Speaking in an interview with LRT, Hofmanas insisted that Lithuania should wait for the European Commission’s “detailed explanation” of the free trade agreement. Earlier, the rural affairs committee of the Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas,…
Estonian shipping company Tallink Grupp carried a total of 5,580,016 passengers in 2024, which was down 2.2% from 5,705,600 in 2023, ERR reports. The number of passengers increased by 2.5% on the route between Estonia and Finland and 8% on the routes between Estonia and Sweden, but decreased by 15.4% on the routes between Finland…
Latvia has taken over the presidency of the Baltic Council of Ministers (BCM) for 2025, LSM reports. The focus of the Latvian presidency will be on regional security and resilience, support for Ukraine, regional connectivity, energy security, and investments, the Latvian Foreign Ministry stated. Latvia would pay special attention to external borders, civil protection and…
Lithuania’s new government plans to establish a new ministry for regional policy, Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic announced, Baltic News Network reports. He suggested that the new ministry could be operational in 2026 and be located outside Vilnius, ELTA reported. He said that Lithuania would build on Poland’s “good practice and experience” in creating the ministry….