The Latvian Trade Union of Education and Science Employees (LIZDA) will ask Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins to adopt urgent solutions to implement the agreement reached with the Ministry of Education and Science after a recent teacher strike, LETA reports. Earlier, LIZDA demanded that Education Minister Anda Caksa resign, which the minister refused to do, insisting…
The Latvian government has approved amendments to requirements on green public procurement, aiming to provide more opportunities for local producers, Baltic News Network reports. The updated criteria cover various categories such as food and catering, indoor and street lighting, construction, transport, and road construction and maintenance. The amendments will enable municipal and state institutions to…
Only 56% of legal entities in Estonia managed to submit their annual reports on time by the 30 June 2023 deadline, according to the Ministry of Justice, BNS reports. Out of approximately 290,000 entities obligated to report, which make up about 95% of all legal entities, altogether 162,689 submitted their reports on time. Margit Veskimäe,…
For the first time since the restoration of independence, the number of prisoners in Estonia has dropped below 2,000, BNS reports. There are now a total of 1,994 prisoners in Estonian prisons, with 202 of them serving sentences in open prisons. The number of offenders under the supervision of probation officers on a daily basis…
Estonian property developer Kapitel plans to build a new five-storey apartment hotel on Kalasadama Street in Tallinn’s Kalamaja neighbourhood, ERR reports. Martin Rebane, development director at Kapitel, estimated the construction costs at EUR 30-40mn. He said that the hotel would cater to both short-term and long-term accommodation. The 4,170 m2 hotel will have 206 rooms,…
Following the imposition of sanctions on Russian timber, Estonia has seen a surge in heavy timber imports from unexpected countries, where forests are assumed to be scarce, Postimees reports. Henrik Välja, CEO of the Estonian Forest and Wood Industries Association (EMPL), said that Russian timber continued to flow into Estonia through an illegal scheme whereby…
Estonia’s Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA) has proposed legislation to ensure that media service providers uphold balanced and impartial reporting in news programmes, ERR reports. Currently, Estonian media service providers are subject to license supervision, but there is no provisional control for foreign channels. TTJA plans to consult with other state agencies, including…
Lithuania will not veto NATO’s Vilnius summit declaration on Ukraine’s membership even if the text is unsatisfactory, Asta Skaisgiryte, chief foreign policy adviser to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, stated, LRT reports. She emphasised the importance of unity within the defence alliance, noting that efforts were being made to secure the best possible outcome for Ukraine…
The NATO summit in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, is set to have unprecedented security measures in place, with approximately 12,000 officers and soldiers assigned to ensure security, BNS reports. This is the first time that Lithuania is hosting an event of such magnitude. The summit will welcome 48 foreign delegations with 2,400 members, including 40 heads…