Estonia’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications has announced a procurement tender for a consultant to plan a 600-MW nuclear power plant in the country, ERR reports. Under the contract, the winning bidder will help compile baseline planning guidelines and an environmental impact assessment plan for the project. The consultant will provide advice on site…
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has approved amendments raising the excise taxes on alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, and sweetened beverages as of 2026, BNS reports. The aim is to reduce the consumption of products that are harmful to the environment and health, LSM reports. The excise duty on strong alcoholic beverages will rise as of…
Latvia’s ruling coalition has failed to secure a quorum in the parliament, the Saeima, for two weeks during votes on contested bills, LETA reports. On 2 October 2025, opposition parties again broke the quorum to preempt a final vote on transposing EU directives on emission trading systems into national law. Only 48 out of 100…
An anchor belonging to the Russian “shadow fleet” oil tanker, Eagle S, which is suspected of damaging several undersea cables in the Baltic Sea, has been retrieved from the seabed, YLE reports. The anchor was raised by the Swedish Navy’s submarine rescue ship, Belos. Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation (KRP) will now begin analysing the…
Breaking up Estonia’s state-owned energy group, Eesti Energia, would not improve energy security, Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi stated, ERR reports. Speaking in an interview with Vikerraadio, Ligi insisted that Eesti Energia provided an essential service for society. He said that building a new gas power plant in Narva was a “good idea,” but stressed the…
Last year was Lithuania’s warmest ever recorded, according to data from the Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service (LHMT), BNS reports. The average annual air temperature in Lithuania was 9.5 degrees Celsius in 2024, which was 2.1 degrees higher than the average temperature in 1991-2020. All months except January were warmer in 2024 than the long-term average. The…
Estonian President Alar Karis has rejected an amendment to the law on the use of natural resources, ERR reports. The legislative changes would suspend oil shale mining permits until 2026, allowing time to assess the industry’s compliance with EU climate goals. The president argued that the amendment ran counter to the Constitution and imposed disproportionate…
Lithuania’s incoming centre-left government has revealed its draft programme for the next four years, LRT reports. The new coalition plans to focus on welfare, with more child benefits and better accessibility to health care and education. Also, the government may make changes to tax policy, moving towards progressive taxation. The new government plans to reverse…
European news portal Politico ranked the performance of Lithuania’s EU commissioner, Virginijus Sinkevicius, highest of the three Baltic members of the outgoing European Commission, ERR reports. The outlet gave Sinkevicius, who served as the European Commissioner for Environment in 2019-2024, a score of A minus. Latvia’s Valdis Dombrovskis, who is staying on as EC Vice…
