The European Commission (EC) has criticised Estonia and Lithuania for failing to transpose an EU directive on the rights of child suspects properly into national legislation, BNS reports. The EC opened an infringement procedure by sending a formal notice for failure to transpose the EU directive on procedural safeguards for children suspected or accused of…
Latvia’s State Security Service (VDD) is investigating whether the decision of Latvian gas company Latvijas Gaze’s shareholder meeting to pay dividends to one of the company’s owners, Itera Latvija, violates EU sanctions on Russia, LETA reports, citing TV3. VDD stressed that providing financial resources to sanctioned entities, directly or indirectly, was prohibited. Latvijas Gaze insisted…
Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, Transport Minister Marius Skuodis, and Agriculture Minister Kestutis Navickas have sent a joint letter to the European Commission, in which they call for helping Ukraine export more grain via the Baltic States, BNS reports. The ministers argued that Baltic ports, railways, and roads could serve as a viable alternative route…
The climate and energy ministers of the three Baltic States have agreed to bring forward the synchronisation of the Baltic power grids with the continental European system to February 2025, BNS reports. The national transmission system operators will now agree on the technical details, after which the prime ministers of the three countries will make…
Lithuania’s State Defence Council (VGT) has instructed the government to agree with Latvia and Estonia on the synchronisation of the Baltic power grids with the continental European system and disconnection from Russia’s BRELL system by February 2025, BNS reports. Kestutis Budrys, chief national security adviser to President Gitanas Nauseda, said that there was “no fundamental…
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Lithuania have signed a EUR 300mn financing agreement to support investment in long-term competitiveness, job creation, and the green and digital transitions in the 2021-2027 period, Devdiscourse reports. Lithuania will use the money to finance its national contribution to EU-funded priority projects. The loan is the first tranche of…
Estonia’s Ministry of Interior will propose banning the use of non-personalised prepaid SIM cards, ERR reports. Under the proposal, anyone would still be able to buy a prepaid SIM card, but would have to provide personal details to activate the card. Veiko Kommusaar, undersecretary for internal security at the Ministry of Interior, noted that Estonia…
Estonia has blocked a decision on the redistribution of seats in the European Parliament, LETA reports. All EU member states except Estonia have agreed on the redistribution, which would provide more seats to several member states. Estonia demanded that Spain, which holds the EU presidency, explain the calculation for the seat redistribution.
Joint policy coordination among the three Baltic States was crucial in the current geopolitical situation, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics stated, LETA reports. Speaking during an official visit to Lithuania, Rinkevics noted that Latvia and Lithuania shared common interests in terms of EU and NATO policy, strengthening security and defence capabilities, ensuring energy security and independence,…
