The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has adopted changes to the law governing the country’s public broadcaster, Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), LRT reports. The approved amendments are softer than the initial proposals, which sparked mass protests across the country and invited criticism from several media organisations both in Lithuania and abroad. However, LRT’s director…
The Estonian government has approved a new climate law, sending the draft bill to the country’s parliament, the Riigikogu, for consideration, ERR reports. The legislation establishes general greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for 2030, 2035, and 2040. The parliament has already set a goal for climate neutrality by 2050. Sector-specific emission reduction targets are included…
Poor management of Latvia’s state forest management company, Latvijas Valsts Mezi (LVM), led to major monetary losses, according to the State Audit Office (LRVK), LSM reported. The audit concluded that LVM’s management and the Ministry of Agriculture had failed to ensure sufficiently effective oversight of the company. The government’s decision to provide support to timber…
Lithuania’s parliamentary committee on culture has approved amendments to the controversial draft law governing the country’s public broadcaster, Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), LRT reported. The committee approved a new management board, an expanded governing council, shorter four-year council terms, and tighter eligibility requirements for council member candidates. The committee dropped proposals to let…
The Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, has passed amendments banning citizens of hostile third countries from making donations to Estonian political parties, ERR reports. Earlier, Estonia precluded non-EU nationals from voting in local elections. The Riigikogu expanded also the supervisory powers of the Political Party Funding Surveillance Committee (ERJK), allowing the body to request documents and…
Latvia’s Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP) issued 19,900 temporary residence permits to non-EU nationals who invested in the Latvian economy in the period from 1 July 2010 to the end of 2024, LETA reported. According to the Ministry of Economy, the so-called golden visa programme was “an important instrument” for attracting foreign capital…
Latvia’s Competition Council concluded seven high-priority cases on violations of and non-compliance with competition law in 2025, LSM reports. Total fines issued in the cases amounted to EUR 2.5mn, according to the council’s annual report. The public benefit increased by around 25% over a year, the Competition Council estimated. The biggest sanctions included a EUR…
The Council of Europe’s advisory body on constitutional law, the Venice Commission, is warning Lithuania against legislation that could appear to target the current top management of the country’s public broadcaster, Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), BNS reports. The commission recommended that planned new rules on dismissing LRT’s director general only apply to office…
The Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, has passed amendments that will make it easier to bring skilled and qualified foreign labour into the country, ERR reports. Temporary residence permits for work will be issued under more favourable conditions in sectors deemed suffering from labour shortage, and the maximum number of permits in those sectors will be…