The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has approved amendments raising the smoking age limit from 18 to 20 years as of 1 January 2025, LSM reports. The law covers cigarettes, tobacco products, herbal smoking items, electronic smoking devices, and refill containers. Violations can result in fines of EUR 280-700 for individuals and EUR 700-7,100 for legal…
The chairmen of the foreign affairs committees of the Baltic parliaments, Estonia’s Marko Mihkelson, Latvia’s Rihards Kols, and Lithuania’s Zygimantas Pavilionis, praised Taiwan’s presidential and legislative elections held on 13 January 2023, LSM reports. In a joint statement, they said that the elections demonstrated the strength of Taiwan’s “robust democratic system,” saying that the country…
Latvia supports prohibiting the import of Russian grain but will not impose a unilateral ban, parties in the coalition government announced, LSM reports. Instead, Latvia calls on EU member states to agree on a common position on the issue. At the same time, the government is instructing ministries to assess the impact of such a…
Retailers in Estonia expect declining sales in the first half of 2024 amid lower consumer confidence, ERR reports. Many consumers plan to go shopping in neighbouring countries due to the rise in the VAT rate from 20% to 22% as of 1 January 2024, according to a Norstat poll for Citadele bank, BNS reports. The…
Lithuania’s real GDP totalled EUR 53.2bn at current prices in the first nine months of 2023, which was down 0.5% from the same period of 2022, according to the State Data Agency’s first estimate, BNS reports. In the third quarter of 2023, the GDP totalled EUR 19.2bn, which was up 0.1% from a year earlier….
Prosecutors in Estonia suspect fuel retailer Olerex and its co-owner, Andres Linnas, of submitting false information to the Estonian Environmental Board (Keskkonnaamet), ERR reports, citing Eesti Päevaleht. Prosecutor Gerd Raudsepp said that Linnas had ordered Olerex employees to submit false information on a diesel fuel shipment to Estonia in December 2022. The company claimed that…
The number of job vacancies in Estonia totalled 11,079 in the second quarter of 2023, which was 17% fewer than in the same period of 2022, according to Statistics Estonia, ERR reports. Altogether 53,849 people were hired and 51,500 people left their jobs in the second quarter of 2023. Labour turnover decreased by 9% over…
Many Estonian companies continue doing business with Russia, ERR reports. Altogether 500-600 Estonian businesses still trade goods with Russia. The total value of goods exported from Estonia to Russia has not changed since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when it amounted to EUR 50-70mn per month. This is partly due to the rise…
The municipal government of Estonia’s second-largest city, Tartu, is considering introducing new time restrictions on the sale of alcoholic beverages, ERR reports. The city council will discuss possible restrictions in October 2023. In spring 2023, the municipality agreed with most nightclubs in the city to close their doors half an hour earlier in summer. However,…
