Construction, EU – Baltic States, Latvia, Legislation, Real Estate

The new law lays down rules on construction planning, designs, responsibilities, supervision, certification and construction permits, classification of construction companies, the role of the authorities in the construction business, Saeima Press Service informed LETA.

The new law includes a chapter on classification of construction companies and requirements that companies must meet so they could apply for construction projects financed by the state, local governments or the European Union.

Also, construction experts' certificates will not have a fixed term anymore, but experts will have to regularly participate in qualification raising courses. The law specifies the Cabinet of Ministers' competence in issuing general and specialized construction regulations and associated bills.

The law provides for a new procedure of issuing construction permits, and stipulates that local governments will have the right to introduce additional requirements on construction projects to ensure that the projects conform with the local environment.

The law specifies the functions and responsibilities of construction boards and the period of time within which a construction board must accept or turn down a construction project. Saeima members also decided that construction projects may continue at the risk of the party that commissioned the given project if the project is contested in court.

The law stipulates responsibilities of every party involved in a construction project, makes it compulsory for local governments to inform the public about every new construction project, and others.

The previous Construction Law, passed in 1995, was obsolete and non-transparent, therefore a new Construction Law was drafted by a Saeima task force headed by MP Janis Ozolins, which included representatives from the construction sector, non-governmental organizations, social partners, ministries and other state institutions.