Baltic States – CIS, Energy, EU – Baltic States, Gas, Latvia, Legislation

80 MPs, both from the coalition and the opposition, supported the bill. Three parliament members – Rihards Eigims (Green/Farmers), Raimonds Vejonis (Greens/Farmers) and Karlis Serzants (Greens/Farmers) – abstained, while eight MPs from various parties did not participate in the vote.

Saeima Economic, Agricultural, Environmental and Regional Policy Committee Chairman Janis Ozolins (Reform Party) emphasized that these amendments foresee a gradual opening of the Latvian gas market. ''This will take place very gradually and with much though put into it,'' said Ozolins.

At the moment, there is one vertically-integrated company in Latvia – Latvijas Gaze – that buys, stores, transport, distributes and sells natural gas in Latvia. Latvia's natural gas supply system is not connected to any other European Union member state's system, except Lithuania and Estonia, and Russia remains the sole supplier of natural gas to Latvia.

The objective of the amendments, drafted by the Economy Ministry, is to transpose the Third Energy Package of the European Union into Latvian legislation to ensure liberalization of the natural gas market of Latvia, encourage alternative supplies and competition on the market.

The first stage of the gas market liberalization plan stipulates ensuring third parties' access to the natural gas supply system of Latvia, and separating the function of the distribution operator by January 1, 2015.

The directive also deals with natural gas companies' annual reports and other aspects of the natural gas market liberalization.

The Economy Ministry note that the EU rules are binding on Latvia, and that Latvia has already given two transition periods.

Therefore, the first stage of the liberalization of the natural gas market is to commence and proceed pursuant to all the requirements of the Third Energy Package.