Contact details Latvia - DONA
Maritime Administration of Latvia (MAL)
Contact details
Summary of functions
The Maritime Administration of Latvia:
1) perform registration of ships and ship mortgages, and issue documents related thereto;
2) maintain databases of the Ship Register;
3) monitor the conformity of ships included in the Ship Register to safety and environmental protection requirements, including:
a) perform inspections of ships,
b) issue certificates for ships,
c) approve shipbuilding and modernisation projects, documentation regarding stability of a ship, pollution contingency plan in case of an accident, ship's manuals and other documentation of the ship, as well as issue and register ship's logbooks,
d) control implementation of the requirements specified in the International Management Code for the Safe Operation of Ships and for Pollution Prevention (hereinafter - the ISM Code) on ships included in the Ship Register;
e) issue a permit for trials of emission reduction technologies for ships included in the Ship Register;
f) perform the obligations of administration referred to in Regulation (EU) No 1257/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 on ship recycling and amending Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006 and Directive 2009/16/EC;
4) perform tonnage measurement of ships included in the Ship Register and issue documents attesting the tonnage;
5) supervise operation of classification societies (recognised organizations);
6) issue conformity certificates to merchants who perform inspections of ship safety equipment;
7) issue conformity certificate to merchants which perform the building, designing, modernisation or repair of ships;
71) assign the unique code of the manufacturer to a natural or legal person, which manufactures recreational crafts or personal watercrafts in Latvia;
8) perform port State control;
9) supervise meeting the requirements of safe loading of bulk cargo ships on board the ships and terminals, as well as perform conformity inspections of bulk cargo terminals;
10) control handling of dangerous and polluting cargos in ports within the ship-to-shore interface;
11) control how the procedures for reporting on dangerous and polluting ship cargoes are complied with in Latvian waters;
12) control how the procedures for reporting on passengers on board the ships are complied with in Latvian waters;
121) in accordance with the delegation contract entered into in accordance with Section 5, Clause 6.1 of this Law, perform the functions of the keeper of the International Freight Logistics and Port Information System (SKLOIS), including ensure its compatibility with the European Union Maritime Information and Exchange System (hereinafter - the SafeSeaNet system);
13) in co-operation with the Coast Guard, co-ordinate the development and use of the Automatic Identification System (AIS);
131) in co-operation with the Coast Guard, ensure the operation of the Long-range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) System;
14) supervise the establishment and operation of lighthouses, buoys and other technical aids to navigation necessary for safety of navigation (hereinafter - the technical aids to navigation), and also system thereof in Latvian waters;
15) control and carry out depth surveys, as well as hydrographic surveys and research in Latvian waters;
151) in conformity with the laws and regulations regarding the geospatial information acquire, compile and maintain geospatial data and basic data on Latvian waters (sea and ports) (hereinafter - the marine geospatial information);
16) organise the preparation, printing and distribution of navigation publications;
17) publish and distribute navigation warnings and notices, as well as carry out the duties of a national co-ordinator for analysis and notification of maritime safety information;
18) co-ordinate ship to ship cargo operations in Latvian waters from the perspective of the maritime safety;
19) co-ordinate the raising of sunken property in Latvian waters from the perspective of the maritime safety;
20) co-ordinate the documentation of construction projects for port hydrotechnical, heat energy, gas and other separately non-classified engineering structures (including explanatory memorandum and construction project in a minimum composition) from the perspective of the maritime safety, if the construction is intended in a port territory, and provide opinion regarding readiness of the engineering structure for use, if it is located in a port territory;
201) assess, in conformity with the Marine Environment Protection and Management Law and from the perspective of the maritime safety, the draft Cabinet Order drawn up by the responsible ministry regarding determination of a certain territory in the sea (permit or licence area in the sea) in order to arrange marine cable line of electronic communications, cable line of electronic networks, submarine electric transmission cable line and submarine pipeline, including gas pipeline, oil and oil product pipeline in the sea waters of Latvia;
202) co-ordinate, from the perspective of the maritime safety, the construction of structures (artificial islands, structures and facilities, including platforms and facilities necessary for energy production) within internal waters of Latvia, territorial sea and exclusive economic zone as it is laid down in conformity with the Marine Environment Protection and Management Law and the Construction Law;
21) co-ordinate port regulations from the maritime safety aspect and ship, port and port facility security and control compliance therewith;
211) control, from the perspective of the maritime safety, how the obligations laid down in the laws and regulations regarding safe operation and handling of containers in ports and the requirements laid down in the laws and regulations regarding verified gross mass of containers are complied with;
212) on the basis of the opinion on the environment risk provided by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development in co-operation with the Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology, grant the exemptions referred to in Regulation A-4 of Annex to the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004;
22) co-ordinate and perform in co-operation with other competent authorities implementation and supervision of security requirements for ships, shipping companies, ports and port facilities;
23) certifies recognised security organizations and supervise operation thereof;
24) approve the conformity of training programmes for security personnel of ships, shipping companies, ports and port facilities with the security requirements of ships, shipping companies, ports and port facilities;
25) co-ordinate the conformity of professional training programmes and training courses of seafarers to international legal enactments and regulations and supervise the implementation of such programmes;
26) organise the examinations of seafarer qualifications and issue professional qualification attesting documents for work on ships;
27) issue certificates to pilots, as well as supervise pilot training and qualification examinations;
28) issue certificates to operators of the vessel traffic services (VTS), as well as supervise training and qualification examinations of operators of the vessel traffic services (VTS);
29) maintain a seafarer certification database;
30) draw up, issue, exchange, seize, cancel and recognise as invalid seamen's books and perform the accounting thereof;
31) assess the conformity of professional qualification of seafarers, if a report has been received that a seafarer certified in Latvia fails to fulfil professional duties thereof;
32) issue certificates to seafarer professional training instructors and seafarer professional qualification evaluators, which certify their conformity to the requirements specified in the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as amended (hereinafter - the STCW Convention);
33) issue a special permit (licence) to merchants, which provide recruitment and placement services in manning the ship's crew and supervise the conformity of such merchants to the requirements laid down in the STCW Convention, and International Labour Organization Conventions;
34) recognise medical practitioners who are entitled to provide an opinion regarding the medical fitness of seafarers for work on ships in conformity with the requirements laid down in the STCW Convention (hereinafter - the medical practitioner of seafarers);
35) participate in the work of the International Maritime Organization, Helsinki Commission, International Hydrographic Organization, International Labour Organization and other international organizations;
36) prepare proposals for the development of draft laws and regulations.
(11) A person has an obligation to provide information, including a reply to the request of the Maritime Administration of Latvia, within a time period indicated by the Maritime Administration of Latvia, on issues related to the ensuring of the competence of the Maritime Administration of Latvia laid down in Paragraph one of this Section.
(2) The Cabinet shall issue regulations in which a pricelist of paid services provided by the Maritime Administration of Latvia within the framework of State administration tasks and the procedures for the application thereof, as well as persons who are exempt from paying for the paid services provided by the Maritime Administration of Latvia within the framework of State administration tasks are determined.
(3) In order to perform the functions referred to in Paragraph one of this Section, the Maritime Administration of Latvia shall ensure the operation of the Registry of Seamen, the Ship Register, the Maritime Safety Inspectorate, the Ship and Port Security Inspectorate and the Hydrographic Service.
(31) The decision taken by the Maritime Administration of Latvia for the fulfilment of the functions referred to in Paragraph one of this Section may be contested and appealed in accordance with the following procedures:
1) the decisions of the Maritime Administration of Latvia, which are initially taken by structural units of the Maritime Administration of Latvia, may be contested to the director of the Maritime Administration of Latvia in accordance with the procedures laid down in the Administrative Procedure Law. Decisions of the Director of the Maritime Administration of Latvia may be appealed to a court;
2) the decisions of the Maritime Administration of Latvia, which are initially taken by the director of the Maritime Administration of Latvia, may be contested to the Ministry of Transport in accordance with the procedures laid down in the Administrative Procedure Law. Decisions of the Ministry of Transport may be appealed to the court.
(4) The decisions of the Maritime Administration of Latvia taken for the implementation of the functions referred to in Paragraph one of this Section regarding the conformity of ships with safety requirements which are taken during the process of the flag State supervision and port State control of ships, decisions to meet the security requirements of ships, ports and port facilities, decisions on the compliance with the requirements of maritime safety for passenger transport services and cargo operations, as well as decisions to suspend, cancel a qualification document of a seafarer or to recognise it as invalid and decisions to issue a permit for trials of emission reduction technologies or to refuse to issue such permit shall be enforced from the day of coming into effect thereof. Contesting and appeal of such decisions shall not suspend operation thereof
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STATE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE (SES)
Contact details
ADDRESS: Rupniecibas Street 23, Riga, LV-1045, Latvia
Summary of functions
Competence of the State Environmental Service
Main functions of the State Environmental Service required by EU legislation:
1) Regulation (EU) 1257/2013 on ship recycling – Designated Competent Authority and Contact point;
2) Directive (EU) 2016/802 on sulphur – port state ship inspections, including fuel sampling onboard ship (fuel in use), imposition of administrative penalties regarding non-compliances of requirements (other than fuel suppliers), annual reporting regarding marine fuel;
3) Directive (EU) 2019/883 on PRF - port state ship inspections and port inspections, investigation of reported alleged inadequacies, coordination of exemptions stated in Directive for ships and ports, data collections and annual reporting on received ship wastes in ports
The State Environmental Service in accordance with its competence shall control the compliance with laws and regulations and the norms of international law governing the protection of the marine environment. For this purpose the State Environmental Service shall perform the following functions:
1) control the environmental protection in Latvian waters and port areas;
2) issue a special permit (licence) to commercial companies for the reception and disposal of ship waste in ports;
3) issue the technical regulations of hydro-technical constructions and co-ordinate projects in the field of environmental protection;
4) co-ordinate projects for dredging and disposal of dredged materials to be carried out in sea waters and ports, and issue permits for the performance of these works;
5) co-ordinate the implementation of the National Contingency Plan for response to pollution incidents of oil and dangerous or harmful substances at sea;
6) develop standard requirements for ports, berths and terminals in relation to oil spill contingency plans;
7) develop guidelines for the collection of oil products;
8) approve oil spill contingency plans for ports, berths and terminals and control the introduction and implementation thereof;
9) organise the investigation of environmental pollution incidents;
10) formulate recommendations for the final placement (disposal) of oil collected during the process of the elimination of the pollution;
11) participate in the work of the International Maritime Organization, Helsinki Commission and the 1992 International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage regarding marine environment protection matters and co-ordinate implementation of the Helsinki Commission recommendations in respect of maritime matters;
12) compile data on marine environment pollution;
13) control the compliance with the laws and regulations governing fishery in Latvian waters and port areas;
14) control the use of natural resources in Latvian waters and port areas;
15) control the reception and management of ship generated waste in ports;
151) control the reception and management of ships' ballast water sediments in ports and terminals;
16) co-ordinate port regulations in the field of environmental protection and control compliance with these regulations.
(2) The Cabinet may specify additional functions for the State Environmental Service.
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STATE REVENUE SERVICE (SRS)
Contact details
Summary of functions
State Revenue Service of the Republic of Latvia (SRS) is a direct administrative authority under the supervision of the Minister of Finance, which ensures the accounting of tax payments and taxpayers; the collection of taxes, duties and other mandatory payments; and implements the customs policy and organizes customs matters.
The SRS is the authority responsible for the accounting and supervision of marine bunker oil suppliers and the control of the Sulfur content of marine bunker oils in accordance with Directive (EU) 2016/802
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Coast Guard service (CGS)
Contact details
ADDRESS: Riga, Meldru str.5a, LV-1015
Summary of functions
Competence of the Coast Guard
In conformity with their competence the Coast Guard shall control compliance with laws and regulations and norms of international law, which determine the procedures for using Latvian waters. For this purpose the Coast Guard shall perform the following functions:
1) in co-operation with the State Environmental Service, control environment protection and compliance with the laws and regulations governing fishery, and to detain ships in Latvian waters in accordance with Section 44 of this Law;
2) eliminate the consequences of ship accidents and disasters, consequences of the spillage of oil, dangerous and harmful substances into the sea and to co-ordinate the work related to the elimination of such consequences in Latvian waters in compliance with the National Contingency Plan in respect of cases of pollution of oil, dangerous or harmful substances in the sea approved by the Cabinet, and the emergency action plans;
3) co-ordinate and perform marine search and rescue [Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (hereinafter - the Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) activities] in the area of responsibility for search and rescue of the Republic of Latvia (hereinafter - the Latvian area of responsibility) in conformity with the 1979 International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (hereinafter - the SAR Convention), other laws and regulations and emergency action plans, as well as perform assistance service functions (MAS functions) and grant a place of refuge for ships;
4) ensure the operation of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (hereinafter - the GMDSS) and the operation of the coastal communications network of the Automatic Identification System (AIS);
5) perform the functions of the National Competent Authority within the framework of the Long-range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) System and in co-operation with the Maritime Administration of Latvia ensure its operation;
6) in co-operation with Maritime Administration of Latvia control compliance with the navigation regime;
7) control the use of the national flag of Latvia on ships;
8) in accordance with the procedures laid down in the laws and regulations, control, if a seafarer, while being on a ship in Latvian waters (sea), has used alcohol, narcotic, psychotropic or toxic substances.
9) To ensure the operation of the GMDSS and the Automatic Identification System (AIS), the Coast Guard shall establish and maintain a communications network, transmitter, receiver and infrastructure network, a data centre, a computing system and coordination centre. The Coast Guard has the right to delegate the establishment and maintenance of the communications network, transmitter, receiver and infrastructure network, a data centre, a computing system and coordination centre to valsts akciju sabiedrība "Latvijas Valsts radio un televīzijas centrs" [State joint stock company Latvian Radio and Television Centre] by entering into a delegation contract.
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Transport Accident and Incident Investigation Bureau
Contact details
ADDRESS: Brīvības iela 58, Rīga, LV-1011, Latvija
Summary of functions
(1) The Transport Accident and Incident Investigation Bureau shall carry out investigation of marine casualties and incidents in the field of maritime safety. The investigator of this Bureau, when he or she is performing the relevant investigational operations, shall require an identification card. The procedures for issuing and cancellation of a service identification card shall be determined and sample form thereof shall be approved by the Cabinet.
(2) The operation of the Transport Accident and Incident Investigation Bureau referred to in Paragraph one of this Section shall be financed from the resources of the Maritime Administration of Latvia which in accordance with the prices stipulated by the Cabinet have been acquired for the paid services provided within the framework of State administration tasks and other own revenues. On the first working day of each month the Maritime Administration of Latvia shall transfer one twelfth of the financing that is intended for the investigation of marine casualties in the budget approved by the Cabinet for the current year to the account of the Transport Accident and Incident Investigation Bureau in the Treasury.
(3) Investigators of the Transport Accident and Incident Investigation Bureau shall be insured against accidents that may occur during performance of service duties at the site of investigation of marine casualty or incident.
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State Revenue Service (SRS)
Contact details
ADDRESS: Talejas iela 1, Rīga, LV-1978
Summary of functions
State Revenue Service is made up of customs authorities, the Tax and Customs Police, the Internal Security Department, the tax administration and other units ensuring operation of the Service.
Customs control of goods and other objects, imposition of an import duty and an export duty thereon (hereinafter - the customs duty), collection thereof and documentation of customs control, and also protection of the State economic border shall only fall within the competence of customs.
In the implementation of customs policy, the tasks of customs authorities are:
1) to control conformity with the laws and regulations adopted in customs matters and to prevent customs offences related to the transportation of goods across the State border;
2) to apply and administer customs tariffs, to collect the customs duty and other taxes to be paid at the customs border and provided for in laws and regulations;
3) to co-operate with foreign customs authorities;
4) in accordance with the procedures laid down in laws, to provide an account of the operations of customs authorities and basic statistical data;
5) in accordance with laws and regulations, to provide the State authorities, merchants, organisations, and natural persons with information on customs matters, to train specialists, and to increase the qualification of specialists regarding customs matters;
6) to co-operate with law enforcement, State control and State administration institutions, and also with other institutions in matters regarding conformity with the laws and regulations adopted in customs matters;
7) to carry out international obligations assumed by the State in relation to customs;
8) to perform investigation in matters regarding criminal offences in the field of customs matters;
9) to conduct an examination of samples of goods, to provide opinions on the conducted examination of samples of goods;
10) to perform chemical forensic examinations.
Organigram
State Border Guard (SBG)
Contact details
ADDRESS: Rūdolfa iela 5, LV 1012Talejas iela 1, Rīga, LV-1978
Summary of functions
Tasks of the State Border Guard are:
In accordance with the State Border Law of the Republic of Latvia, to guard the State borders, border signs and other border structures, and to prevent any attempts to change illegally the location of the State border in a geographical area;
in co-operation with the National Armed Forces, to prevent and repel armed attacks on the territory of Latvia, territorial and inland waters, as well as air space, to prevent armed provocations on the State borders and in cases of criminal threats, to provide assistance to inhabitants in border areas;
to carry out surveillance of the land territories, waters and airspace adjacent to the border;
to not allow persons and means of transport to cross the State border, or freight and other property to be moved across the State border outside the locations provided for this purpose or in any other illegal way, to detect and arrest violators of State borders, as well as detect violators of border area, border area zone, border control point and border crossing point regimens;
to organize the work at border crossing points and, together with the customs and Food and Veterinary Service institutions, the work at border control points, to co-ordinate the activity of the control services working at the border control points;
jointly with customs institutions, to provide for workplaces at border control points for other authorities and private persons who conduct border crossing control on other matters pursuant to law or provide services to persons crossing the State border;
to carry out border control and allow persons, means of transport, freight and other property to cross the border if the documents granting the right to cross the State border have been correctly drawn up, and the border guard, customs and other State service control operations have been completed;
independently or jointly with customs institutions, to prevent the importation into or transit through the territory of Latvia of prohibited items for illegal movement across the State border. To not allow the movement of goods or other items across the State border, evading customs control;
to maintain the State border, border zone and the border crossing points;
independently or jointly with international seaport, airport, sea passenger and railroad station administrations, in co-operation with customs institutions, police, the National Armed Forces units and the relevant local governments, to ensure and control the observance of the regimen of the State border, border areas, border zones, border control points and border crossing points;
to provide to specially authorized State institutions the necessary assistance for preservation of natural resources and for controlling the observance of regulations on economic activity, and for the protection of the environment against pollution, the extinguishing of fires and the elimination of the consequences of natural catastrophes in the border area;
to ensure that obligations binding on Latvia on issues regarding the State border regimen provided for in international agreements are implemented, and within the scope of its competence, to regulate the incidents associated with violation of the State border regimen;
to ensure prevention of violations of laws and other regulatory enactments related to border crossing;
within the scope of their competence, to examine administrative violation matters and to impose administrative sanctions;
to control how are observed the entry, residence, exit and transit of aliens and stateless persons regulations in the territory of the Republic of Latvia, as well as within the scope of their competence, to perform the activities provided for in the Law On Asylum;
within the scope of the competence specified in the Criminal Procedure Law, to perform pre-trial investigations
For the performance of tasks at sea, the State Border Guard uses the technical resources, floating means and aircrafts of the National Armed Forces according to the procedures specified by the Cabinet of Ministers.
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Ministry of Transport (MOT)
Contact details
ADDRESS: 3 Gogoļa street, Riga, LV-1743
Summary of functions
The Maritime department of the Ministry of Transport, in accordance with Section 5 of the Maritime Administration and Marine Safety Law, implements a national policy and development strategy of maritime sector based on the IMO guidelines for the implementation of international requirements of the Member States and the requirements of the European Union (EU). To fulfil its functions, the Maritime department collaborates with the State Joint Stock Company "Latvijas Jūras administrācija" (Maritime Administration of Latvia). Section 6 of the Maritime Administration and Marine Safety Law determines competence of Maritime Administration of Latvia for performing public administration tasks.
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State Security Service (SSS)
Contact details
ADDRESS: 99A K. Barona str. Riga, Latvia, LV-1012
Summary of functions
State Security Service (SSS) is one of the three Latvian Security and Intelligence Services besides Constitution Protection Bureau (SAB) and Defence Intelligence and Security Service (MIDD).
SSS is counterintelligence and internal security service, which gathers the information from different sources, carries out its analysis, informs senior officials about the threats identified to the national security as well as takes measures to neutralize them.
Latvian SSS’s responsibility is the conduction of counterintelligence activities, protection of state secrets, protection of constitutional order, protection of economic security interests, coordination and conduction of counterterrorism measures as well as protection of dignitaries. SSS is also the only service out of three Latvian intelligence and security seervices with the right to carry out pre-trial investigation (to initiate criminal proceedings, initiate criminal prosecution as well as arrest persons).
The work of SSS is supervised by the Minister of Interior, the operational activities and the legitimacy of pre-trial investigation process is supervised by the General Prosecutor, but the parliamentary control over SSS is performed by the National Security Commission of the Saeima (the Parliament).
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