Some national technical rules apply in general and are not related to one specific product, e.g. a ban on lead in all products.
These general rules will not necessarily show up when searching for a specific product type. We therefore advice you to go through the list below in order to ensure that the various general rules are complied with.
Published: 22.11.2023.
The purpose of Advertising Law is to regulate the production and distribution of advertising, as well as to determine the rights, obligations and responsibilities of the persons involved in the production and distribution of advertising; to protect the interests of the individual as well as of the general public in the field of advertising; to protect persons engaged in economic or professional activities from misleading advertising and comparative advertising which does not comply with regulatory enactments and the consequences thereof, as well as to determine the conditions under which comparative advertising is permitted; to promote fair competition.
The purpose of Chemical Substances Law is to prevent, delay or reduce the possibility of damage that chemical substances and mixtures may cause to the environment, human health and property due to their inherent properties. The law regulates activities with chemical substances and mixtures, as well as biocides.
The purpose of Construction Law is to create a high-quality living environment by establishing an effective regulation of the construction process in order to ensure sustainable economic and social development of the state, preservation of cultural-historical and environmental values, as well as rational use of energy resources.
The purpose of Consumer Rights Protection Law is to provide consumers with the opportunity to exercise and protect their legal rights, as well as to protect the collective interests of consumers. The provisions of this Law shall be applied unless otherwise provided in the special norms regulating the protection of consumer rights. The provisions of this Law shall not affect the contractual relationship, in particular the validity, conclusion and consequences of the contract, unless otherwise provided by this Law. The seller or service provider is entitled to offer such contract terms that ensure higher protection of consumer rights than specified in this law.
Electronic Mass Media Law governs the procedures and provisions for the operation of commercial, non-commercial, and public electronic mass media under the jurisdiction of Latvia and also the operation of other right-holders in the cases provided for in this Law. The law sets restrictions on product placement and advertising.
The purpose of Freedom to Provide Services Law is to promote the free movement of services and to ensure the right to freely pursue economic activities in a Member State in the field of services, as well as to establish organizational and legal bases for providing and receiving services.
The Law On Accessibility of Goods and Services outlines specific requirements for goods producers and service providers to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities or functional impairments. These requirements aim to eliminate barriers and enable equal participation in society for all individuals.
The purpose of Law On Circulation of Animal Feedingstuffs is to ensure the circulation of high-quality animal feed that is safe for human and animal health, life and the environment. The law prescribes a delegation to the Cabinet of Ministers to determine the procedure for registration and recognition of enterprises involved in animal feed, and provides the Cabinet of Ministers with an authorization to determine the procedure for granting reference laboratory status to a laboratory performing laboratory control of animal feed.
The purpose of Law On Circulation of Fertilisers is to protect consumers of fertilizers and plant growth substrates from the use of low-quality fertilizers and substrates that are dangerous to human and animal health and the environment, as well as to ensure equal requirements for natural and legal persons handling fertilizers and substrates.
The pupose of Law On the Circulation of Genetically Modified Organisms is to achieve high level of safety in all stages of circulation of genetically modified organisms in order to prevent the negative impact on human and animal health or the environment, to preserve biological diversity, to promote the development of sustainable agriculture and biotechnology, as well as the co-existence of genetically modified crops concurrently with organic and conventional farming.
Law On Conformity Assessment sets out the general principles of conformity assessment in the regulated sphere and the accreditation system in the regulated and non-regulated sphere. The purpose of the Law is to ensure a uniform procedure for conformity assessment, which is harmonized with the European Union and international regulatory enactments, and it applies to all persons who apply for conformity assessment.
Law On Excise Duties prescribes the procedure by which excise goods are subject to excise duty, and it applies to excise goods regardless of their origin, with which the activities specified by law are performed in the Republic of Latvia. Excise duty is levied on alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, liquids used in electronic cigarettes, petroleum products, natural gas, coffee and soft drinks. The law prescribes a requirement for the labelling of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products with excise duty stamps, as well as the labelling of certain petroleum products.
The purpose of Law On the Safety of Goods and Services is to achieve the safe production, placing on the market and provision of services of goods that are safe for human life, health and personal property, as well as the environment. The law imposes obligations on manufacturers, sellers and service providers, as well as clarifies the activities of supervisory authorities in the field of safety of goods and services. Manufacturers, sellers and service providers have specific information and cooperation obligations with market surveillance authorities, as well as obligations to monitor and take appropriate action to prevent unsafe goods from entering the market and, where necessary, to take measures to reduce the risk of unsafe goods.
The purpose of Law On the Supervision of the Handling of Food is to ensure the circulation of high-quality food that is safe for human health, life and the environment by preventing risks, promoting trade and protecting the interests of consumers. This law determines the issues of national competence in relation to all types of food circulation and any food business and natural person involved in it.
The purpose of Law On Technical Supervision of Dangerous Equipment is to achieve safe use and maintenance of dangerous equipment that does not cause harm to human life, health and property, as well as the environment, to lay down legal and organisational basis for assembling, repair, technical maintenance, modernisation and checks of dangerous equipment, as well as to determine the functions of State supervision and control authorities in the field of technical supervision of dangerous equipment.
The purpose of Law On Uniformity of Measurements is to ensure the uniformity of measurements in the Republic of Latvia in order to protect human life and health, the environment and the consumer from the negative consequences of inaccurate and incorrect measurements and to promote the development of national economy and international cooperation. The law prescribes the general metrological requirements for measuring instruments and prepacked goods intended for sale.
The purpose of Packaging Law is to ensure the development of packaging production, the introduction of advanced packaging technologies and the establishment of rational waste packaging management systems in the country and thus reduce the adverse impact of waste packaging on the environment by facilitating the transition to a circular economy. The law sets requirements for packaging that is allowed to be placed on the Latvian market. The law applies to packaging produced or used in the territory of Latvia, regardless of its origin, as well as to packaging producers and packers, deposit packers, deposit packaging sellers, packaging managers, deposit system operators, processing operators, and state and local government institutions.
The purpose of Veterinary Medicine Law is to regulate the prevention and control of infectious animal diseases, veterinary practice, circulation of products of animal origin, control of import and transit of animals and goods and to determine the rights and obligations of state and local government institutions and persons in this field. The law includes requirements for the movement of products of animal origin.
The purpose of the Waste Management Law is to prescribe the procedures for waste management in order to protect the environment, human life, and health by preventing or reducing the generation of waste, ensuring separate collection and regeneration of waste generated in the territory of Latvia, reduction of the amount of waste going to landfill sites, and also facilitating efficient use of natural resources in order to increase the competitiveness of Latvia and to promote the transition to the circular economy.