November 2000

Latvia Update Memo

The following report outlines new developments in the past three months and the state of on-going developments.

1. Introduction and Summary

There was very low legislative activity during previous quarter mainly due to summer holidays.

The present government of Latvia was elected in May 2000. Its most significant achievement certainly was the closure of negotiations on five accession topics of the European Union. Latvia declared its readiness to open negotiations on 20 (out of 31) accession topics, including IT&T policy. Therefore much of the IS regulatory development at present in Latvia concerns adoption to the EU Acquis Communetaire.

2. Information Society Policy

2.1. Historical overview and general legislation

The current IT&T legislation:

• New draft Telecommunications Law was submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers in December 1999.
• The Law on Authors Rights and Neighbouring Rights (harmonised with EU directives) is cancelled and replaced by the new Law on Authors Rights adopted in April 2000.
• The Law on Personal Data Protection was adopted in March 2000.
• The Law on National Information Systems (responsibilities and competence of government bodies regarding collection and processing public information as well as provision of general access to the public) was presented to the Cabinet of Ministers in August 1999. It is still at this date revised by ministerial experts and officers.
• A draft Government regulation regarding protection of health of employees using computerised workplaces (implemented EU directives 89/391 EEC and 90/270 EEC) was submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers. It is still not adopted. The regulation is expected to be effected in January 2001.
• Government regulation regarding procedure of output of information from government and municipal institutions has been adopted August 1999. This regulation is needed to implement the Information Freedom Law.
• Government regulation regarding output of data from the Population Register was adopted in March 1999.
• Statements On Electronic Data Base Protection has been included in the new Law on Author Rights.
• Government regulations regarding information systems security were adopted in March 2000.
• Government regulations regarding provision of making national integrated information system (megasystem) were adopted on March 2000.

New laws/measures currently under preparation:

• Telecommunications Law
• Law On National Information Systems—responsibilities and competence of government bodies regarding collection and processing public information as well as provision of general access to public information.

Several concepts have been developed and submitted to the Government:

• unified registration of judicial persons;
• registration of punishments;
• declaration of residence address by natural persons.
• digital signature and electronic document.

2.2. Umbrella Policies and national IS strategy

The National programme "Informatics" is a complex target program for the period 1999 – 2005. The programme consists of 13 subprogrammes.

The programme is updated on a regular basis without changing its baselines (the basic document – National Program "Informatics"). The sections are updated, additional documentation are included, and projects are updated.

The updated version 2000 of the Programme, finished in July 2000 pays special attention to the following issues:

• priority significance of Informatics as a branch of the national economy that has the potential to increase the GDP and the welfare-system of the society;
• training of skilled IT specialists including training of specialists of the highest academic and professional level.

2.3. IS Application Areas

No change.

2.4. Government and administration (national, regional, local)

Qualitative reorganisation and integration of the National Information Systems has been implemented under the framework of the National Programme Informatics for radical enhancement of information quality and formation of a user-friendly access.

At present, 30 branch information systems are in operation, e.g. Forest Inventory database, Legal Acts IS, Integrated Data Processing System of Residential Buildings, Environment Data IS, etc.).

Because of necessity of close interoperability between different information systems, a megasystem will soon be established, using common data fields as well unified user’s interface, access principles and authorisation procedures.

No new results during the previous quarter, mainly due to summer holidays.

2.5. Telecommunications and Internet

The new Telecommunication Law is widely debated in mass media, professional associations, and government bodies.

A new professional association – Latvian Internet Association – has been established.

2.6. Electronic commerce

The Latvian Prime Minister appointed 5^th of May 2000 a working group aiming at conceptualising electronic commerce. The state secretary of Ministry of economics is in charge of the group. The work of the group will focus on analysing and motivating the need for planing of electronic commerce legislation. The work will be finished in May 2001.

2.7. Education and research

Joint efforts of professional associations and academy has lead to the establishment of new curriculum for higher professional education.

A certain progress has been achieved by the project Latvian Education Informatization System. The project has dealt with solving various issues of implementing information technologies in the field of education. The project was subject to tender and was assigned to the University of Latvia.

2.8. Transport

Several projects have recently been launched. The most successful project deals with the creation of vessel traffic information system. The project is performed by the Maritime Administration of Latvia. The project deals with security of navigation, sailing directions, movement the vessels in ports, documentation of the vessels, hazardous freight.

A concept on development of integrated transport information system in Latvia has been elaborated. The action plan consists of the following separate projects:

• implementation of the electronic data interchange standards in transport information systems;
• creation of integrated information system for Latvian Railways;
• creation of information system for insurance of transport means.

No new results during last three months.

2.9. Health care

Drugs and drug addiction are the subjects of the Drug Information System developed by the Drug Abuse Prevention and Healthcare Center. The next step includes further development of the Drug Information System, preparation of full future connection with the European Monitoring Centre on Drug and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), and convergence to the European drug monitoring system REITOX.

No new results during last three months.

2.10. Labour

No change.

2.11. Competition

State order for procurement, that values more than LVL 5000 (approximately EUR 8000). The procurement is based on tender procedures.

No change.

2.12. Access for all

No change.

2.13. Copyright, intellectual property rights

No change. However, all needed legal acts are in place.

• The old Law On Author’s Rights and Neighbouring Rights is cancelled and replaced by the new Law on Author Rights adopted in April 2000.
• The Patent Law is in effect as of March 1993.
• The law On Trademarks is in effect as of March 1993.
• The law On Industrial Design Protection is in effect as of May 1993.
• Statements On Electronic Data Base Protection are included in new Law on Author’s Rights.

2.14. Public access to data

No change. However, all legal acts are in place.

The Law On Publicity of Information is in effect since October 1998. The Law requires information of Government bodies and local governments to be freely accessible unless it is forbidden by some other law. Examples of such laws are the law On National Secret that is limiting the general access to confidential information.

Government regulation regarding procedure of output of information from government and municipal institutions was adopted in August 1999. This regulation is needed in order to implement the Information Freedom Law.

Government regulation regarding output of data from the Population Register was adopted in March 1999.

2.15. Privacy, data protection, consumer protection

No change. However, all needed legal acts are in place.

• The law On Consumer Protection was effected in March 1999.
• The draft Law on Personal Data Protection was effected in March 2000.

2.16. Security

Government regulations regarding information systems security was adopted in March 2000.

No changes during last three months.

2.17. Freedom of expression and information as far as the distribution via electronic networks is concerned

The Satversme (Constitution of Latvia) grants freedom of expression.

No changes during last three months.

3. Institutions and organisations in charge of IS regulation

3.1. Ministries

No changes during last three months.

3.2. National regulatory authorities

Creation of the authority National Regulator will be realised during the year 2000.

The Independent Data Inspection (to be in charge of Personal Data Protection) regarding New Law on Personal Protection is going to be established in the year 2001 when the Law will be in effect.

No changes during last three months.

3.3. Office for the protection of economic competition

The Council of Competition controls the fulfilment of requirements of competition legislation. The Ministry of Economy supervises the work of the Council.

No changes during last three months.

3.4. Consultative councils

As the major source of implementation of IS in Latvia is the national "Informatics" , the Co-ordination Board is one of the major actors for the development. The task of the board is to ensure implementation of the Programme in accordance with the defined and approved priorities.

Boards of Informatics have been organised in all governmental ministries. Their task is to deal with informatics issues, representing the interests of their ministry and trade lines. The gradual informatisation of state administration at all levels implies the need also to establish Informatics Boards in local governments. The task of these boards is to investigate and solve the informatics problems in their regions.

No changes during last three months.

3.5. Bodies in charge of RTD policy

Independent Latvian Science Council is the body in charge of distributing state budget spending via grants to researchers.

No changes during last three months.

3.6. Organisations in charge of promotion of the IS

The Ministry of Transport is the government body responsible for the overall development of the IS in Latvia. The most respected non-government professional association promoting the IS is LITTA – Latvian Information Technology and Telecommunication Association.

No changes during last three months.

4. International relationships and agreements

The Latvian government has agreed to follow the Bern Convention, World Trade Organisation and signed the TRIPS Agreement (in 1998). Other agreements that has been adopted are the Law on "World-wide intellectual property organisation (WIPO), Agreement of Author Rights" and Law on "World-wide intellectual property organisation (WIPO) agreement of performance and phonograms" both adopted in February 2000. However, there are still some agreements waiting for adoption (e.g., the WIPO Treaty, and the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data). All these agreements will have a serious impact on the IT&T sector and Latvia need to establish new laws and regulations following the aforementioned agreements and to make the necessary amendments to existing laws.

No changes or new agreements during last three months.

5. Market: Privatisation, foreign investment, mergers, acquisitions, call for tenders

No changes during last three months.

6. Standards

6.1. Standardisation bodies dealing with IS issues

ITSTK (Information Technology Standardisation Technical Committee) – a body within state-owned limited liability company "Latvijas Standarts" consisting of 17 IT&T professionals is in charge of IT&T standardisation issues.

No changes during last three months.

6.2. Relevant standards

A standard regulation for ergonomic issues of computer workplaces has been approved.

The organisation ITSTK has decided to recommend application of international standards (e.g., ISO, IEC, ITU, IEEE) in Latvia without translation and adoption. In particular cases, cover-page-translation-and-adoption method or, exceptionally, full translation are used. ITSTK is primarily concerned with the development of standards of local importance, e.g., "Latvian codepages", "Latvian ergonomic keyboard", "Usage of Latvian language related to computers". The Terminology Commission of Latvian Academy of Sciences develops the Latvian terminology standardisation.

No changes during last three months.