On Thursday, 15 December, the Saeima adopted in the final reading the Law on the State Budget for 2012 and amendments to 29 budget-related laws.
Press releases
On Wednesday, 21 December, members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Saeima elected Ojārs Kalniņš (Unity) as the new Chairman of the Committee. Kalniņš was the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee during the previous convocation of the Saeima.
On Thursday, 15 December, the Saeima decided to extend the service of soldiers from the Latvian National Armed Forces (NAF) in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
European Affairs Committee adopts declarations appealing for equitable Common Agricultural Policy and Cohesion Policy (16.12.2011.)
On Friday, 2 December, the European Affairs Committee of the Saeima adopted two declarations urging the institutions of the European Union (EU) to find a solution regarding unequal distribution of EU’s direct payments to farmers and Cohesion Policy funding.
Latvia wants the European Union to shape a fair agricultural policy which would provide equal direct payments to Latvian farmers, who would then be able to compete in the common market with farmers from the so-called old EU member states on equal terms. This position was voiced by the delegation of the Saeima in Brussels during its meetings with Janusz Lewandowski, Commissioner for Financial Programming and Budget; Georg Häusler, Head of the Cabinet of the Commissioner on Agriculture and Rural Development; and members of the European Parliament.
Speaker Solvita Āboltiņa conveys condolences to Belgium (15.12.2011.)
On Wednesday, 14 December, Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, sent letters to Sabine de Bethune, President of the Belgian Senate, and André Flahaut, President of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, offering her condolences in regard to the deadly rampage at a Christmas market in the city of Liege.
On Thursday, 8 December, the Saeima supported in principle the draft state budget in the first reading and pursuant to the Rules of Procedure of the Saeima recognised it as urgent.
The state budget for 2012 is aimed at strengthening the national financial system. Currently we are closing the international loan programme, thus we expect that the budget for 2013 will be fully dedicated to growth and financial independence. These were the main points highlighted by Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, on Tuesday, 6 December, when she accepted the briefcase with the draft budget from the Minister for Finance.“In recent years, consolidation has become a buzzword; it is a strong and positively charged word which means strengthening in Latin,” said the Speaker.
On Tuesday, 29 November, the Legal Affairs Committee approved the idea to amend the Civil Law with the aim to introduce a new regulation on the legal capacity of persons.
Saeima adopts law on asset declaration (02.12.2011.)
On Thursday, 1 December, the Saeima in the final reading adopted the law on asset declaration, which requires natural persons to declare their assets.