Lawmakers propose extending eastern Latvia development law to several Vidzeme municipalities
Members of the Saeima's Latgale subcommittee are proposing to extend the planned Eastern Territory Development Law to cover several Vidzeme municipalities, including Jēkabpils, Alūksne, Gulbene, Madona, Smiltene and Valka. The bill currently covers the Latgale region and Alūksne municipality.
During a meeting of the Saeima's Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee's Latgale subcommittee in Krāslava on Friday, several proposals were discussed to broaden the scope of Latvia's planned Eastern Territory Development Law to include additional Vidzeme municipalities.
Jēkabpils requests inclusion
The subcommittee received a response from the Jēkabpils municipality regarding an earlier proposal by MPs Edmunds Jurēvics and Mārtiņš Fels to include the municipality among those eligible for support. The municipality asked either to extend the law's defined eastern territory to 110 kilometers from the eastern border, or to find another legal mechanism ensuring its inclusion. The municipality argued the matter concerns not only its own development but also national security and regional resilience.
Proposal for a wider border zone
MPs Aiva Vīksna and Dāvis Melnalksnis have proposed defining Latvia's eastern territory as a zone along the EU's external border with Russia and Belarus, covering not only the Latgale planning region but also the Alūksne, Gulbene, Jēkabpils, Madona, Smiltene and Valka municipalities. Their proposal is based on a geographic criterion — municipalities located roughly 90-100 kilometers from the external land border. The MPs note that these areas face challenges similar to Latgale's, including population decline, labor shortages, difficulties attracting investment, and infrastructure needs.
Other proposals were also heard at the meeting, including a call from representatives of Daugavpils University for support for higher education in the region.
Current scope of the law
The Eastern Territory Development Law was drafted within the Latgale subcommittee and currently envisions a special support system for municipalities of the Latgale planning region and for Alūksne municipality, covering business, investment, infrastructure, public services and security measures. Subcommittee chair Edmunds Teirumnieks stressed that development of the eastern border area is a matter not only of regional policy but also of national security, the economy and demographics.
