Latvian ministries to draft noise-regulation proposals by October 7
Following a Constitutional Court ruling that found entertainment noise regulation insufficient, several Latvian ministries agreed to submit proposals for changes to the Economics Ministry by October 7. The focus will be on amending cabinet regulations on noise assessment and management.
On September 16, Latvia's Economics Ministry held an inter-institutional meeting to discuss implementing a Constitutional Court ruling that found the country's entertainment noise regulations inadequate. Representatives from the Climate and Energy Ministry, the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development, the Health Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Justice Ministry, and the Education and Science Ministry took part.
The Economics Ministry said previously drafted amendments to the cabinet regulation "Noise Assessment and Management Procedure" need to be supplemented to set threshold limits for entertainment noise and define how authorities should respond to violations, while also clarifying the role of municipalities. Participants agreed that entertainment noise first needs a clear definition distinguishing it from industrial noise, since the former is irregular and variable while the latter is constant.
Proposed measures
One proposal discussed was setting a range of permissible noise levels with a lower and upper limit. Participants also broadly supported an idea to let municipal regulations establish acoustic zones — for residential, commercial and industrial areas, for example — within nationally set limits. Enforcement in the field would fall to municipal police. The meeting also touched on whether administrative liability could apply without noise measurements, and on where such measurements should be taken, an issue the Climate and Energy Ministry suggested addressing at a separate meeting with acoustics experts.
Noise from car and motor racing tracks was also raised, linked to a new Sports Law that took effect on August 1 this year and requires cabinet regulations on licensing competition venues and referees.
Next steps
By October 7, the involved institutions are to submit proposals to the Economics Ministry: the Health Ministry on permissible noise limits, the Climate and Energy Ministry on defining entertainment noise and reviewing practices in other countries, the Justice Ministry on the wording of authority delegated to the cabinet and municipalities, the Interior Ministry on enforcement and measurement procedures, the regional development ministry on the scope of municipal regulations, and the Education and Science Ministry on solutions for racetrack noise.
The Constitutional Court had ruled that the state failed to properly regulate entertainment noise assessment, control and related liability, giving parliament until March 2027 to establish the basic principles. Amendments to the Pollution Law expanding municipalities' authority to regulate noise from events and entertainment venues already took effect in late March.
