Procedures for the Application of the Law on the National Flag of Latvia

Issued pursuant to
Section 21.¹, Paragraph five and Section 22,
Paragraph one, Clauses 1, 1.¹, 1.², 2, 4,
and 5 of the Law on the National Flag of Latvia

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I. General Provision

1. The Regulation prescribes:

1.1. the requirements for the manufacturing of the national flag of Latvia and the pennant of the national flag of Latvia as well as the tones of the national flag of Latvia, the pennant of the national flag of Latvia, and depictions of the national flag of Latvia depending on the material and technique;

1.2. the time for raising and the arrangement, the height and the procedures for using the national flag of Latvia and the pennant of the national flag of Latvia, and also the procedures for the manufacturing and presentation of the flagstaff and flagpole;

1.3. the cases when the national flag of Latvia shall be used together with the flag of another state or international public organisation, and also the procedures for the use thereof;

1.4. the colour tone code and other technical parameters of the fabric of the mourning ribbon required for the mourning presentation of the national flag of Latvia;

1.5. the procedures for the permanent placing and maintaining of the national flag of Latvia at border crossing points and places where the major State motor roads cross the internal border, and also the territory necessary for the permanent placing and maintenance of the national flag of Latvia and the procedures for the maintenance thereof;

1.6. the procedures by which the Consumer Rights Protection Centre shall evaluate the conformity of the national flag of Latvia with the requirements of the Law on the National Flag of Latvia and this Regulation, including shall take the samples necessary for the evaluation, organisation of expert-examinations, and also the procedures by which the expenses related to the performance of an expert-examination shall be covered.

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II. Procedures for the Use of Flags of International Public Organisations

2. The European Union flag shall be permanently used together with the national flag of Latvia:

2.1. on the building of the Cabinet;

2.2. on buildings of ministries;

2.3. at border crossing points;

2.3.¹ at places where the major State motor roads cross the internal border;

2.4. on buildings of diplomatic and consular missions of Latvia if it is technically possible and is not in contradiction with the legal acts of the host country and the traditions of the diplomatic protocol.

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3. The flag of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (hereinafter - NATO) may only be used by those bodies governed by public law the competence of which is related to the representation of the interests of the State of Latvia in NATO or which implement NATO policy in Latvia, but by other public persons and private individuals - only for informative, educational, and research purposes.

4. The NATO flag shall be permanently used on the building of the Ministry of Defence and on the building of the Joint Headquarters of the National Armed Forces of Latvia.

5. The use of the NATO flag at units of the Ministry of Defence, in subordinate institutions and units of the National Armed Forces shall be determined by the Minister for Defence.

6. When using the European Union or NATO flag together with the national flag of Latvia and other flags, the order of precedence prescribed by the Law on the National Flag of Latvia shall be observed.

7. The flags of other international public organisations shall be used if it is permitted by the relevant international public organisation. If an international public organisation has not specified binding procedures for the member states for the use of its flag, the order of precedence prescribed by the Law on the National Flag of Latvia shall be observed.

III. Procedures for the Use of the National Flag of Latvia, the Pennant of the National Flag of Latvia, Flags of Other States and Public Persons

8. If the flag is used on the façade of a building, it shall be fastened along its whole width (vertical side) to the flagstaff inserted in a flag bracket specially attached to the façade of the building in such a way that the bottom corner of the flag is located at least 2.5 metres above the ground.

9. If the flag is used on a flagpole, the top edge of the flag shall be attached to the pole at least 6 metres above the ground in such a way that the bottom corner of the flag is located at least 2.5 metres above the ground.

10. In locations where the national flag of Latvia is not used permanently, it shall be raised not later than at 09.00 and lowered not earlier than at 21.00, or raised when the holiday, celebration, funeral or other ceremony has started and lowered when the abovementioned events have ended.

11. The pennant of the national flag of Latvia shall not be used in mourning presentation.

12. If the national flag of Latvia is used together with a flag of other states or public persons, its width (vertical side) shall conform with the width of the national flag of Latvia, but the length (horizontal side) shall conform with the authentic proportions of the relevant flag.

13. If the national flag of Latvia and the flags of other states or public persons are raised on flagpoles together, they shall be located at the same height.

14. The event organiser shall be responsible for the use of the national flag of Latvia at events in accordance with the Law on the National Flag of Latvia and this Regulation.

15. It is prohibited to publicly use the national flag of Latvia or pennant of the national flag of Latvia containing any symbols, signs or inscriptions as well as such national flag of Latvia or pennant of the national flag of Latvia which has been supplemented with fringe or other types of decorative or informative elements.

IV. Procedures for the Manufacture of the National Flag of Latvia, the Pennant of the National Flag of Latvia, and Their Depictions

16. The national flag of Latvia, the pennant of the national flag of Latvia, and their depictions shall be manufactured in accordance with the Law on the National Flag of Latvia and this Regulation.

17. The national flag of Latvia and the pennant of the national flag of Latvia shall be made of fabric or other material.

18. If the national flag of Latvia is manufactured from fabric, it shall meet the following requirements:

18.1. the colour of the carmine fabric conforms to the colour code of the Pantone Textile Colour System 19-1629 TPX or 19-1629 TC;

18.2. the surface density of the fabric shall not be less than 110 g/m²;

18.3. the fabric thickness shall not be less than 0.29 mm;

18.4. the friction fastness of the fabric shall not be less than grade 4, and the light fastness - not less than grade 6;

18.5. the fabric is mildly flammable or flame retardant, and the combustion time thereof is greater than 10 seconds;

18.6. the opacity of the fabric is between 6 and 7 (60-70 %);

18.7. the fabric has been printed by sublimation method or printed on both sides.

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18.¹ If a mourning ribbon is used in the mourning presentation of the national flag of Latvia, the black colour of the fabric thereof shall conform to the Pantone Black colour code, the fabric of the ribbon shall not be transparent, the thickness of the fabric shall be 140 g/m² and the width shall be 1/20 of the width of the flag.

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18.² If the pennant of the national flag of Latvia is manufactured from fabric, the carmine colour thereof shall conform to the colour code referred to in Sub-paragraph 18.1 of this Regulation.

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19. If the national flag of Latvia or the pennant of the national flag of Latvia is manufactured from another material, the tones thereof shall conform to the colour codes referred to in Paragraph 20 of this Regulation.

20. The depiction of the national flag of Latvia and the pennant of the national flag of Latvia is polygraphically produced according to the following colour codes - carmine Pantone 201C, white Pantone White.

21. If the depiction of the national flag of Latvia or the pennant of the national flag of Latvia is produced in another technique, the tones thereof shall conform to the colour codes referred to in Paragraph 20 of this Regulation.

V. Procedures for the Manufacture of a Flagstaff and Flagpole

22. The length and diameter of the flagstaff shall be proportional to the size of the flag.

23. The flagstaff to be used on the façade of a building or in premises shall be manufactured in accordance with the following requirements:

23.1. the flagstaff shall be longer than the longest edge of the flag;

23.2. the flagstaff shall be straight and smooth, in a white colour;

23.3. there shall be a decorative finial at the upper end of the flagstaff.

24. The flagstaff to be hand-held or carried shall be manufactured in accordance with the following requirements:

24.1. the flagstaff shall be longer than the longest edge of the flag;

24.2. the flagstaff shall be straight and smooth;

24.3. the flagstaff is of natural wood, unpainted;

24.4. there shall be a decorative finial at the upper end of the flagstaff.

25. The decorative finial at the upper end of the flagstaff may be:

25.1. cone-shaped or spherical-shaped. The decorative finial shall be in the colour of the flagstaff and the diameter of the finial at the widest point shall exceed the diameter of the staff by several centimetres;

25.2. a flat metal finial produced in openwork, in aluminium or bronze colour.

26. The length and diameter of a flagpole shall be proportional to the dimensions of the flag. The flagpole shall be manufactured in compliance with the following requirements:

26.1. the flagpole shall be straight and smooth, in white or aluminium colour;

26.2. the upper end of the flagpole may have a decorative spherical or bulb type finial in aluminium, bronze or white colour.

27. It is recommended that the flagstaff bracket to be placed on the façade of a building is made in such a way that the flagstaff inserted therein should be at a 40 degree angle to the façade of the building.

VI. Liability for the Compliance with this Regulation

28. The possessor or holder of the relevant building or premises or an authorised person thereof, who has been delegated the relevant obligation, shall be liable for the use of the national flag of Latvia, the European Union flag, NATO flag and other flags on buildings and in premises in accordance with the Law on the National Flag of Latvia and this Regulation.

28.¹ valsts akciju sabiedrība "Latvijas Valsts ceļi" [State joint stock company Latvian State Roads] shall be responsible for the permanent placing of a flag in places where the major State motor roads cross the internal border, but for the maintenance of the flag and the territory adjacent thereto - valsts akciju sabiedrība "Latvijas autoceļu uzturētājs" [State joint stock company Latvian Road Maintainer].

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29. Persons not complying with this Regulation shall be held liable in accordance with the procedures specified in the Latvian Administrative Violations Code or the Criminal Law.

30. Compliance with this Regulation shall be supervised by local governments, except for the conformity of the national flag of Latvia and the pennant of the national flag of Latvia manufactured from fabric, which are intended for distribution on the market, with the requirements referred to in Paragraphs 18 and 18.² of this Regulation. Compliance with the abovementioned requirements shall be monitored by the Consumer Rights Protection Centre.

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VI.¹ Conformity Assessment of the National Flag of Latvia and of the Pennant of the National Flag of Latvia

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30.¹ When offering a national flag of Latvia or a pennant of the national flag of Latvia made from fabric on the market, the manufacturer, the authorised representative thereof or importer has an obligation to ensure the fulfilment of the requirements referred to in Paragraphs 18 and 18.² of this Regulation. The distributor has an obligation to verify that the manufacturer, the authorised representative thereof or importer has ensured the fulfilment of the abovementioned requirements.

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30.² The manufacturer, the authorised representative thereof or importer has an obligation to provide documentary evidence, at the request of the market surveillance authority, that the national flag of Latvia or the pennant of the national flag of Latvia made from fabric conforms to the requirements of this Regulation.

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30.³ The Consumer Rights Protection Centre is entitled to take samples and organise an expert-examination as well as to prohibit the supply, offering for purchase or staging of the national flag of Latvia or the pennant of the national flag of Latvia for the time period necessary for an expert-examination.

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30.⁴ The expenses for the expert-examination of the national flag of Latvia or the pennant of the national flag of Latvia shall be covered by the Consumer Rights Protection Centre.

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30.⁵ If an expert-examination confirms that the national flag of Latvia or the pennant of the national flag of Latvia does not comply with the requirements of this Regulation, the expenses for the expert-examination shall be reimbursed:

30.⁵ 1. by a manufacturer, the authorised representative thereof or an importer who was the first to offer a non-compliant product on the market;

30.⁵ 2. by a distributor who was the first to supply a non-compliant product on the market if the manufacturer, the authorised representative thereof or importer is not registered in Latvia.

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30.⁶ The expenses shall be reimbursed within five working days from the date of receipt of the document certifying the expenses. If the relevant person refuses to cover the expenses, the Consumer Rights Protection Centre shall recover them in accordance with the procedures specified in the Civil Procedure Law.

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30.⁷ The compliance of the national flag of Latvia and the pennant of the national flag of Latvia with the requirements referred to in Paragraphs 18 and 18.² of this Regulation shall be determined in accordance with the applicable standards or other equivalent technical specifications (solutions) which will ensure the fulfilment of the abovementioned requirements.

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30.⁸ The Ministry of Economics shall recommend to the national standardisation body those national standards of Latvia which may be applied for the fulfilment of the requirements of this Regulation, and the national standardisation body shall publish a list of the relevant standards on its website.

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VII. Closing Provisions

31. Paragraph 15 of this Regulation shall not apply to the national flags of Latvia which were manufactured prior to 17 June 1940.

32. Sub-paragraphs 23.3 and 26.1 of this Regulation shall come into force on 1 May 2011.

33. The Regulation shall come into force on 1 May 2010.

Prime Minister V. Dombrovskis

Minister for Foreign Affairs M. Riekstiņš

Translation © 2020 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)