The translation of this document is outdated.
Translation validity: 14.06.2017.–12.06.2019.
Amendments not included:
30.05.2019.,
03.10.2019.
Text consolidated by Valsts valodas centrs (State
Language Centre) with amending laws of:
20 September 2001[shall
come into force from 19 October 2001];
20 December 2001 [shall come into force from 23 January
2002];
18 December 2003 [shall come into force from 21 January
2004];
25 March 2004 [shall come into force from 27 March
2004];
24 February 2005 [shall come into force from 23 March
2005];
28 April 2005 [shall come into force from 4 May
2005];
2 November 2006 [shall come into force from 1 January
2007];
6 December 2007 [shall come into force from 2 January
2008];
27 November 2008 [shall come into force from 1 January
2009];
11 March 2010 [shall come into force from 1 April
2010];
16 December 2010 [shall come into force from 30 December
2010];
5 June 2014 [shall come into force from 26 June
2014];
19 February 2015 [shall come into force from 24 March
2015];
25 February 2016 [shall come into force from 23 March
2016];
18 May 2017 [shall come into force from 14 June
2017].
If a whole or part of a section has been amended, the
date of the amending law appears in square brackets at
the end of the section. If a whole section, paragraph or
clause has been deleted, the date of the deletion appears
in square brackets beside the deleted section, paragraph
or clause.
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The Saeima1 has adopted and
the President has proclaimed the following Law:
National Armed Forces Law
Chapter I
General Provisions
Section 1. Purpose of this Law
This Law determines the composition, tasks, management system,
funding and control of the National Armed Forces.
Section 2. National Armed Forces and
the Goals thereof
(1) The National Armed Forces are an aggregate of military
formations, formed by a militarily organised, trained, and armed
part of the nation.
(2) The goal of the National Armed Forces is to defend the
sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Latvian State, and
its population against aggression.
Section 3. Composition of the
National Armed Forces
(1) The National Armed Forces are formed by:
1) regular forces;
2) the National Guard;
3) reserve of the National Armed Forces.
(2) The Minister for Defence shall approve the structure and
legal status of the National Armed Forces on the basis of a
proposal from the Commander of the National Armed Forces.
(3) In a state of emergency the composition of the National
Armed Forces shall include the Security Department of the Bank of
Latvia, and it may also include the State Border Guard. During a
period of war the Security Department of the Bank of Latvia and
the State Border Guard shall be included in the composition of
the National Armed Forces.
(4) The functioning of the National Guard of Latvia shall be
regulated by a special law.
(5) In order to enforce the law, the Military Police shall
operate with the rights of investigative institutions and
investigatory operations subject in the regular composition of
forces of the National Armed Forces.
(6) Reserve of the National Armed Forces shall be formed by
Latvian citizens subject to military service, which are included
in the National Armed Forces Reserve.
[11 March 2010; 18 May 2017]
Section 4. Deployment of the
National Armed Forces
(1) The deployment of the National Armed Forces units in
peacetime shall be determined by the Minister for Defence on the
basis of a proposal from the Commander of the National Armed
Forces.
(2) The units of the National Armed Forces shall be deployed
in military sites.
[11 March 2010; 19 February 2015;
18 May 2017]
Section 4.1 Military
Sites
(1) A military site is an immovable property (part thereof) in
possession or holding of the Ministry of Defence or in ownership,
possession or holding of another natural or legal person which
has been transferred for use to the National Armed Forces in
order to perform the tasks specified in this Law.
(2) A person is prohibited from entering a military site
without permission.
(3) A person has a duty to comply with the prescribed
procedures for stay at a military site. The person who does not
comply with the abovementioned provision may be subject to
removal from the site.
(4) Special informatory signs shall be used for the
designation of military sites. The Cabinet shall determine the
samples of informatory signs, the procedures for using and
placing the relevant signs.
[18 May 2017]
Section 5. Basic Personnel
Recruitment Principles of the National Armed Forces
(1) Only Latvian citizens shall be recruited in the personnel
of the National Armed Forces.
(2) In peacetime, the personnel of the National Armed Forces
shall be formed by:
1) professional service soldiers who fulfil service in
accordance with a contract;
2) the National Guards;
3) civilian employees;
4) reserve soldiers called up for further or test military
training.
(21) [11 March 2010]
(3) A special law shall regulate personnel recruitment and the
course of military service.
[24 February 2005; 2 November 2006;
6 December 2007; 11 March 2010]
Section 5.1 Insignia of
the National Armed Forces
(1) The Commander of the National Armed Forces, the components
of the National Armed Forces, individual units and warships may
have their own flag, which shall be approved by the Minister for
Defence.
(2) The procedures for the making and using of the flags
referred to in Paragraph one of this Section shall be determined
by the Minister for Defence.
(3) Individual higher officers may have their own attributes,
which shall be approved and the procedures for the use thereof
shall be determined by the Minister for Defence.
[20 December 2001]
Chapter II
Tasks of the National Armed Forces and the Measures for the
Implementation thereof
[11 March
2010]
Section 6. Tasks of the National
Armed Forces
(1) The National Armed Forces have the following tasks:
1) the defence of the land territory of the State and ensuring
of inviolability thereof, as well as the control, defence of the
water aquatorium and the airspace of the State and ensuring of
inviolability thereof;
2) the participation in international military operations in
accordance with the procedures laid down in the laws and
international agreements;
3) the participation in the prevention of situations that
constitute a threat to the State in accordance with the
procedures laid down in laws and regulations.
(2) The units (sub-units) of the National Armed Forces may
become involved in the performance of other tasks not provided
for in this Law by an order of the Cabinet.
[11 March 2010]
Section 6.1 Measures for
the Implementation of the Tasks of the National Armed Forces or
Individual Units thereof
(1) In fulfilling the tasks laid down in Section 6 of this
Law, the National Armed Forces shall perform the following
measures:
1) ensure the readiness of units for combat and
mobilisation;
2) prepare personnel and units for participation in
international operations and the rapid reaction forces of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the European Union;
3) destroy explosive objects and perform blasting work;
4) perform coast guard functions, co-ordinate and perform
human search and rescue operations at sea, eliminate the effects
of accidents occurred at sea, participate in ecological
surveillance and control of the navigation regime;
5) in accordance with the procedures stipulated by the
Cabinet, ensure the State Border Guard with technical means,
vessels and aircraft for the performance of tasks thereof at
sea;
6) train reserve soldiers and provide support to educating the
youth in the field of national defence;
7) perform special operations;
8) in accordance with the provisions of international
agreements, perform the exchange of classified information with
State authorities of Latvia and North Atlantic Treaty
Organisation or institutions of the European Union Member
States;
9) perform the observation and control of air space,
territorial sea and inland waters (except rivers and lakes) as
well as exclusive economic areas;
10) organise the representational military ceremonies of the
Republic of Latvia and the National Armed Forces and ensure a
guard of honour;
11) perform military intelligence at operational and tactical
levels;
12) ensure the host nation support to the armed forces of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and European Union
Member States;
13) perform other measures for the prevention and suppression
of dangerous situations to the State defined in the National
Defence Plan.
(2) In addition to the measures determined in Paragraph one of
this Section, the Military Police shall perform the following
measures:
1) in accordance with the procedures stipulated by the
President, ensure the protection (security guard) of the
President, his or her family members, the newly-elected President
(from the time of being elected until the giving of the solemn
oath), person who have held the office of the President, the
Chancellery and the residence of the President;
2) in accordance with the procedures stipulated by the
Cabinet, ensure the protection (security guard) of foreign and
international organisation representatives invited by the
President;
3) in accordance with the procedures stipulated by the
Minister for Defence shall:
a) perform the protection (security guard) of foreign
officials and international organisation representatives invited
by the Ministry of Defence and the Commander of the National
Armed Forces;
b) perform the protection (security guard) of objects and
officials stipulated by the Minister for Defence and the
Commander of the National Armed Forces;
c) escort military transport columns and guard military
cargoes, regulate movement of vehicles of the National Armed
Forces and perform its control (traffic supervision), regulate
movement of other vehicles, and perform its control (traffic
supervision) in facilities under possession of the Ministry of
Defence, facilities to be protected and in the places of military
events, as well as regulate movement of other vehicles in the
routes of movement of military transport columns to be escorted,
transport of the National Armed Forces, and military cargoes to
be guarded;
d) take care of security at the places of military events;
31) regulate movement of vehicles in the routes of
movement of those persons whose protection (security guard) in
accordance with this Law is performed by the Military Police and
also in other places if it is necessary to ensure protection
(security guard) of the abovementioned persons;
4) prevent and interrupt criminal offences, administrative
violations and other legal violations in military units or in the
places of their deployment, in facilities to be protected, in the
places of the residence of persons to be protected and in the
places of military events, and in compliance with the competence
thereof establish and detain persons violating the law;
5) investigate criminal offences in the military service, as
well as criminal offences committed in military units or in the
places of deployment thereof or which have been committed by the
personnel of the National Armed Forces in connection with the
status of their service (position) or the fulfilment of their
service duties);
6) in compliance with the competence thereof perform the
search, the conveyance by force or detention of persons who are
evading investigation (participation in procedural activities),
those who evade investigation (participation in procedural
activities), court or the serving of their sentences, as well as
those who are absent without information as to whereabouts;
7) ensure the accompanying guard (convoying) and security
guard of persons detained for committing a criminal offence, if
the pre-trial investigation of the criminal offence is within the
scope of the competence of the Military Police and the detainee
is taken out of a temporary place of detention, in order to
perform criminal proceeding activities.
(3) In fulfilling the tasks laid down in Section 6 of this
Law, the National Armed Forces shall provide support to:
1) the Security Police - in anti-terrorism measures, as well
as measures for the prevention or combating of threats of
terrorism;
2) the system of civil protection - in preventive and reactive
measures, in measures for the elimination of consequences caused
by emergency situations, as well as rescue and search
operations;
3) the State Police - for ensuring public order and
safety;
4) the State Border Guard - for ensuring the inviolability of
the State border;
5) the Cadet Force and Information Centre - for implementing a
cadet force interest educational programme;
6) State security institutions - for performance of national
security measures.
(4) Officials of the Military Police, upon fulfilment of their
service duties according to their competence, have a right to
examine a person at objects in possession of the Ministry of
Defence, protected objects, and in places of military events, if
there are reasonable suspicions that the relevant person has
committed an offence, in order to ascertain whether the person is
under the influence of alcohol, narcotic, psychotropic or toxic
substances in accordance with the procedures laid down in laws
and regulations.
[11 March 2010; 19 February 2015;
25 February 2016; 18 May 2017]
Section 7. Tasks of the Land
Forces
[11 March 2010]
Section 7.1 Tasks of the
National Guard
[2 November 2006]
Section 8. Tasks of the Naval
Forces
[11 March 2010]
Section 9. Tasks of the Air
Forces
[11 March 2010]
Section 10. Security Services of the
Saeima and the President
[27 November 2008]
Section 11. Special Operations
Forces and the Tasks thereof
[20 December 2001]
Section 12. Military Police and the
Tasks thereof
[11 March 2010]
Section 12.1 Latvian
National Defence Academy and the Tasks thereof
[11 March 2010]
Section 12.2 Training and
Doctrine Command
[11 March 2010]
Section 12.3 Logistics
Command
[11 March 2010]
Chapter III
Management of the National Armed Forces
Section 13. Management of the
National Armed Forces
(1) The management of the National Armed Forces shall be
exercised by the Commander of the National Armed Forces who is
subordinated to the Minister for Defence. The Commander of the
National Armed Forces is the most senior military official in the
State. The Commander of the National Armed Forces shall have a
deputy who shall fulfil his duties in the Commander's absence.
The deputy of the Commander of the National Armed Forces is the
Chief of the Joint Headquarters of the National Armed Forces.
(2) In the cases laid down in Section 49.1 of the
Law On Aviation the Prime Minister has all the authority of the
Minister for Defence laid down in the laws and regulations of the
Republic of Latvia.
(3) In order to ensure performance of the tasks related to
membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and
European Union, the Commander of the National Armed Forces, upon
co-ordination with the Minister for Defence and taking into
account the management system of the National Armed Forces and
the competence of other institutions and officials laid down in
laws and regulations, may delegate the management of individual
National Armed Force units or individual soldiers to the military
management of the armed forces of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organisation (NATO) and European Union and also jointly
established military units.
(4) The principle of undivided authority shall be observed in
the National Armed Forces.
[25 March 2004; 28 April 2005; 2
November 2006; 27 November 2008; 11 March 2010; 5 June 2014; 18
May 2017]
Section 14. Commander of the
National Armed Forces
(1) The Commander of the National Armed Forces shall be
confirmed in office for a period of four years and removed from
office by the Saeima on the basis of a proposal from the
President.
(2) The Commander of the National Armed Forces shall:
1) be responsible for the preparedness of the National Armed
Forces, their mobilisation and combat readiness, as well as their
readiness to carry out specified tasks;
2) ensure continuous leadership of the National Armed Forces,
and the planning of tasks and the control of the implementation
thereof;
3) be responsible for the development of the State Defence
Operational Plan, and of the regulatory documents for the
readiness of the National Armed Forces for the defence of the
State and the implementation thereof;
4) be responsible for submitting of a timely request to the
Minister for Defence regarding the necessary personnel, materials
and technical facilities and financial resources for the
implementation of the tasks of the National Armed Forces, and the
effective utilisation of such resources;
5) determine the tasks of the National Armed Forces units.
(3) During a period of war or in a state of emergency the
Commander of the National Armed Forces or an authorised person
thereof shall participate in Cabinet meetings with advisory
rights.
[24 February 2005; 11 March 2010;
19 February 2016]
Section 15. Joint Headquarters of
the National Armed Forces
(1) The Joint Headquarters of the National Armed Forces is an
institution of the Commander of the National Armed Forces which
ensures for the Commander the possibility of exercising
continuous management, as well as a co-operation organisation in
the circumstances of combat operations.
(2) The Chief of the Joint Headquarters of the National Armed
Forces shall lead the Joint Headquarters of the National Armed
Forces. The Chief of the Joint Headquarters of the National Armed
Forces shall be appointed and removed from office by the Cabinet,
on the basis of a proposal from the Minister for Defence.
[11 March 2010]
Section 16. Commanders of Individual
Forces in the National Armed Forces
[11 March 2010]
Section 16.1 By-laws of
Units of the National Armed Forces
The Commander of the National Armed Forces shall approve the
by-laws of regular forces of the National Armed Forces. The
commanders of the units of regular forces of the National Armed
Forces shall approve the by-laws of the units subordinate
thereto. The Constitution of the National Defence Academy of
Latvia shall be approved in accordance with the Law on
Institutions of Higher Education.
[19 February 2015]
Chapter IV
Co-operation, Funding and Control of the National Armed
Forces
Section 17. Co-operation of the
National Armed Forces
(1) The National Armed Forces shall co-operate with State,
local government, and private institutions in accordance with the
procedures laid down in law.
(2) In an emergency situation the involvement of units of the
National Armed Forces in the provision of assistance to the civil
defence system shall occur by order of the Minister for
Defence.
(3) The Cabinet shall determine the procedures by which the
National Armed Forces shall participate in emergency,
firefighting and rescue operations, as well as in the measures
for the elimination of the consequences caused by emergency
situations.
(4) In the case of the threat of terrorism the Minister for
Defence, upon request by the Minister for the Interior, shall
order the Commander of the National Armed Forces to provide
support to the measures led by the Security Police for the
prevention of the threat of terrorism or the combating thereof,
determining the tasks to be performed, the time and place. The
leader of the measures referred to is responsible for the orders
issued to the units of the National Armed Forces involved in the
measures for the prevention of the threat of terrorism or the
combating thereof.
(5) The Cabinet shall determine the procedures by which the
National Armed Forces shall be involved in destruction of
explosive devices or in performance of destruction works on dry
land in peacetime.
[24 February 2005; 6 December 2007;
27 November 2008; 11 March 2010; 19 February 2015]
Section 18. Funding and Supply of
the National Armed Forces
(1) The National Armed Forces shall be funded from the State
budget, except for the Bank of Latvia Defence Administration,
which shall be funded from the Bank of Latvia funds.
(2) The National Armed Forces shall be supplied with materials
and technical resources through a unified procurement and supply
system. The Minister for Defence shall approve the procurement
regulations. The Commander of the National Armed Forces shall
determine the internal supply procedures for the National Armed
Forces. The Bank of Latvia Defence Administration shall be
supplied with materials and technical resources and, in
co-ordination with the Ministry of Defence, the procedures for
supply shall be determined by the Bank of Latvia.
(3) The movable and immovable property used by the National
Armed Forces is State property, which is transferred to the
possession of the Ministry of Defence. The expenses of use of
such property shall be covered by funds from the State budget
allocated to the Ministry of Defence.
(4) [19 February 2015];
[20 December 2001; 11 March 2010;
19 February 2015]
Section 19. Control of the
Activities of the National Armed Forces
(1) The civilian control of the activities of the National
Armed Forces within the scope of their competence shall be
performed by the Minister for Defence, the State Audit Office,
the Cabinet, the President and the Saeima.
(2) The internal control of the activities of the National
Armed Forces shall be performed by the Commander of the National
Armed Forces.
Chapter V
Planning of Development and Activities of the National Armed
Forces
[20 September
2001]
Section 20. Planning of Development
of the National Armed Forces
(1) The development of the National Armed Forces shall be
planned and the development plan of the National Armed Forces
observing military planning procedures shall be developed by the
Ministry of Defence on the basis of the State Defence Concept,
the State Defence Operational Plan and the recommendations of the
Commander of the National Armed Forces.
(2) The following shall be determined in the development plan
of the National Armed Forces:
1) the development objectives, the capabilities to be
developed and action in the long-term (for 12 years) of the
National Armed Forces;
2) the development priorities, tasks, terms of performance, as
well as the mutual connection in the planning and budget
development in the middle-term (for four years).
(3) The development plan of the National Armed Forces shall be
approved by the Cabinet every four years. The Minister for
Defence, where necessary, shall prepare amendments to the
development plan of the National Armed Forces and submit them to
the Cabinet for approval.
(4) On the basis of the development plan of the National Armed
Forces, the Joint Headquarters of the National Armed Forces shall
each year develop the annual development plan of the National
Armed Forces in which the tasks and measures of the National
Armed Forces for the next year shall be determined in accordance
with the funds allocated. The annual development plan of the
National Armed Forces shall be approved by the Minister for
Defence.
[11 March 2010]
Section 21. National Armed Forces
Mobilisation Plan
(1) The National Armed Forces mobilisation plan shall be
developed for the case of a state of emergency or a period of
war. It shall include the partial or full expansion in combat
readiness of the National Armed Forces, and determine the
management, duties, procedures and materials and technical
facilities of the mobilisation.
(2) The National Armed Forces mobilisation plan shall be:
1) developed by the Ministry of Defence;
2) approved by the Cabinet.
[11 March 2010]
Transitional Provisions
1. With the coming into force of this Law, Chapter I, Sections
1-8 and Chapter II of the law On the Defence Forces (Latvijas
Republikas Augstākās Padomes un Valdības Ziņotājs, 1992, Nos.
46/47/48; Latvijas Republikas Saeimas un Ministru Kabineta
Ziņotājs, 1994, Nos. 13, 23; 1995, No. 2; 1996, No. 14; 1997,
Nos. 6, 20; 1999, No. 14), are repealed.
2. With the coming into force of this Law, Chapter II and
Section 10, Paragraph eight of the law On State Defence
(Latvijas Republikas Saeimas un Ministru Kabineta
Ziņotājs, 1995, Nos. 2, 21; 1996, No. 6; 1997, No. 6), are
repealed.
3. Amendments to Section 8, Clause 4 regarding the
co-ordination and performance of rescue operations at sea shall
come into force on 1 January 2002.
[20 September 2001]
4. [24 February 2005]
5. [24 February 2005]
6. Until the day of the coming into force of the Cabinet
Regulation referred to in Section 12, Paragraph two, Clause 3 of
this Law, but not later than until 1 July 2009, Cabinet
Regulation No.587 of 9 August 2005, Procedures by which the
Security Service of the Saeima and the President shall
Ensure the Protection (Security Guard) of Foreign and
International Organisation Representatives Invited by the
Saeima and the President, shall be in force insofar as it
is not in contradiction with this Law.
[27 November 2008]
7. Until 31 December 2011 military employees with whom
employment contracts have been entered into until 31 March 2010
shall also be included in the composition of the personnel of the
National Armed Forces during peacetime in addition to that
referred to in Section 5, Paragraph two of this Law, as well as
in the composition of the personnel for participation in
international operations.
[11 March 2010; 16 December
2010]
8. Until the day of the coming into force of the Cabinet
regulations referred to in Section 6.1, Paragraph one,
Clause 5, Paragraph two, Clause 3 and Section 17, Paragraph three
but not later than until 30 June 2010, the following Cabinet
regulations shall be in force, insofar as they are not in
contradiction with this Law:
1) Cabinet Regulation No.126 of 19 March 2002, Procedures by
which the State Border Guard shall Perform Guarding of the State
Sea Border utilising Technical Means, Craft and Aircraft of the
National Armed Forces;
2) Cabinet Regulation No.113 of 10 February 2009, Procedures
by which the National Armed Forces shall Participate in
Emergency, Firefighting and Rescue operations, as well as in the
Elimination of the Consequences Caused by Emergency
Situations;
3) Cabinet Regulation No.535 of 17 June 2009, Procedures by
which the Military Police shall Ensure the Protection (Security
Guard) of Foreign and International Organisation Representatives
invited by the President.
[11 March 2010]
9. If a recommendation for the privatisation of the immovable
properties referred to in Section 18, Paragraph four of this Law
is received until 31 March 2010, this shall be examined in
accordance with the procedures laid down in laws and
regulations.
[11 March 2010]
10. Until 30 June 2010 the Military Police, in addition to the
measures laid down in Section 6.1, Paragraph two of
this Law shall ensure protection (security guard) of Members of
the Saeima and the Presidium of the Saeima, as well
as the institutions (objects) of the Saeima; in accordance
with the procedures stipulated by the Presidium of the
Saeima, as well as the protection (security guard) of
foreign and international organisation representatives invited by
the Saeima in accordance with the procedures stipulated by
the Cabinet.
[11 March 2010]
11. Until 31 December 2011 the Cabinet shall approve the
development plan of the National Armed Forces, which has been
prepared in accordance with that laid down in Section 20,
Paragraph two of this Law.
[11 March 2010]
This Law was adopted by the Saeima on 4 December
1999.
President V.Vīķe-Freiberga
Rīga, 24 November 1999
1 The Parliament of the Republic of
Latvia
Translation © 2017 Valsts valodas centrs (State
Language Centre)