The Saeima¹ has adopted and
the President has proclaimed the following Law:

Spatial Development Planning Law

Chapter I
General Provisions

Section 1. Terms Used in This Law

The following terms are used in this Law:

1) development programme - a mid-term spatial development planning document, laying down mid-term priorities and the set of measures for implementation of long-term strategic goals set out in the planning region or local government development strategy;

2) sustainable development strategy - a long-term spatial development planning document, laying down the vision, objectives, priorities of the planning region or local government long-term development and spatial development perspective;

3) functional zoning - division of a territory into zones having different requirements for the permitted land use and building;

4) public infrastructure - a component of the national economy spatial structure formed by the technical (transport, communications, power industry, water supply and environmental objects) and social (education, science, health and social care, State administration, public services, culture and recreation objects) infrastructure;

5) thematic plan - a spatial development planning document solving specific issues related to the development of separate sectors (for example, transport infrastructure, layout of healthcare institutions and educational establishments) or specific themes (for example, layout of engineering networks, valuable landscape areas and risk territories) according to the planning level;

6) spatial development planning information system - a structured set of information technologies and data bases, the use of which ensures the creation, compilation, accumulation, processing, use and destruction of information required for the development and implementation of spatial development planning documents;

7) objects of national interest - territories and objects necessary to ensure essential public interests, protection and sustainable use of natural resources;

8) local government spatial plan - a local government long-term spatial development planning document, laying down the requirements for land use and building, including functional zoning, public infrastructure, regulations regarding land use and building, as well as other conditions for land use, and which is developed for an administrative territory or a part thereof;

9) local plan - a local government long-term spatial development planning document, developed for a part of the city, a municipality town or its part, a village or its part, or a part of rural territory for solving a planning task or detailing or amending a spatial plan;

10) detailed plan - detailed plan of a part of local government territory developed in order to lay down the requirements for the use of specific land units and building parameters, as well as to adjust the borders of land units and restrictions;

11) maritime spatial plan - a national level long-term spatial development planning document, laying down use of the sea, considering a terrestrial part that is functionally interlinked with the sea.

[13 February 2014]

Section 2. Purpose of this Law

The purpose of this Law is to ensure such spatial development planning that would raise the quality of the living environment, ensure sustainable, effective and rational use of territories and other resources, as well as targeted and balanced development of economy.

Section 3. Principles for Spatial Development Planning

In spatial development planning, the principles set out in the Development Planning System Law, as well as the following principles shall be complied with:

1) the principle of sustainability - spatial development is planned in order to preserve and form a good environmental quality, balanced economic development, rational use of natural, human and material resources, development of the natural and cultural heritage for the present and next generations;

2) the principle of succession - new spatial development planning documents are developed, evaluating the existing spatial development planning documents and practical implementation thereof;

3) the principle of equal opportunities - sectoral and territorial interests, as well as interests of private individuals and public interests are assessed in interconnection to promote sustainable development of the relevant territory;

4) the principle of continuity - spatial development is planned continuously, flexibly and in cycles, supervising this process and evaluating the latest information, knowledge, needs and possible solutions;

5) the principle of transparency - the public involvement and transparency of information and decision-making in spatial development planning and development of documents is ensured;

6) the principle of integrated approach - economic, cultural, social and environmental aspects are co-ordinated, sectoral interests are co-ordinated, spatial development priorities are co-ordinated at all planning levels, co-operation is purposeful, and the impact of the planned solutions on the surrounding territories and the environment is assessed;

7) the principle of diversity - spatial development is planned, taking into account the diversity of natural, cultural environment, human and material resources and economic activity;

8) the principle of coherence - spatial development planning documents are developed by coherently co-ordinating them and evaluating other spatial development planning documents.

Section 4. Public Participation in Spatial Development Planning

(1) Spatial development shall be planned through public participation. The authority conforming to the planning level has a duty to ensure openness of information and decision-making, as well as ascertain the public opinion and organise public participation in spatial development planning, providing as detailed and comprehensible information as possible.

(2) Public participation in spatial development planning shall be ensured by the relevant State authority, planning region or local government according to the planning level in conformity with laws and regulations laying down the requirements for public participation.

(3) In order to ensure public discussion of spatial plan, the relevant authority shall consult with the public before decision-making. The authority shall, on the website thereof, publish information regarding commencement of developing of spatial plan and amendments thereto, the procedures for, location and time periods of the public discussion, the place and time for getting acquainted with the particular spatial plan and amendments thereto, and the procedures for submitting written proposals and opinions.

(4) During the public participation, the interests of private individuals and public interests shall be balanced with the sustainable spatial development.

(5) Everyone has the right to become acquainted with the spatial development planning documents which are in force and have been handed over for public discussion, to participate in the public discussion, to express and defend his or her opinion and submit written proposals within the specified time period.

(6) The authorities referred to in Paragraph two of this Section have a duty, during the development of spatial development planning documents, to evaluate, in a balanced way, the proposals expressed and substantiate their decisions, as well as to notify these decisions to the public and submitters of proposals regarding the decisions.

[13 February 2014]

Section 5. Spatial Development Planning Levels and Documents

(1) Spatial development shall be planned by drawing up the following coherently co-ordinated spatial development planning documents:

1) at the national level - the Sustainable Development Strategy of Latvia and the National Development Plan;

2) at the regional level - the sustainable development strategy and the development programme of a planning region;

3) at the local level - the sustainable development strategy, the development programme, the spatial plan, a local plan and a detailed plan of a local government.

(2) At all the levels, when developing spatial development planning documents, a strategic environmental impact assessment shall be ensured, if it is necessary in accordance with laws and regulations.

Section 6. Spatial Development Planning Information System

(1) The purpose of the spatial development planning information system is to ensure accumulation, processing and public accessibility of spatial development planning documents of all levels and of information related to spatial planning. The spatial development planning information system shall ensure access to data of other State information systems used for the development of spatial development planning documents.

(2) The ministry responsible for spatial development planning shall be the administrator of the spatial development planning information system.

(3) Spatial development planning documents and data entered into the spatial development planning information system shall be publicly accessible free of charge, except the data accessibility of which is restricted in accordance with laws and regulations.

(4) Geospatial data sets downloaded from the spatial development planning information system or such geospatial data sets, to which a direct access is ensured from other information systems, shall be used according to regulatory provisions of the holder of the geospatial data set.

[13 February 2014]

Chapter II
Competence of Public Institutions in Spatial Development Planning

Section 7. Competence of the Cabinet

(1) The Cabinet shall:

1) [13 February 2014];

2) approve thematic plans of the national level;

3) define the content of spatial development planning documents of the regional level, and the procedures for developing, implementation and monitoring thereof;

4) define the content of spatial development planning documents of the local level, the procedures for developing and public discussion thereof, the procedures for financing a local plan and detailed plan and the requirements to be included in a contract regarding the development and financing of a local plan or detailed plan;

5) define the requirements for persons developing spatial development planning documents;

6) define general requirements for spatial development planning, land use and building of the local level;

7) define classification of land use types;

8) prescribe the procedures for establishing and operating the spatial development planning information system, collecting, processing and dissemination of information required for it, and the content of the data of the spatial development planning information system, as well as the procedures for data exchange with other State information systems;

9) define the ministry responsible for spatial development planning;

10) lay down the procedures for developing, implementation and monitoring of maritime spatial plan, and approve the maritime spatial plan;

11) define, establish and approve objects of national interest and the requirements for the use thereof, unless prescribed otherwise by other laws.

(2) The Cabinet shall provide for funding for the developing and updating of spatial development planning documents of the national and regional level in the State budget for the current year.

[13 February 2014]

Section 8. Competence of the National Development Council [13 February 2014]

Section 9. Competence of the Ministry Responsible for Spatial Development Planning

The ministry responsible for spatial development planning shall:

1) develop the maritime spatial plan and national thematic plans according to the competence thereof;

2) methodically manage and supervise spatial development planning at the regional and local level, including supervision of public discussion organisation;

3) provide opinions on the conformity of the draft development strategies and development programmes of planning regions with spatial development planning documents of the national level and the requirements of laws and regulations;

4) evaluate the conformity of local government spatial plans and local plans with laws and regulations, if it is necessary for performance of the activities referred to in Sections 26 and 27 of this Law;

5) ensure the maintenance of the spatial development planning information system.

[13 February 2014]

Section 10. Competence of Sectoral Ministries

(1) Sectoral ministries shall prepare proposals and, in accordance with the procedures laid down in laws and regulations, advance them for defining objects of national interest and, if necessary, develop thematic plans.

(2) Sectoral ministries shall co-operate with State and local government institutions and ensure provision of information or advance requirements for the developing of spatial development planning documents of all levels.

[13 February 2014]

Section 11. Competence of a Planning Region

A planning region shall:

1) develop and approve the sustainable development strategy of planning region and the development programme, as well as co-ordinate and monitor the implementation thereof;

2) provide proposals for the developing of development planning documents of the national and local level;

3) provide opinions on the conformity of the draft local government development strategies and development programmes with spatial development planning documents and the requirements of laws and regulations;

4) co-ordinate and monitor the developing of sustainable development strategies, development programmes, spatial plans and local plans of local governments.

Section 12. Competence of a Local Government

(1) A local government shall develop and approve the local government development strategy, development programme, spatial plan, local plans, detailed plans and thematic plans.

(2) A local government shall provide proposals for development of the national and regional level development planning documents.

(3) A local government shall co-ordinate and monitor the implementation of the local government development strategy, development programme, spatial plan, local plans, detailed plans and thematic plans.

Section 13. Financing of the Development of Spatial Development Planning Documents of a Planning Region and Local Government

(1) Carrying out of the functions of a planning region shall be ensured by funding from resources from the State budget for the current year intended for the support of a planning region and from other resources.

(2) A local government shall provide for resources for the developing of spatial development planning documents in the budget thereof.

(3) If an initiator of a local plan or detailed plan is not the relevant local government, the developing and implementation thereof shall be financed by the initiator, concluding a contract regarding it with the local government. In such case the local government may participate in co-financing of the local plan or detailed plan in accordance with the procedures laid down in laws and regulations.

Section 14. Provision of Data and Information Necessary for the Developing of Spatial Development Planning Documents

(1) State and local government institutions shall provide the information necessary for developing of all types of spatial development planning documents free of charge, and such information shall be prepared and maintained by the abovementioned institutions from the budget resources.

(2) If the funding necessary for creating and maintaining a geospatial data set is not ensured from the State or self-government budget, such geospatial data set shall be used (including provision of direct accessibility) for a charge according to the price list of paid services of the geospatial data set holder.

Chapter III
Spatial Development Planning at the National Level

Section 15. Sustainable Development Strategy of Latvia and National Development Plan

The Sustainable Development Strategy of Latvia and the National Development Plan shall be developed in accordance with the procedures laid down in laws and regulations.

Section 16. Maritime Spatial Plan

(1) A maritime spatial plan shall define the use of the sea, considering a terrestrial part that is functionally interlinked with the sea and co-ordinating interests of various sectors and local governments in use of the sea.

(2) Developing of a maritime spatial plan shall be organised by the ministry responsible for spatial development planning in co-operation with sectoral ministries, planning regions and local governments, bordering upon the sea.

[13 February 2014]

Section 17. Defining of Objects of National Interest

(1) Proposals regarding defining of objects of national interest shall be prepared and, in accordance with the procedures laid down in laws and regulations, advanced for approval to the Cabinet by a relevant sectoral ministry in co-operation with local governments, the territory of which will be affected by the object of national interest. The proposal shall contain justification for the choice of a location and results of the environmental impact assessment, if such is necessary in accordance with the requirements of laws and regulations.

(2) The territory necessary for the functioning of the object of national interest and protection zone, if such is provided for in laws and regulations, as well as the requirements for the use of such object, shall be determined for the object of national interest.

(3) If an environmental impact assessment is not applied, the relevant sectoral ministry shall organise informing of the public regarding the proposal in accordance with the procedures stipulated by the Cabinet.

[13 February 2014]

Chapter IV
Spatial Development Planning at the Regional Level

Section 18. Sustainable Development Strategy of a Planning Region

(1) The sustainable development strategy of a planning region is a long-term spatial development planning document, specifying the vision of the long-term development, strategic objectives, priorities of the planning region and the spatial development perspective in written and graphic form.

(2) The sustainable development strategy of a planning region shall be developed according to the State long-term strategic objectives laid down in the Sustainable Development Strategy of Latvia, taking into account the long-term development objectives laid down in long-term development strategies of adjacent planning regions and evaluating spatial development planning documents of the local governments contained in the relevant planning region.

(3) The sustainable development strategy of a planning region shall be approved by a decision of the Planning Region Development Council.

[13 February 2014]

Section 19. Planning Region Development Programme

(1) A planning region development programme shall be developed according to the National Development Plan and the sustainable development strategy of a planning region, based on development programmes of local governments located within the relevant planning region, as well as taking into account the development programmes of adjacent planning regions.

(2) A planning region development programme shall contain the current situation analysis, tendencies and forecasts, as well as information regarding the developing process of the development programme, and shall define mid-term priorities, the set of measures for the implementation thereof and the procedures for monitoring thereof.

(3) A planning region development programme shall be approved by a decision of the Planning Region Development Council.

Chapter V
Spatial Development Planning at the Local Level

Section 20. Local Government Spatial Development Planning Documents

A local government shall have the following coherently co-ordinated spatial planning documents:

1) sustainable development strategy of the local government;

2) development programme of the local government;

3) spatial plan of the local government;

4) local plans;

5) detailed plans;

6) thematic plans.

Section 21. Sustainable Development Strategy of a Local Government

(1) The sustainable development strategy of a local government is a long-term spatial development planning document, laying down the vision of the local government long-term development, strategic objectives, development priorities and the spatial development perspective in written and graphic form, and this strategy shall be developed according to the sustainable development strategy of the planning region, evaluating spatial development planning documents of adjacent local governments.

(2) In spatial development perspective the guidelines for spatial development shall be specified, as well as the most significant spatial structures, development priorities and preferable long-term changes of the local government shall be specified and displayed schematically.

(3) The sustainable development strategy of local government shall be approved by a decision of the local government council.

[13 February 2014]

Section 22. Local Government Development Programme

(1) A local government development programme shall be developed according to the sustainable development strategy of a local government, evaluating spatial development planning documents of the national and regional level, as well as spatial development planning documents of adjacent local governments.

(2) A local government development programme shall include the analysis of the current situation, tendencies and forecasts, as well as information regarding the developing process of the development programme, and shall define mid-term priorities, the action and investment plan, the amount of resources necessary for the implementation of the development programme and the procedures for monitoring of the development programme.

(3) A local government development programme shall be approved by a decision of the local government council.

[13 February 2014]

Section 23. Local Government Spatial Plan

(1) A local government spatial plan shall be developed according to the sustainable development strategy of a local government and taking into consideration other spatial development planning documents of the national, regional and local level.

(2) In a local government spatial plan the functional zoning and public infrastructure shall be specified, the regulations regarding land use and building, as well as other conditions for land use and restrictions shall be regulated.

(3) In accordance with laws and regulations laying down general requirements for local government spatial planning and building, land use for rural territory of the local government may be specified on the basis of the sustainable development strategy of a local government and information of the updated topographic map.

(4) Changes in the functional zoning specified in a local government spatial plan or in the regulations regarding land use and building shall be developed as amendments to the local government spatial plan or as a local plan in accordance with Section 24, Paragraph three of this Law.

(5) If new laws and regulations with a higher legal force, related to information to be included in a local government spatial plan, come into force, the local government shall evaluate the necessity of amending its spatial plan. If the local government does not amend its spatial plan, in case of contradictions the requirements of the regulatory enactment with a higher legal force shall be applied.

(6) It shall be permitted to install engineering communication networks and objects in any functional zone specified in a spatial plan, in compliance with the requirements of the Cabinet regulations referred to in Section 7, Paragraph six of this Law and other laws and regulations.

(7) If a new spatial development planning document of a higher level comes into effect, the local government shall evaluate the spatial plan thereof and take a decision on the necessity of amending it.

[13 February 2014]

Section 24. Local Plan

(1) A local government shall develop a local plan upon its own initiative and use it as the basis for further planning, as well as for building designing.

(2) A local government spatial plan may be detailed in a local plan. After coming into effect of the sustainable development strategy of a local government, the local government spatial plan may be amended in the local plan, insofar as the local plan is not in contradiction with the sustainable development strategy of the local government.

(3) Changes in the functional zoning specified in a local plan or in the regulations regarding land use and building shall be developed as amendments to the local plan in accordance with the procedures laid down in laws and regulations.

(4) The functional zoning specified in a local plan and the regulations regarding land use and building shall be in effect in the territory of the local plan. If new laws and regulations with a higher legal force, related to the functional zoning specified in a local plan and regulations regarding land use and building, come into effect, the local government shall evaluate the necessity of amending the local plan.

Section 25. Adopting and Coming into Effect of a Local Government Spatial Plan and Local Plan

(1) A local government spatial plan and a local plan shall be approved by the binding regulations of the local government. They shall come into effect on the day following the publication of the relevant notification in the official gazette Latvijas Vēstnesis [the official Gazette of the Government of Latvia].

(2) The local government shall publish a notification regarding adoption of the binding regulations in the official gazette Latvijas Vēstnesis, local newspaper and on the website of the local government within two weeks after approval of the binding regulations. The local government shall publish on the website thereof a decision to approve the binding regulations and the documents appended thereto.

(3) A decision to approve the binding regulations and the documents appended thereto shall be sent by the local government to the ministry responsible for spatial development planning.

(4) The binding regulations referred to in this Section shall not be implementable as long as the activities referred to in Section 27, Paragraph three of this Law are not finished.

(5) Until commencing the implementation of the binding regulations referred to in this Section the local government shall apply the binding regulations, by which the previous spatial plan, local plan or amendments thereto were approved.

[24 May 2012; 13 February 2014]

Section 26. Suspension of Operation of a Local Government Spatial Plan and Local Plan upon the Initiative of a Minister

(1) If violations of the procedure for the developing of local government spatial plan or local plan or a non-conformity with the requirements of laws and regulations are determined, the minister responsible for spatial development planning (hereinafter - minister) shall, not later than within six months after the local government spatial plan or local plan has come into effect, issue an order to suspend the binding regulations, which approved the spatial plan or local plan, or a part of such binding regulations.

(2) If the minister has issued the order referred to in Paragraph one of this Section and Section 27, Paragraph three of this Law, the Chairperson of the local government council shall, within two weeks after the order has come into force, convene an extraordinary meeting of the local government council, at which the council shall take a decision to cancel the binding regulations or a part thereof or to submit an application to the Constitutional Court.

(3) The order referred to in Paragraph one of this Section shall suspend the operation of the local government spatial plan or local plan in the part specified in the order until the day when a decision of the local government council to cancel the binding regulations or a part thereof or an adjudication of the Constitutional Court comes into effect.

[13 February 2014]

Section 27. Appealing of a Local Government Spatial Plan and Local Plan

(1) Within two months after coming into effect of the binding regulations, which approve the spatial plan or local plan, a person may submit an application regarding the local government spatial plan or local plan to the ministry responsible for spatial development planning.

(2) Within 10 days after the end of the time period for submitting submissions laid down in Paragraph one of this Section, the ministry responsible for spatial development planning shall inform the local government regarding the submissions received and, if possible, indicate the extent to which the local government spatial plan or local plan may be implemented until the day when the order of the minister will be issued or, if no submission has been received, inform the local government thereof, indicating the day when the local government may commence implementation of the relevant binding regulations.

(3) Within one month from the day when the time period for submitting applications has expired, the ministry responsible for spatial development planning shall evaluate the submitted applications in accordance with the procedures laid down in Paragraph one of this Section. If, when examining a submission, violations of the procedures for developing the spatial plan, local plan or a part thereof or a non-conformity with the requirements of laws and regulations have been determined, the minister shall issue an order to suspend the binding regulations, informing the submitter of the submission thereof. If no violation has been determined, the ministry responsible for spatial development planning shall provide a reply to the submission. The reply to the submission provided shall not be examined in accordance with the procedures of administrative proceedings. The ministry responsible for spatial development planning shall also inform the local government that violations have not been determined and concurrently specify the day when implementation of the relevant binding regulations may be commenced.

(4) A person is entitled, in accordance with the procedures laid down by law, to submit to the Constitutional Court a constitutional complaint regarding the conformity of the local government binding regulations with the norms of higher legal force, if before that the person has submitted a submission in accordance with Paragraph one of this Section.

(5) If a submission is not submitted within the time period referred to in Paragraph one of this Section, it shall be examined in accordance with the Law On Submissions, and all that is prescribed in Paragraphs one, two, three and four of this Section shall not apply thereto. An overdue time period shall not be renewed.

(6) In addition to what has been laid down in this Section, if the time periods indicated therein are not observed, the Constitutional Court may, in accordance with the procedures laid down by the Constitutional Court Law, evaluate a local government spatial plan and local plan also in the case if a general jurisdiction court or an administrative court addresses the Constitutional Court, including also after hearing of opinions of participants of the proceedings.

[13 February 2014]

Section 28. Detailed Plan

(1) The types and restrictions for land use provided for in the functional zoning specified in a spatial plan or local plan shall be detailed and specified in a detailed plan according to the scale precision, laying down the requirements for land use and building for each land unit.

(2) For a part of a rural territory of a local government, for which the functional zoning has not been developed, a detailed plan shall be developed in compliance with the sustainable development strategy of the local government. In the work task of a detailed plan the requirements and provisions shall be stipulated, observing what has been laid down in laws and regulations and spatial development planning documents of a higher level, as well as the specificity of the particular situation.

(3) A detailed plan shall be developed before commencing new construction or subdivision of land units, if it creates a necessity for complex solutions and unless laid down otherwise in laws and regulations.

(4) A local government shall define in the work task the necessity for the developing of a detailed plan and the level of detail, taking into account the justification for the developing. The developing of detailed plan may be combined, to a certain extent, with building designing, ensuring public discussion in accordance with laws and regulations.

[13 February 2014]

Section 29. Approval of a Detailed Plan

A local government shall approve a detailed plan with a general administrative act, relating it to the land unit, and it shall come into effect after announcement thereof. A detailed plan shall be in effect until it is cancelled or repealed. A detailed plan shall lose validity also in the case, if the time period for commencing the implementation thereof has expired and it has not been extended within a year after the end of such time period. A notification regarding approval of a detailed plan shall be published according to the same procedures as laid down for a notification regarding approval of a spatial plan or local plan, except the time period for publishing the binding regulations of a local government.

Section 30. Appealing of a Detailed Plan

(1) A detailed plan may be appealed to the administrative court in accordance with the procedures laid down in the Administrative Procedure Law within a month after publishing the notification regarding the approval of the detailed plan, and regardless of whether the procedures and time period for appealing are indicated in the detailed plan.

(2) Until the end of the time period for appealing, as well as in the case of suspension of operation of a detailed plan, a local government is not entitled to take decisions related to the implementation of the detailed plan.

(3) Appealing of a detailed plan shall suspend operation of the detailed plan until the day when a court adjudication comes into effect. In the cases laid down in the Administrative Procedure Law, renewal of the operation of a suspended detailed plan may be requested.

Section 31. Procedures for Implementation of a Detailed Plan

(1) A detailed plan shall be implemented according to an administrative contract concluded between the local government and the implementer of the developing of detailed plan.

(2) A contract shall, in accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Law, contain various conditions, time periods and disclaimers regarding cancellation, as well as requirements concerning the time period for commencement of construction work of objects, management of the detailed plan territory and public infrastructure, construction stages and consequence thereof.

(3) A local government may specify the time period within which the implementation of the detailed plan is to be commenced - building (use) of the detailed plan territory in compliance with the detailed plan solution and the requirements specified. Subdivision or merging of land units according to the detailed plan shall not be considered to be the implementation of the detailed plan.

(4) If a local government, having evaluated the relevant request, rejects it, does not extend the time period for implementation of the detailed plan and substantiates the decision thereof, it may be contested or appealed.

Section 32. Thematic Plans

(1) Thematic plans may be developed at all spatial development planning levels and the term of operation of thematic plans shall be determined by an authority approving the relevant thematic plan.

(2) Thematic plans shall be taken into consideration when developing other spatial development planning documents.

Section 33. Displaying of Encumbered Territories, Objects and Protection Zones Specified for Them

Encumbered territories, as well as objects and protection zones specified for them, shall be displayed in spatial development planning documents in accordance with the procedures laid down in the Law On the Information System of Encumbered Territories.

Transitional Provisions

1. With the coming into force of this Law, the Spatial Planning Law (Latvijas Republikas Saeimas un Ministru Kabineta Ziņotājs, 2002, No. 13; 2003, No. 10; 2005, No. 5; 2007, No. 10, No. 24; 2008, No. 24; 2010, No. 40) is repealed.

2. The Cabinet shall:

1) by 31 May 2012 issue the Cabinet regulations referred to in Section 7, Paragraph one, Clauses 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of this Law;

2) by 31 December 2012 issue the Cabinet regulations referred to in Section 7, Paragraph one, Clause 10 of this Law;

3) by 1 September 2014 issue the Cabinet regulations referred to in Section 7, Paragraph one, Clause 8 of this Law.

[13 February 2014]

3. Developing of a maritime spatial plan shall be commenced not later than by 1 January 2014. Until the day maritime spatial plan comes into effect, decisions on use of the territorial sea, continental shelf and exclusive economic zone of Latvia shall be taken by the Cabinet, unless laid down otherwise in laws and regulations.

4. Until the approval of a local government spatial development plan, developed in accordance with the procedures laid down in this Law, in the territory of the relevant local government or a part thereof, the spatial plan of the local government approved until the coming into force of this Law shall be in force.

5. Requirements stipulated by this Law for determining the national interest objects shall not apply to the national interest objects established until the day of coming into force of this Law.

6. Developing of planning region and local government development programmes, which has been commenced prior to the coming into force of this Law, shall be completed in accordance with the requirements of laws and regulations, which were in force when the developing of the relevant development programmes was commenced.

7. Local governments and planning regions shall ensure the developing or updating of sustainable development strategies and development programmes in accordance with this Law by 31 December 2014.

[13 February 2014]

8. If until the day of coming into force of this Law a local government spatial plan or amendments to a spatial plan are in the process of developing, the local government shall take a decision in which it shall indicate the laws and regulations in accordance with which the developing of the spatial plan or amendments to the spatial plan is to be completed.

9. Detailed plans, the developing of which has been commenced prior to coming into force of this Law, shall be completed in accordance with the requirements of such laws and regulations, which were in force on the day of commencing the developing of the detailed plans, but no later than by 31 December 2012.

10. After coming into force of this Law, the following detailed plans shall be in force:

1) those which have been approved by the local government binding regulations;

2) those which have been developed in accordance with the procedures laid down in Clause 9 of these Transitional Provisions.

11. Until the day of coming into force of the relevant Cabinet regulations, but not later than until 31 December 2012, the following Cabinet Regulations are in force, insofar as they do not contradict this Law:

1) Cabinet Regulation No. 1148 of 6 October 2009, Regulations Regarding Spatial Planning of a Local Government; and

2) Cabinet Regulation No. 236 of 5 April 2005, Regulations Regarding Spatial Planning of a Planning Region.

12. The Cabinet Regulation No. 121 of 14 February 2006, Procedures for the Allocation of an Earmarked Subsidy for Drawing up of Spatial Plans of Planning Regions and Local Governments and the Amendments Thereto, shall be applicable until the end of the time period specified for acquisition of an earmarked subsidy in the referred Regulation, but not longer than until 31 December 2014.

[15 December 2011]

13. Until the day of coming into force of new Cabinet regulations, the Cabinet Regulation No. 977 of 12 October 2010, Regulations Regarding Agricultural Territories of National Significance, shall be applicable, insofar as it is not in contradiction with this Law, but not longer than until 31 May 2013.

14. Local governments shall, by 31 December 2015, insert the existing spatial development planning documents into the spatial development planning system.

[13 February 2014]

15. Until the day of coming into force of amendments to Section 12, Paragraphs one, two and three of the Development Planning System Law, as well as the amendment regarding deletion of Paragraph five of the referred Section, developing of the Sustainable Development Strategy of Latvia and the National Development Plan shall be co-ordinated by the ministry responsible for spatial development planning.

16. Section 27 of this Law shall come into force concurrently with the amendments to the Constitutional Court Law.

This Law shall come into force on 1 December 2011.

This Law has been adopted by the Saeima on 13 October 2011.

President A. Bērziņš

Riga, 2 November 2011

¹ The Parliament of the Republic of Latvia

Translation © 2015 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)