Citation(s) from the GunPolicy.org literature library
Latvia. 2020 ‘Brokering.’ National Report of Latvia on its Implementation of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UNPoA); Section 4, p. 6-9. New York NY: Permanent Mission of Latvia to the United Nations. 1 January
Relevant contents
Laws, regulations and administrative procedures
3.1. Does your country have laws, regulations or administrative procedures to exercise effective control over the export, import, transit or retransfer of SALW?
3.1.1. List laws, regulations or administrative procedures to exercise effective control over the export, import, transit or retransfer of SALW.
Law on Circulation of Weapons adopted in 2019 stipulates the definition of a "arms broker" and sets regulations for commercial activity conducted by an arms broker. The Law regulates norms related to special authorisations (licences) for the commercial handling of weapons, munition and their components. The Law on the Circulation of Goods of Strategic Significance. According to the Law, a broker is a mediator for transactions with goods of strategic significance an individual person or a legal entity, a merchant registered in the Commercial Register or a commercial company or undertaking registered in a foreign country by a citizen or long-term resident of the Republic of Latvia, that performs intermediary transactions with goods of strategic significance (i.e. military or dual-use goods). Brokering – any intermediary transaction with goods of strategic significance that is associated with the transfer of goods of strategic significance, including the transfer from one third country to another. According to the Law a permit issued by the Ministry of Defense is required for commercial activities with goods, listed in the Common Military List of the European Union, including small arms and light weapons, specified.
The Law provides that the merchant shall hold an import, export, transfer, as well as a transit licence issued by Committee for Control of Goods of Strategic Significance in cases when parties of small arms and light weapons are transferred outside the Customs borders of Latvia. Cabinet of Ministers Regulation No.188 – Regulations on issuing Licenses for commercial activity concerned with arms, ammunition and special means. The Regulations stipulates norms for arms brokers concerning license acquiring, license renewal etc. (Currently no arms broker licenses have been issued by the State Police in the Republic of Latvia.)
[SALW = Small Arms and Light Weapons]