Citation(s) from the GunPolicy.org literature library
Latvia. 2010 ‘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); Part 8, pp. 11-12. New York, NY: Permanent Mission of Latvia to the United Nations. 1 January
Relevant contents
Brokering
Small arms and light weapons brokering activities in Latvia are regulated by 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 - a natural person or 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 Defence 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.
The Ministry of Defence keeps records of issued special permissions to arms brokers.
Licences for commercial activities with goods are issued if there is no information at the disposal of the State security services that the activities of the relevant merchant are directed against the security of the Republic of Latvia or that this merchant violates the restrictions incorporated in international treaties or prescribed by international organisations, and brokers conform to the following requirements:
1) they are citizens of the Republic of Latvia or citizens of a European Union Member State, or citizens of a European Economic Area State who have reached the age of at least 21;
2) they have not been sentenced for the committing of a criminal offence - at least one year after a conviction being extinguished or removed;
3) a psychiatrist's opinion that they have not been diagnosed with mental disorders is available;
4) a narcologist's opinion that they have not been diagnosed with addiction to alcohol, narcotics, psychotropic or toxic substances is available;
5) within the period of the last year they have not been administratively sanctioned for violations committed under the influence of alcohol, narcotics, psychotropic or toxic substances;
6) the State police, the public prosecutor or State security institutions have no information that would attest to their affiliation to prohibited military or armed groups, public organisations (parties) or the unions thereof;
7) they have a declared place of residence;
8) they have not been convicted for the intentional committing of a criminal offence.
The Code for Administrative Violations and the Criminal Law provide liability for offences committed with regard to arms brokering.