Chapter I General Provisions
Section 1. Terms Used in the Law (1) The following terms are used in the Law: 1) soil – upper unconsolidated and fertile layer of the Earth’s crust which has formed under the effect of natural processes and human activities and which consists of mineral and organic material, liquids and gaseous substances; 2) soil degradation – changes which have occurred or are taking place under the impact of natural processes or human activities and due to which the possibility of using soil in implementation of economic, environmental protection, and cultural functions is decreasing; 3) soil recultivation – a set of measures which promotes restoration of fertility of soil; 4) degraded territory – a territory with a destroyed or damaged upper layer of ground or an abandoned territory of construction, extraction of mineral resources, economic or military activities; 5) inland public waters – the public lakes and rivers indicated in Annex I to the Civil Law; 6) marine coastal area – a territory which includes marine coastal waters and marine coastal land part; 7) marine coastal waters – within the meaning of this Law: an aquatorium two kilometres in width from the marine coastal line; 8) land part of the marine coast – a territory between the marine coastal line and the place which is reached by the highest waves of the sea; 9) marine coastal line – a border between the land part of the marine coast and marine coastal waters in normal position; 10) vacant unit of land – within the meaning of this Law: land which is free of structures or on which only such structures are located which are not to be recorded in the Land Register in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding recording of an immovable property in the Land Register; 11) land protection – measures for preventing land degradation and degradation risk and for preserving the useful properties of land; 12) land degradation – reduction or disappearance of land and of economic or ecological value of the resources related thereto as a result of action or failure to act of a human being or as a result of natural processes; 13) land consolidation – a set of measures within the scope of which complex rearranging of land borders is carried out in order to form a rational structure of holdings and area of land parcels, to promote development of the rural infrastructure and rural development, as well as environmental protection; 14) land monitoring – obtaining of data characterising land and its use from State information systems, analytical processing thereof and regular surveying of land in the area in order to determine the state of land and to characterise the changes therein; 15) land management – a set of measures for the implementation of the land policy the purpose of which is to promote sustainable use and protection of land. (2) The term "land parcel" used in this Law conforms to the term "land parcel" used in the National Real Estate Cadastre Law.
Section 2. Purpose of the Law The purpose of the Law is to promote sustainable use and protection of land.
Section 3. Principles for the Use and Protection of Land The following principles shall be observed in the use and protection of land: 1) in planning the use of land, the local government shall provide for efficient management and sustainable development of natural resources in the spatial development planning documents; 2) the local government shall intend territories with the lowest land quality assessment and territories which due to their location and configuration are not appropriate for the use in agriculture or forestry, as priority for changing the category of the agricultural land and forest land; 3) the local government in the spatial development planning documents shall intend degraded territories as priority for building; 4) the land owner, possessor, and user (hereinafter – land user) shall not cause harm to land and shall take into account a balance between the needs of the society and the rights of owners.
Section 4. Conditions for the Use and Protection of Land The following conditions shall be observed in the use and protection of land: 1) if the quality assessment of agricultural land exceeds 50 points, the local government shall ensure land preservation of this valuable agricultural land, determining restrictions for land subdivision and for changing the category of land use; 2) land shall be used according to the use of territory determined in the spatial development planning documents of the local government or the use of territory lawfully commenced; 3) the land user shall carry out activities in order to preserve the quality of land and soil and prevent their degradation; 4) in carrying out activities which are related to damaging the upper layer of soil, the land user shall comply with the requirements for land recultivation; 5) the land user, in alienating land which is partly or completely located in the degraded territory, shall inform the acquirer of the immovable property thereof.
Chapter II Land for Ensuring Public Infrastructure and Access
Section 5. Land for Ensuring Public Infrastructure (1) The local government shall determine the conditions for the territory necessary for the development and construction needs of public infrastructure and for their use regardless of the belonging or jurisdiction of land. (2) The land owner has the right to compensation for losses, if, upon determining the territories necessary for the development and construction needs of public infrastructure, he or she has faced restrictions on economic activity for which a compensation is due. The losses shall be compensated in accordance with the procedures laid down by the Cabinet by the institution which has proposed the determination of such territories.
Section 6. Ensuring of Access to Inland Public Waters and Specially Protected Nature Territories (1) In order to ensure access to inland public waters and specially protected nature territory visiting of which is permitted in accordance with the laws and regulations governing the protection and use of specially protected nature territories, the local government shall determine a pedestrian road as the real estate restriction for the benefit of an opportunity for the society to access such territory and shall organise arranging of a pedestrian road in the spatial plan, local plan, or detailed plan. The land owner has the right to compensation of losses which has occurred due to determination of restriction. (2) If the real estate restriction is not specified in accordance with the procedures provided for in Paragraph one of this Section and the owner of the immovable property has not restricted movement along the roads or streets on his or her property, the person has the right to use such roads or streets on the property of another person in order to access inland public waters and specially protected nature territories. Upon moving along roads or streets on the property of another person, motorised vehicles shall not be used, except motorised wheelchairs. (3) The person who in the cases referred to in this Section is at an immovable property belonging to another person, may not cause losses by his or her actions to the owner of the immovable property or to otherwise infringe the ownership rights.
Section 7. Ensuring of Access to Land Parcels to be Newly Established (1) All land parcels to be newly established, except inter-areas, shall be provided with access from a local government road or street or access from a State motorway in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding adding of roads to State motorways. If it is not possible, access shall be ensured by a servitude or by a designed servitude after establishing the servitude. (2) Upon expanding towns and villages or creating new building territories, prior to approval of a spatial plan, local plan, or detailed plan the local government and land owners shall agree on alienation of the land in their red lines or necessary for construction of roads to the local government, as well as regarding construction of engineering structures. If it is not possible to reach an agreement on alienation of the necessary land, the local government shall approve the spatial plan, local plan, or detailed plan and commence forced alienation of the immovable property necessary for the public needs.
Section 8. Use and Alienation of the Land Necessary for Maintaining Roads If until the day of coming into force of this Law a motorway has been registered as a local government or State road and included in the local government or State balance sheet, however the land under the road has been recorded in the Land Register in the name of another person, such person may not prohibit movement along the local government or State road. The State or local government, according to the budgetary possibilities, but not later than within five years from the day of coming into force of this Law shall agree with the land owner on alienation of land under the road and shall alienate it in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding alienation of the immovable property necessary for the public needs. The State forest land shall be alienated in accordance with the procedures laid down in the Law On Forests.
Chapter III Land Consolidation
Section 9. General Principles for Land Consolidation (1) Land consolidation shall have the following stages: 1) proposing of land consolidation (submission of a request for land consolidation, assessment, determination of the prospective territory of the land consolidation project, initial negotiations with the land owners included in the prospective territory of the land consolidation project or, if none, with its legal possessors, as well as other interested persons, entering into contracts with land owners or, if none, its legal possessors regarding participation in land consolidation and taking of a decision to commence the drawing up of a land consolidation project); 2) drawing up of a land consolidation project (land assessment, negotiations with the land owners included in the land consolidation project or, if none, with its legal possessors, preparation, co-ordination, and approval of land consolidation project); 3) implementation of the land consolidation project (cadastral surveying of land according to the approved land consolidation project, registration of cadastral survey data with the National Real Estate Cadastre Information System, entering into land change and purchase contracts according to the land consolidation project approved, corroboration of ownership rights in the Land Register). (2) Land consolidation in accordance with the competence specified in laws and regulations shall be ensured by the State Land Service, local government, person certified for land survey works (hereinafter – land surveyor), and person certified for cadastral survey of land. (3) Proposing of land consolidation shall be funded from the funds of the State budget, except the costs of submitting a request for land consolidation which shall be covered from the financial resources of the initiator of land consolidation. (4) The drawing up and introduction of the land consolidation project shall be funded: 1) from the financial resources of private individuals, funds of the local government or State budget, if land consolidation was proposed by private individuals; 2) from the funds of the local government budget, if land consolidation was proposed by the local government; 3) from the financial resources of the State budget or a State capital company, if land consolidation was proposed by a State administration institution or State capital company. (5) The drawing up and introduction of the land consolidation project may be funded by joining financial resources of private individuals, funds of the local government budget and State budget. (6) If any transactions involving the land included in the land consolidation project are performed which are not related to land consolidation, the contract regarding participation in land consolidation entered into by the previous land owner shall be binding to the successor of the land ownership rights.
Section 10. Proposing of Land Consolidation (1) Land consolidation may be proposed: 1) by land owners or, if none, its legal possessors for the land in their ownership or legal possessors (hereinafter – participants of land consolidation); 2) by the local government or institution of direct administration upon its initiative in relation to the territory in which land in ownership or legal possession of other persons may be located. (2) Participants of land consolidation shall enter into a contract with the State Land Service regarding participation in land consolidation. If land consolidation is proposed in relation to land encumbered with credit liabilities, prior to entering into a contract regarding participation in land consolidation the relevant participant of land consolidation shall submit a document to the State Land Service which confirms consent of the creditor for participation in land consolidation. (3) The decision to commence drawing up of a land consolidation project, determining the land included in the land consolidation project, or a decision to refuse to commence land consolidation, if it is not possible to achieve the land consolidation objectives, shall be taken by the State Land Service.
Section 11. Drawing up of a Land Consolidation Project (1) Drawing up of a land consolidation project shall be ensured by the State Land Service and land surveyor according to their competence. (2) Land parcels in relation to which participants of land consolidation have entered into a contract with the State Land Service regarding participation in land consolidation, the land parcels referred to in Section 17, Paragraph one of this Law, land parcels of the Latvian Land Fund, the inter-areas in jurisdiction of the local government which are bordering on land parcels of participants of land consolidation, as well as other land belonging to or in jurisdiction of the local government which is not necessary for implementation of the local government functions, may be included in the land consolidation project (3) The land consolidation project shall consist of an explanatory note and graphic part. The drawing up of the land consolidation project shall be commenced from the day when the decision to commence drawing up of the land consolidation project entered into effect. (4) The land consolidation project shall be drawn up in conformity with: 1) spatial development planning documents and the conditions for drawing up a land consolidation project issued by the local government and institutions of direct administration; 2) aggregated and assessed proposals and interests of the local government and participants of land consolidation; 3) the relative ratio of assessments of land parcels. (5) The land surveyor has a duty to hear, compile, and assess the proposals of participants of land consolidation, local government, as well as institutions of direct administration regarding the graphic part of the land consolidation project and objections against it. After hearing the proposals and objections the land surveyor, if necessary, shall prepare a new graphic part of the land consolidation project. The local government shall participate in the assessment of proposals and objections of participants of land consolidation and the relevant institutions of direct administration. (6) The land surveyor shall co-ordinate the graphic part of the land consolidation project with: 1) the participants of land consolidation who will confirm with their signature that they agree to the design solution; 2) the local government and institutions of direct administration which have issued the conditions for drawing up a land consolidation project. (7) The decision to approve the land consolidation project shall be taken by the State Land Service after carrying out the actions specified in Paragraph six of this Section.
Section 12. Implementation of a Land Consolidation Project (1) Implementation of a land consolidation project shall be ensured by the State Land Service according to its competence. (2) An approved land consolidation project shall serve as the grounds for the implementation of the land consolidation project. (3) A land consolidation project shall be deemed implemented from the moment when the land parcels created within the land consolidation project are recorded in the Land Register.
Chapter IV Management of State and Local Government Land
Section 13. Competence of the State and Local Governments in Land Management (1) The Cabinet shall: 1) approve the State land policy; 2) issue regulations providing for the type of compensation for losses which have arisen due to real estate restrictions upon ensuring access to inland public waters and specially protected nature territories, the amount of compensation, the procedures for calculating and paying it; 3) issue regulations providing for the type of compensation for losses which have arisen due to restrictions on economic activity upon determining the territories necessary for the development and construction needs of public infrastructure in the spatial plan of the local government, the amount of compensation, the procedures for calculating and paying it; 4) issue regulations regarding the procedures for proposing and funding land consolidation, regarding the content of the land consolidation project, the procedures for drawing up and implementing it, as well as the procedures by which the relative assessment of land parcels for the needs of land consolidation shall be determined; 5) issue regulations regarding the procedures by which information regarding marine coastal area and inland public waters shall be registered and updated in the National Real Estate Cadastre Information System; 6) issue regulations regarding land and soil degradation criteria, as well as regarding the procedures by which land and soil degradation and its probability shall be established and assessed, measures for the prevention of land and soil degradation shall be determined and their implementation shall be supervised; 7) issue regulations regarding the creation of the Land Quality Assessment Information System and regarding the procedures for mapping of soil, assessing land quality, and maintaining and updating the information obtained; 8) issue regulations regarding qualification of soils; 9) issue regulations regarding the procedures for preparing the information to be included in the land report and the institution which shall be responsible for the preparation of the land report; 10) issue regulations regarding leasing of marine coastal area and inland public waters; 11) issue regulations regarding the procedures by which a servitude and a joint-use road specified by a decision of the competent authority shall be deleted from the National Real Estate Cadastre Information System during the land reform, and the cases when they are to be deleted; 12) issue regulations regarding the procedures by which the State shall exercise the pre-emptive rights to land under public waters; 13) issue regulations regarding the procedures by which the State Land Service shall transfer data regarding land parcels included in the reserve land fund and regarding land parcels which are not used for restoring the ownership rights, as well as the procedures by which sectoral ministries shall take decisions on belonging of the relevant land parcels or of them being in jurisdiction of the State after completing the land reform and by which local governments shall take decisions on land parcels being in jurisdiction of the local government. (2) Institutions of direct administration, according to their competence, shall ensure implementation of land and soil protection measures, drawing up and implementing the environmental protection, agricultural, fishery, forestry, transport policy and policy of other sectors. (3) Local governments, according to their competence, shall ensure: 1) land monitoring within their administrative territory; 2) management of the reserve land fund.
Section 14. Management of Vacant Land and Degraded Territories (1) An institution of direct administration shall draw up an assessment of the possibilities of using vacant land and degraded territory in its possession and, if necessary, shall update it. If the institution of direct administration has transferred the immovable properties in its possession to a capital company of a public person, then the assessment of the possibilities of using the vacant land and degraded territory in the possession of the institution of direct administration shall be drawn up and updated by the relevant capital company of the public person. The assessment shall be submitted to the local government in the administrative territory of which the relevant vacant land or degraded territory is located (2) The local government shall draw up and approve by a council decision the assessment of the possibilities of using the vacant land and degraded territory in its ownership and possession. (3) The following shall be included in the assessment of the possibilities of using the vacant land and degraded territory: 1) the assessment of the current use of the land; 2) the assessment of the further use of the land, in conformity with the use of territory specified in the spatial development planning documents; 3) the assessment of investments which are necessary in order to ensure as good type of use of the land as possible; 4) the assessment of the possibilities of using, leasing or alienating the land; 5) the foreseeable income from land use and deductions into the local government or State budget for the use of capital; 6) other information regarding the use of the relevant land. (4) The institution of direct administration and the capital company of the public person does not need to draw up the assessment of the possibilities of using the vacant land and degraded territory referred to in Paragraph one of this Section, if the use of the relevant land is governed by other laws and regulations. (5) The institution of direct administration, the capital company of the public person, or the local government, in deciding on further use of the vacant land or degraded territory in the ownership or possession of the State or local government, shall take into account the relevant assessment. The local government shall take into account the assessment drawn up by the institution of direct administration, the capital company of the public person, or the local government, in preparing spatial development planning documents.
Section 15. Management of the Marine Coastal Area and Inland Public Waters (1) The ministry responsible for environmental protection is the possessor of inland public waters which are located in strict nature reserves, national parks, and nature reserves and are not in the ownership of private individuals or in the possession of another ministry, and of the land part of marine coast which is located in nature reserves, nature reserve or landscape protection zone of national parks, or boarder it and are not in the ownership of private individuals or in the possession of another ministry. If in accordance with laws and regulations a co-ordination from the owner is necessary for the performance of certain activities, the ministry responsible for environmental protection shall co-ordinate the activities to be performed in public waters in its possession on behalf of the owner. (2) The local government is the possessor of marine coastal waters adjacent to its administrative territory, as well as of the land part of marine coast and inland public waters in its administrative territory the possessor of which is not the ministry responsible for environmental protection or another ministry and which are not in the ownership of private individuals. If in accordance with laws and regulations a co-ordination from the owner is necessary for the performance of certain activities, the local government shall co-ordinate the activities to be performed in public waters in its possession on behalf of the owner. (3) If a private individual has land under public waters in his or her ownership and it is being sold, then the State shall have the pre-emptive right to the land to be alienated. A decision to exercise or not exercise the pre-emptive right shall be taken by the Cabinet. (4) It is prohibited to alienate, pledge, or otherwise encumber the inland public waters and marine coastal area in the ownership of the State with property rights. Construction in inland public waters and marine coastal area is prohibited, unless it has been specified otherwise in laws. (5) The local government shall take care of improvement of marine coastal waters and land part of marine coast in its possession and shall ensure its sanitary cleanness, perform spatial planning, as well as ensure the operation of rescue services in the bathing places managed by the local government where it is necessary. (6) The ministry responsible for environmental protection shall supervise the operation of local governments which is related to the management of inland public waters and marine coastal area in their possession. (7) The marine coastal area and inland public waters are provided for free use of anyone and accessible to the public, unless it has been specified otherwise in laws. (8) The local government has the right to determine a prohibition to be present on ice of waters in the inland public waters in its administrative territory and of other waters in its possession, as well as on ice of marine coastal waters adjacent to its administrative territory in such places where life and health of a person may be endangered. Upon assessing the potential threat to life and health of a person, the gathering intensity of people, weather conditions, and meteorological forecasts, as well as the probability that a sufficiently durable layer of ice is not forming, shall be taken into account. The local government may notify the relevant decision by publishing it on its website. [15 September 2016]
Section 16. Registration of Ownership and Possession Rights in Relation to Marine Coastal Area and Inland Public Waters (1) The ownership rights existing on the basis of the law to marine coastal area and inland public waters shall be in effect also without recording them in the Land Register. The ownership rights to marine coastal area and inland public waters do not need to be corroborated in the Land Register, unless it has been laid down otherwise in laws. (2) The cartographically specified borders of land parcels of inland public waters in spatial data of the National Real Estate Cadastre Information System shall be changed, if borders of adjacent land parcels are adjusted in performing cadastral survey, or if coastal line is being updated. The cartographically specified borders of the land part of marine coast and marine coastal waters shall be updated according to specific procedures after updating geospatial basic data. (3) The possession rights to a marine coastal area and inland public waters shall be registered in the National Real Estate Cadastre Information System in accordance with Section 15, Paragraphs one and two of this Law.
Section 17. Reserve Land Fund and Land not Used for the Completion of Land Reform (1) The relevant local government shall be the possessor of land parcels included in the reserve land fund and of land parcels not used for the restoration of the ownership rights until the moment when the Cabinet issues an order regarding recording thereof in the Land Register in the name of the State or they are recorded in the Land Register in the name of the local government. (2) The local government has the right to lease the land parcels referred to in Paragraph one of this Section in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding leasing land of a public person which govern leasing of the local government land. The lease contract shall provide for the rights of the local government to unilaterally terminate the contract, if the Cabinet issues an order regarding recording of the leased land parcel in the Land Register in the name of the State, if the leased land parcel is included in the land consolidation project or is assigned in ownership as equivalent land. (3) Until recording of the land parcels referred to in Paragraph one of this Section in the Land Register it shall be permitted to alienate them only during the course of implementation of the land consolidation project. Construction of new buildings and construction of such new structures which must be recorded in the Land Register as independent property objects in accordance with the laws and regulations governing operation of Land Registers, is prohibited in such land parcels. If in accordance with laws and regulations a co-ordination from the owner is necessary for the performance of certain activities, the local government shall co-ordinate the activities to be performed on the land parcels referred to in Paragraph one of this Section. (4) While the Cabinet has not issued an order regarding completion of the land reform in the administrative territory of the relevant local government or the territorial unit of the municipality local government, the local government council may take a decision on belonging of the land parcel included in the reserve land fund or being in jurisdiction of the local government, and the Cabinet may issue an order regarding belonging or being of land parcel in jurisdiction of the State, if the land parcel included in the reserve land fund is land belonging to or being in jurisdiction of the State or local government in accordance with the Law On Ownership Rights to State and Local Government Land and Corroboration Thereof in Land Registers. (5) The land belonging to and being in jurisdiction of the State and local governments after completion of the land reform shall be assessed in accordance with the procedures stipulated by the Cabinet within two years after the Cabinet has issued an order regarding completion of the land reform in the administrative territory of the relevant local government or in all territorial division units of the municipality. Chapter V Land and Soil Protection and Quality Assessment
Section 18. Management of Degraded Territories and Measures for Prevention of Degradation (1) The purpose of measures for the prevention of land degradation is to prevent the causes and consequences of degradation in order to promote sustainable use of land. (2) The local government shall determine and mark the degraded territories in the spatial development planning documents, as well as provide for the necessary conditions for the use of land. Information regarding degraded territories shall be included and maintained in the Spatial Development Planning Information System. (3) The land owner or possessor shall ensure soil recultivation. If soil degradation is caused by an object in the ownership or possession of another person, the expenses for soil recultivation shall be covered by the owner or possessor of such object. (4) The territories in which signs of soil degradation have been detected, shall be used in a way to limit further soil degradation and ensure the preservation of soil fertility. (5) If it is necessary to take measures for the prevention of land degradation for ensuring the joint interests of the society, including for restricting the spread of invasive plant species, the local government shall inform the land owner or possessor thereof and request him or her to take the abovementioned measures within a specified period of time. (6) If the land owner or possessor does not take the measures for the prevention of land degradation within the time period specified by the local government, the local government has the right to take the necessary measures regardless of the belonging of the property, informing the relevant owner or possessor regarding the decision taken in advance. The local government council shall decide on the measures for the prevention of land degradation. The decision of the local government council may be appealed to the court within one month after notification thereof. The expenses related to the measures for the prevention of land degradation shall be covered by the land owner or possessor.
Section 19. Mapping of Soil and Quality Assessment of Land Mapping of soil and quality assessment of land which is based on the agrichemical research results of soils, shall be performed for agricultural land and forest land once in 20 years and the data shall be stored in the Land Quality Assessment Information System.
Section 20. Changing the Category of Land Use (1) If it is necessary to change the category of land use for implementation of the intended activities, it shall be changed, taking into account the requirements of the spatial development planning documents of the local government and other laws and regulations. (2) If changing of the category of land use is proposed in relation to ameliorated land, in the cases specified in the Amelioration Law, technical provisions for the activities to be performed in the ameliorated land shall be issued by the institution responsible for amelioration. (3) Changes in relation to the category of land use for areas in the National Real Estate Cadastre Information System are updated in accordance with the procedures laid down in the National Real Estate Cadastre Law.
Chapter VI Land Monitoring and Information Related to Land
Section 21. Implementation of Land Monitoring (1) Land monitoring shall be implemented as follows: 1) the State Land Service, using the data of the National Real Estate Cadastre Information System, shall, each year by 15 March according to the condition as on 1 January, prepare the annual report on division of land according to the permitted use of the territory, the type of land use, and the status of the ownership rights in each administrative territory, unit of territorial division, and the State in general; 2) once in five years a land report shall be prepared, using spatial and textual data of the information systems referred to in Section 22 of this Law; 3) regular land survey shall be performed in accordance with the procedures laid down in laws and regulations. (2) Information which has been obtained upon implementing land monitoring, shall be used in planning the spatial development and land use, as well as in the development and introduction of the land policy at local, regional and national level. (3) The following information shall be included in the land report referred to in Paragraph one, Clause 2 of this Section, taking into account the administrative territories and their territorial division: 1) regarding the territorial division according to the categories of land use; 2) regarding the territorial division according to the permitted use of land; 3) regarding the territorial division according to the status of the ownership rights and the status of land owners, including indicating the land belonging to foreigners and legal persons registered in foreign countries; 4) regarding the agricultural land areas which are not managed; 5) regarding the degraded territories and their area; 6) regarding changes in the area of ameliorated land; 7) regarding polluted and potentially polluted places; 8) regarding the specially protected nature territories; 9) regarding the land cover; 10) regarding changes in the quality assessment of land, if it has been updated; 11) regarding other changes in the land use.
Section 22. Infrastructure of the Information Related to Land (1) Access to the data necessary for land management shall be ensured by the following information systems: 1) the National Real Estate Cadastre Information System – for the data regarding division of land according to the status of the ownership rights and the status of land owners, the types of land use, and the cadastral value of land; 2) the State Address Register Information System – for the spatial data regarding the borders of administrative territories and units of their territorial division; 3) the Basic Geospatial Information Data System – for the data of topographical maps; 4) the Spatial Development Planning Information System – for the data regarding permitted use of the territory; 5) the Information System of Encumbered Territories – for the data regarding encumbered territories; 6) the Soil Agrichemical Research Geographical Information System – for the data regarding soils and their fertility; 7) the Land Quality Assessment Information System – for the data regarding quality assessment of agricultural land and forest land; 8) the Register of Polluted and Potentially Polluted Places – for the data regarding polluted and potentially polluted places; 9) the Geographical Information System of the Rural Register – for the data regarding land units; 10) the Information System of Amelioration Cadastre – for the data regarding amelioration systems; 11) the Forest State Register – for the data regarding forest and forest land; 12) the Population Register – for the data regarding foreign natural persons; 13) the Commercial Register – for the data regarding legal persons registered abroad. (2) Access to geospatial data sets which are necessary to the institution responsible for drawing up a land report for the needs of land management, their use and interoperability shall be ensured by holders of geospatial data sets in accordance with the procedures laid down in laws and regulations, using the infrastructure of the unified geospatial information portal. (3) Access to textual data which are necessary to the institution responsible for drawing up a land report for the needs of land management, shall be ensured by holders of the relevant information systems free of charge. Transitional Provisions
1. The assessments of the possibilities of using vacant land and degraded territory referred to in Section 14, Paragraphs one and two of this Law shall be approved by 1 January 2016.
2. Section 6 and Section 15, Paragraph three of this Law shall come into force on 1 January 2016.
3. Section 5, Paragraph two and Section 16, Paragraphs two and three of this Law shall come into force on 1 January 2017.
4. Chapter III of this Law shall come into force on 1 January 2018.
5. The Cabinet shall: 1) by 31 December 2015 issue the regulations referred to in Section 13, Paragraph one, Clauses 2, 12, and 13 of this Law; 2) by 31 December 2016 issue the regulations referred to in Section 13, Paragraph one, Clauses 3, 5, 9, and 11 of this Law; 3) by 31 December 2017 issue the regulations referred to in Section 13, Paragraph one, Clauses 4, 6, 7, and 8 of this Law; 4) by 31 December 2018 issue the regulations referred to in Section 13, Paragraph one, Clause 10 of this Law.
6. The land report referred to in Section 21, Paragraph one, Clause 2 of this Law shall be drawn up for the first time by 1 January 2018.
7. If the land reform is completed in the administrative territory of the local government until the day of coming into force of this Law, the land belonging to and in jurisdiction of the State and local government in the administrative territory of the relevant local government shall be determined by 1 February 2018.
8. Section 22, Paragraph one, Clauses 4 and 5 of this Law shall come into force on 1 January 2016, but Clause 7 – on 1 January 2020.
9. The first mapping of soil and quality assessment of agricultural land and forest land shall be performed by 1 January 2020. This Law shall come into force on 1 January 2015. This Law has been adopted by the Saeima on 30 October 2014. President A. Berzinš Riga, 15 November 2014
