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In accordance with the declaration, ministries prepare drafts of policy-planning documents and legal acts. At this stage policy planners in ministries perform initial assessment of impact of the proposed policy, by forecasting possible impact of a policy or a legal act on the public both in economic and financial aspect. Also, the impact of a policy or a legal act on different involved groups is studied. When starting to develop a draft legal act or a draft policy planning document ministries increasingly rely on experts from NGOs, since they need additional information and opinions in the particular area. In several ministries consultative councils have been set up, which continuously participate in the development of draft legal acts and policy planning documents, and give opinions on them.
The types of documents are defined in the Rules of Procedure of the Cabinet of Ministers.
External legislative acts:
1. Satversme (Constitution) of the Republic of Latvia
2. Laws and international treaties in the Latvian legal system with a law, regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers with the force of law, adopted in accordance with Article 81 of the Satversme of the Republic of Latvia.
3. Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers and international agreements included in the Latvian legal system with regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers.
4. Binding regulations of local governments.
External legislative acts are adopted or issued by public institutions legitimised in the Satversme and laws of the Republic of Latvia – the Saeima, Cabinet of Ministers, and local governments. External legislative acts are binding upon all natural persons, including legal persons.
The Saeima adopts laws.
The Cabinet of Ministers issues regulations, instructions, proposals. The Cabinet of Ministers adopts decisions in the form of an order or protocol resolution.
Local governments issue regulations which are binding only in the territory of a particular local government.
Internal legislative acts:
Instructions, proposals, rules of procedure, rules, internal regulations of institutions, and other procedures of adoption of administrative decisions.
Internal legislative acts are not binding upon natural persons. They are issued by the Cabinet of Ministers, ministries, institutions and officials, and they are binding upon subjects subordinated to the Cabinet of Ministers, institutions or officials.
Opportunities for NGOs in this stage: Involvement in this stage provides the most effective possibilities of involvement – by giving the most complete information on the existing situation and possible direction of activities, this is an opportunity for NGOs to offer their solutions and expertise. Involvement is possible in the working group that develops the draft policy planning document or legislative act. It is also possible to give an opinion (at a meeting of state secretaries, meeting of the Cabinet Committee, sitting of the Cabinet). The opinion of NGOs may lead to a public discussion (publications, demonstrations, etc.) directly or through mass media.
© Information prepared by the State Chancellery has been used.
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