On Tuesday 10 October, the Cabinet of Ministers supported taking forward of the draft law “Amendments to the Law on the Construction of External Land Border Infrastructure” (draft law) for consideration by the Saeima as a matter of urgency to increase the pace of construction of technological infrastructure on the country's external land border.
Minister for the Interior R.Kozlovskis emphasises: “Now that a hybrid attack organised by the Belarusian authorities continues on the border of Latvia, we must not only build a fence on the border, but also use modern technologies more widely. They will contribute to our common security and help border guards respond more quickly and effectively to attempts to enter illegally into Latvia and the European Union.”
The Law on the Construction of External Land Border Infrastructure (Construction Law) lays down a special legal framework for the construction of infrastructure necessary for the protection of the external land border, including the construction and implementation of technical means of border surveillance – presence detection systems and surveillance equipment and related infrastructure or technological infrastructure.
According to the Construction Law, SJSC “State Real Estate” organises and ensures the construction of the country’s external land border infrastructure, while SJSC “Latvia State Radio and Television Centre” develops and implements the automation solutions for border control.
The construction of the technological infrastructure includes the construction of power supply infrastructure, optical cable network infrastructure, data transmission infrastructure, installation of data processing equipment, construction of perimeter monitoring infrastructure – video surveillance, as well as installation of various sensors.
In order to accelerate the pace of construction of technological infrastructure, the draft law provides for the right to replace the obligation laid down in regulatory enactments to co-ordinate with the owner of the immovable property the conditions for the installation of a new energy supply facility or electronic communications network and the engineering structure thereof with informing the owner of the immovable property, accordingly paying a one-off remuneration in the amount and in accordance with the procedures laid down in laws and regulations in the field of energy and electronic communications.
The draft law also provides for the establishment of specific conditions of the legal framework to facilitate and accelerate the construction process of the external border infrastructure.
In order to guarantee the inviolability of the national border and prevent threats to the State, as well as to ensure the construction of the infrastructure necessary to protect the external border, the draft law provides that the construction of civil engineering structures forming part of the external border infrastructure may be carried out by the National Armed Forces.
In addition, in order to accelerate the construction of the external land border’s infrastructure, it is planned that the draft law will come into force on the day after its promulgation.