Artificial Intelligence · Latvia
AI regulation in Latvia: the EU AI Act (2026)
Latvia shaded by its artificial intelligence status
AI in Latvia: comprehensive law, anchored by EU AI Act (Regulation 2024/1689, directly applicable); national supplementary laws: Law on the Development of Artificial Intelligence (Mākslīgā intelekta attīstības likums, 2025) and Law on the Latvian Artificial Intelligence Centre (Mākslīgā intelekta centra likums, in force 20 March 2025); lead authority: Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development (VARAM).
Latvia, as an EU member state, is subject to the directly applicable EU AI Act (Regulation 2024/1689), with prohibited AI practices enforceable from February 2025 and full high-risk provisions phasing in through 2026-2027. In parallel, Latvia enacted two national AI laws in early 2025: one establishing strategic AI development objectives and one creating a public Artificial Intelligence Centre to coordinate policy, run regulatory sandboxes, and foster public-private-academic cooperation. VARAM has been designated the national lead authority for EU AI Act implementation and European Commission liaison, with market surveillance distributed across multiple sectoral regulators.
The EU AI Act in Latvia
In Latvia, artificial intelligence is governed by the EU AI Act, the first comprehensive AI law, which applies directly as an EU regulation.
- Framework
- the EU AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689)
- Approach
- risk-based: unacceptable-risk AI is banned, high-risk AI faces strict duties, limited-risk AI has transparency rules
- General-purpose AI
- transparency duties for all GPAI models; systemic-risk models add safety and evaluation obligations
- Timeline
- phased: prohibitions from Feb 2025, GPAI rules from Aug 2025, most high-risk obligations from Aug 2026
- Maximum fine
- €35 million or 7% of global annual turnover for prohibited-AI breaches
- Oversight
- national market-surveillance authorities, coordinated by the EU AI Office
The AI Act is an EU regulation applied directly in Latvia; national market-surveillance authorities handle enforcement.
The EU AI Act in Latvia: FAQ
Yes. As an EU member, Latvia is covered by the EU AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689), which applies directly.
It uses a risk-based approach: unacceptable-risk AI is banned, high-risk AI faces strict obligations, and general-purpose AI models carry transparency duties.
It is phased: prohibitions applied from February 2025, general-purpose-AI rules from August 2025, and most high-risk obligations from August 2026.
Up to €35 million or 7% of global annual turnover for breaching the prohibited-AI rules, with lower tiers for other breaches.
Key points
The EU AI Act (Regulation 2024/1689) entered into force 1 August 2024 and is directly applicable in Latvia without transposition. Prohibitions on unacceptable-risk AI systems applied from 2 February 2025; obligations for general-purpose AI models and high-risk systems phase in through 2026-2027.
Latvia enacted the Law on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and the Law on the Latvian Artificial Intelligence Centre (adopted 6 March 2025, in force 20 March 2025). These establish strategic objectives for responsible AI adoption, define governance structures, and create the national AI Centre as a state-supported public foundation.
VARAM (Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development) is the overall responsible authority for EU AI Act implementation and EU Commission cooperation. The Ministry of Economy acts as notifying authority; the Ombudsman covers fundamental rights protection; the Latvian National Accreditation Bureau is the accreditation body.
Multiple sector-specific market surveillance authorities have been designated: the State Data Inspectorate (prohibited practices and high-risk AI), Consumer Rights Protection Centre, Health Inspectorate, Bank of Latvia, Civil Aviation Agency, Latvian Maritime Administration, and State Railway Technical Inspectorate, covering their respective regulated sectors.
The Latvian Artificial Intelligence Centre (NMIC), registered as a public foundation by 31 March 2025, serves as a hub for AI innovation, regulatory sandbox management, expert opinions to state agencies, and public-private-academic coordination. It is positioned to support both economic competitiveness and EU AI Act compliance.
Latvia's original 2020 national AI strategy (focused on AI uptake across the economy via six pillars: competencies, adoption, cooperation, legal/ethical framework, data ecosystem, and infrastructure) is now considered outdated. AI policy is currently embedded within the Digital Transformation Guidelines 2021-2027, with a renewed standalone strategy under consideration.
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