On 21 April 2021 the European Commission published its proposal for a regulation on artificial intelligence (“AI”), the first piece of legislation in Europe to govern AI matters. This article explores key provisions of the proposed regulation.
Although the employment contract is a key basis for each company’s business and its content is quite exhaustively prescribed by section 40 of the Labour Act, in practice we often encounter incorrect, inaccurate and in certain cases even unlawful terms of the employment contract. It is important to review employment contracts regularly, and this article will help you notice some crucial faults in your employment contracts that are often ignored, as well as suggesting improvements.
Making a false claim or providing insufficient information can be recognised as an unfair commercial practice. This article explores some common mistakes made by persons selling goods or providing services (“sellers”) that are recognised as unfair commercial practices by the Consumer Rights Protection Centre (the “Regulator”).
The principle of penalty individualisation applies in tax law, too. Even if a taxpayer has broken the law the tax authority is permitted by law to treat the taxpayer leniently and charge half a penalty if he meets certain conditions. This article explores what conditions the latest case law says the tax authority should assess to establish that the taxpayer has filed returns and paid taxes on time.
We have spent the last year or so coming to terms with the Covid-19 pandemic, which has changed our daily lives beyond recognition. While we keep thinking mainly about the restrictions and outbreak statistics, it would be useful to figure out whether companies are now subject to a heightened risk of money laundering and terrorism and proliferation financing (“ML/TPF”) and whether the internal control systems set up by persons subject to the Anti Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism and Proliferation Financing Act are still as effective as they were before the pandemic.
The Covid-19 pandemic has undeniably caused an economic downturn that has dealt a nasty blow not only to the European and global economy but to each company and its employees. So it makes sense that the new EU funding period, launched amid a global pandemic, aims to help minimise the adverse effects of Covid-19 in the distant future as well. Most of the funding (e.g. Cohesion Policy programmes) available to the member states during the new planning period are familiar but there are also some new programmes. Each programme focuses on achieving the goals of a greener and smarter Europe.
Acting on requests from customers and readers to identify and interpret persons that are subject to the Anti Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism and Proliferation Financing Act, we approached the State Revenue Service for some practical insights into non-standard and complex corporate structures and their business activities in order to gain a broader understanding of how the Act should be applied. We have now summarised the information and reached conclusions, so here are the answers!
Directive (EU) 2019/2161 adopted in late 2019 (the “Omnibus Directive”) requires member states to transpose it by 28 November 2021, and their amended national rules must come into force by 28 May 2022. This article explores key changes and requirements for traders under the new directive.
When it comes to approving an action plan for a debtor’s legal protection proceedings, it is important to know which of its creditors can vote and to properly interpret the rules that place voting restrictions on certain persons. The insights outlined in this article can help companies in financial distress, creditor representatives and supervisors of legal protection proceedings find out whether only voting creditors have approved an action plan or whether the vote includes any person ineligible to vote.
Favourable rules effective from 2021 have cancelled certain fees that businesses had to pay when making various entries on the commercial register maintained by the Enterprise Registry (“ER”). In other words, when registering traders or any changes to particulars already entered on the commercial register, ER customers are no longer charged for an official announcement in Latvijas Vestnesis, the government gazette.
Information published by the Latvian State Revenue Service (“SRS”) on sanctions they have imposed on persons that are subject to the Anti Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism and Proliferation Financing (“AML/CTPF”) Act for breaching this Act and the International and National Sanctions Act, with data for 2020 and 2021, shows a large number of breaches and a lack of awareness of what the two Acts require and whether a company fits the definition of “subject” within the meaning of the AML/CTPF Act.
Draft rules that significantly change the system for reporting suspicious transactions were announced at the meeting of state secretaries on 14 January 2021. This article explores the current reporting requirements and the proposed changes relating to the new goAML app.
The UK left the EU on 1 January 2021 and now fits the definition of a “third country.” Having joined the European Community on 1 January 1973, the UK is the first country to have formally left the EU after spending 47 years as a member state. Changes brought about by Brexit are affecting not only taxation, immigration and trading but also the operation of the Anti Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism and Proliferation Financing (“AML/CTPF”) Act.
Alternative legal solutions are an efficient tool that helps companies balance unpredictable workflows and staff turnover and enables their legal department to work well, while cutting total costs and keeping their staff happy with their workload, pay, and growth opportunities. These solutions are no longer a proof of concept or a brand new business model. They have been tried and tested, work successfully worldwide, including Latvia, and are used by companies of different sizes.
Any company, state-owned or municipal institution or even sole trader that processes the personal data of EU/EEA residents enabling their identification is subject to the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”). Its requirements extend to companies outside the EU/EEA offering goods or services to EU/EEA residents. This article completes what we wrote on this topic last year.