On Thursday, the Saeima adopted the amendments to the law on civil defense and disaster management in the final reading, which provide for the introduction of a compensation mechanism for damage caused by incidents resulting from military actions.
The amendments establish that technological disasters will henceforth include incidents caused by military actions, including cases where damage is inflicted by foreign military equipment or its actions. The law also clarifies the competencies of institutions: the Ministry of Defense will coordinate disaster management in cases of military incidents.
At the same time, the role of the Ministry of Agriculture in disaster management has been expanded, including in cases where the lives and health of animals, as well as the safety of food and animal feed, are at risk.
The amendments provide for empowering the Cabinet of Ministers to determine the procedure, deadlines, and amount of compensation for direct damage caused by incidents resulting from military actions. Legal entities and individuals will be able to receive compensation for damaged infrastructure, property, crops, plantations, afforestation, and animals.
Until now, regulatory frameworks did not provide an effective mechanism for compensating such damage, as it arises not from unlawful actions of state institutions, but as a result of military incidents.
The necessity of the amendments is justified by the geopolitical situation and recent cases where there were several incidents with drones in Latvia.
According to the legislator, the new regulation will strengthen the legal confidence of residents, promote trust in the state defense system, and ensure fair and prompt compensation for the harm caused.
