Minister: A Minister Must Not Unilaterally Suspend Municipal Plans
In an interview with LETA, the new Minister for Smart Administration and Regional Development Edgars Tavars stated that a minister should not dictate to municipalities from his office and that the war between the ministry and local governments is over.
Edgars Tavars (Latvian Green Party/AS), the new Minister for Smart Administration and Regional Development, said in an interview with LETA that a minister must not unilaterally suspend municipal territorial plans. He stressed that from the minister's office one cannot run Preiļi, Bauska, Dobele, or Līvāni. Tavars criticized his predecessor for stopping the territorial plans of Bauska and Preiļi regarding wind farm distances, calling it wrong. He is now working to annul those orders while mitigating legal risks.
Tavars emphasized that municipalities have the right to set wind farm distances from residential areas based on residents' interests and available information. He opposes a uniform minimum distance (e.g., 600 or 800 meters) and believes each case should be assessed individually. He also stated that decisions to suspend municipal plans should be made by the entire government, not a single minister.
On forestry, Tavars advocates a rational approach based on scientific research. He allows for a temporary reduction in the cutting diameter of trees in a limited scope but insists that biologically valuable forests must be preserved. Regarding micro-reserves, he wants clear procedures for creation and revocation, along with fair compensation mechanisms for landowners.
About the election system, the minister reported that work is on schedule: the party registry is operational, the voter registry is being tested after a cyber incident, and the election information system is being developed as planned. Ballots will be counted manually for security reasons. Tavars acknowledged that problems with ICT procurement indicate possible cartel activities.
