Baltic justice ministers emphasize need to reduce undue burden on citizens and businesses

RIGA - A strong state needs simple and proportionate regulations that do not place an undue burden on citizens and businesses, the justice ministers of the three Baltic states emphasized during a meeting in Tallinn on Monday.

As LETA was told at the Latvian Ministry of Justice, the ministers discussed how to strengthen the resilience of the Baltic states at a time when democratic processes are simultaneously threatened by foreign interference, disinformation, the misuse of new technologies, and Russia’s attempts to use the law to exert political pressure.

During the meeting, Latvian Minister of Justice Edvards Smiltens (United List) emphasized that national resilience must be viewed in a broader context than usual security issues, encompassing both the protection of the electoral process and the ability to promptly detect and prevent attempts to influence democratic processes through new technologies, disinformation, or legal pressure.

The Ministry of Justice noted that Latvia has strengthened its electoral legal framework by providing for the possibility of extending voting hours on election day in the event of a significant security incident, should voting be substantially disrupted. At the same time, safeguards have been established against malicious use of artificial intelligence and deepfakes in the electoral process. The use of artificial intelligence must be disclosed in pre-election campaign materials, while liability is established for the use of misleading deepfakes to influence democratic processes.

Ministers from the Baltic states also discussed Russia’s instrumentalization of the law against the Baltic states, including publicly stated threats to file lawsuits with the International Court of Justice. Latvia underlined that such steps should be viewed within the broader context of Russia’s hybrid activities, alongside disinformation, cyberattacks, and other means of influence. It is essential for the Baltic states to maintain close coordination on this issue, jointly clarifying and refuting the legal narratives propagated by Russia.

During the discussion, the ministers also addressed the reduction of administrative burdens. Latvia emphasized that European Union (EU) requirements should be implemented in national regulations only to the necessary extent, while stricter requirements must constitute a justified and proportionate exception. The Ministry of Justice verifies compliance with this principle as early as the legislative drafting process.