On 10 June 2021 the Saeima has adopted and on 28 June 2021 the President of the Republic of Latvia has announced amendments to the Customs Law of the Republic of Latvia, which introduce a new procedure for the application of the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 2013 (EC) No 608/2013 on customs enforcement of intellectual property rights and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1383/2003 (hereinafter – Regulation 608/2013) at the national level.
The new law divides the competence of the State Revenue Service (hereinafter – SRS) as a competent authority and a specialized court of general jurisdiction in matters arising from customs control measures for the protection of intellectual property rights and regulates the relevant activities of the SRS and right holders pursuant to the provisions of article 23 of the Regulation 608/2013.
Amendments to the existing legal framework were developed by the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Latvia with the participation of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Latvia in consultation with industry associations – Latvian Transit Business Association (LTBA), Latvian Employers’ Confederation (LDDK) and Latvian Professional Patent Attorneys Association (LPPA). The trademark attorney and senior lawyer of Agency TRIA ROBIT Bronislavs Baltrumovics also actively participated in the drafting of the law as the Vice President of LPPA.