The Saeima will still have to vote on these amendments in the final reading.
Restrictions on the time of sale of alcohol will not be directly linked to working days, holidays or public holidays, as this would complicate regulation. This means that, for example, on an official holiday that falls on a working day, it will be possible to buy alcohol until 8 p.m.
Currently, alcohol is available in retail in Latvia every day of the week from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
It was decided to support the above-mentioned approach because, as previously explained in the Saeima’s Social and Labor Affairs Committee by a lawyer from the Saeima’s Legal Office, if a different approach – with the division of working days, holidays and public holidays – was chosen, then it would be more difficult to find a coherent regulation, for example in connection with for the postponed working days.
The law already stipulates that the time limits do not apply to retail outlets where alcoholic beverages are sold only in draft form and their consumption is ensured on the spot, as well as to duty-free shops.
Also, the law will stipulate that it is allowed to deliver alcohol purchased remotely or on the Internet to the buyer no sooner than six hours from the moment of ordering. Distance selling of alcohol was introduced during Covid-19.
The law also stipulates that it is prohibited to sell alcoholic beverages with an absolute alcohol content of more than 22 percent by volume in a packaging unit whose volume does not exceed 0.2 liters.
