📋 Tender Overview
On Tuesday, November 11, the Cabinet of Ministers (MK) approved the amendments to the Rail Baltica project implementation law proposed by the Ministry of Transport (MoT). The amendments were developed based on the implementation scenario of the Rail Baltica project conceptually supported by the MK on December 10, 2024, as well as taking into account the Implementation Decision of the European Commission of July 9, 2025 on the implementation of the cross-border project. These changes foresee a clear division of responsibility in the institutional structure of the project implementation, determine the sources of funding and emphasize the dual applicability of the Rail Baltica railway infrastructure - both in providing passenger and cargo transportation, and for the needs of military purposes. With these amendments, we strengthen a clear system of responsibility for the implementation of the Rail Baltica project in stages according to the available funding. We managed to reach an agreement with the participating ministries on the most important aspects of the law, and now we can forward the amendments to the Saeima for approval. We need Rail Baltica. The project is strategically important not only for Latvias connectivity with Europe, but also for national security, military mobility and economic growth, emphasizes Minister of Transport Atis Svinka. The amendments are intended to supplement the purpose of the law by determining that in the first stage a functional connection of the cross-border section of Latvia with Estonia and Lithuania will be ensured in the first stage, while in the second stage the scope of the remaining Rail Baltica project will be implemented in the territory of Latvia, taking into account the available funding. It is also determined that the railway infrastructure of the Rail Baltica project will provide transportation of passengers, luggage and cargo, as well as transportation of military personnel and military cargo. In order to ensure the necessary resources for the project, the amendments stipulate that the implementation of the Rail Baltica project will be financed not only from the financial instruments of the European Union (EU) and the state budget, but also from other available sources of financing. At the same time, the amendments state that it is forbidden to divert the funds intended for the implementation of the Rail Baltica project to other purposes. With the amendments, the responsibility, competencies and cooperation procedure of the parties involved in the Rail Baltica project have also been specified. The amendments determine the competence of the MK to make decisions about the scope of the project, its implementation in stages, the project budget and implementation deadlines. Also, the MK will ensure the coordination of intersectoral issues. The MoU will continue monitoring the implementation of the Rail Baltica project. The Ministry will develop the policy of the transport industry, which is necessary for the implementation of the project, will implement the overall monitoring of the progress of the project, as well as coordinate the implementation of the project. Likewise, the MoU will inform the Saeima once a year and the Cabinet of Ministers twice a year about the progress of the implementation of the Rail Baltica project. The amendments also provide that the participating ministries will have to ensure cooperation with the MoU in matters of their competence, for example, the Ministry of Finance will provide support for attracting state budget funding, EU policy instruments, other foreign financial aid instruments and other funding sources, while the Ministry of Defense will provide support in coordinating issues of national defense and military mobility for the implementation of the Rail Baltica project. According to the amendments, Rail Balticas public use railway infrastructure management model will be unified with the 1520 mm gauge railway system, independent of carriers and, as far as possible, will ensure a uniform approach to Rail Balticas public use infrastructure in all Baltic countries. As previously reported, in order to promote the implementation of the Rail Baltica project, the Law on the Implementation of the Rail Baltica Project was developed, which entered into force on November 14, 2022. In its current version, the law includes norms that regulate various issues related to project implementation. Considering that since the drafting of the law, the revised European Transport Network (TEN-T) regulation has entered into force, the final report of the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry on the implementation of the Rail Baltica project has been approved and proposals for its improvement have been made, as well as the MK has made a decision on the scope of the Rail Baltica project, it has been decided to make amendments to the law. They envisage partially improving the existing norms, as well as supplementing the law with new initiatives. After the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers on the amendments to the Rail Baltica project implementation law, the decision must still be adopted by the Saeima.
