The purpose of the amendments is to create the same legal framework for members of the European Parliament as is provided for in cases where a member of the national parliament, the Saeima, has committed a criminal offence.
Until now, the law already indicated that holding a mandate as a member of the European Parliament is incompatible with being found guilty of certain categories of criminal offence. The law stipulates that a person who has been punished for a particularly serious crime in the Republic of Latvia and whose criminal record has not been erased or removed cannot run for or be elected to the European Parliament, except in cases when the person has been rehabilitated.
Along with the new amendments to the law, it is stipulated that a citizen of the European Union who has been an employee of the state security apparatus of the Soviet Union will not be able to run in European Parliament elections. The prohibitions will also apply to a person who, after January 13, 1991, worked in a variety of Soviet-affiliated organizations. This also brings candidate requirements in line with those for Saeima elections.
