Latvia withdraws from the Energy Charter Treaty; law published in the official gazette

The law “On Withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty” adopted by the Saeima was officially announced on October 28, 2026, in “Latvijas Vēstnesis” No. 208 (OP 2026/208), where it opens the content of the publication as item 1 in the “CONSTITUTIONAL INSTITUTIONS” section. Publication in the official gazette is the notification stage of the legal act, through which the law becomes publicly available and is included in the body of legislation in force. The publishing institution of the document is the Saeima, and the document type in the publication is indicated as “Law”.

The Energy Charter Treaty is a multilateral international agreement on investment protection in the energy sector; therefore, the withdrawal directly affects the circle of investors who have based claims against the state on this treaty. With the publication of the law, the legal basis upon which foreign investors in energy projects can refer in relation to Latvia changes.

In the same publication, in the “CONSTITUTIONAL INSTITUTIONS” section, four more laws adopted by the Saeima were published, indicating that the withdrawal is part of a simultaneously announced legislative package:

• Item 1 — “On Withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty”;
• Item 2 — “On the Second Protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict”;
• Item 3 — “On the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia”;
• Item 4 — “Amendments to the Civil Law”;
• Item 5 — “Amendments to the Law on Credit Institutions”.

Two documents regarding one international instrument

Two weeks before the publication of the withdrawal law — on October 14, 2026 — the Saeima law “On the Agreement on the Interpretation and Application of the Energy Charter Treaty” was published as item 1 in the “CONSTITUTIONAL INSTITUTIONS” section of “Latvijas Vēstnesis” No. 198 (OP 2026/198).

Both documents refer to the same treaty: the first regulates its interpretation and application, the second — the withdrawal from it. The chronology indicates that the legislator first regulated the issue of the treaty’s application procedure and subsequently announced the withdrawal.

What the withdrawal changes in the energy sector

The termination of the treaty’s operation in relation to Latvia affects several areas, which directly impact energy companies and their transaction partners:

• the protection regime for foreign investors in energy projects, which until now relied on the charter’s provisions;
• the dispute resolution procedure between investors and the state, particularly potential claims against Latvia;
• the scope of the state’s international obligations and their reflection in future agreements with foreign capital;
• legal predictability in the financing of energy transition and capacity projects.

Who should follow this

• agreement terms on the withdrawal procedure and deadlines, which determine from what moment the withdrawal takes effect;
• the text of the law and transitional provisions, which determine the entry into force procedure;
• further official publications in “Latvijas Vēstnesis” related to this law.

Withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty means that Latvia will renounce one of the most important international instruments that for several decades defined the standards for the protection of foreign investments in energy. After the publication of the law, energy companies, investor representatives, and lawyers will have to deal with a new legal framework: claims based on the charter will no longer be available in the same form, and disputes must be resolved in accordance with other national and international regulations.

Official source: “Latvijas Vēstnesis” No. 208, October 28, 2026, OP 2026/208, point 1 (section “CONSTITUTIONAL INSTITUTIONS”, publisher Saeima, document “Law”); additional context — “Latvijas Vēstnesis” No. 198, October 14, 2026, OP 2026/198, point 1. Public reference: www.vestnesis.lv.