General information
On 1 July 2004, the International Code for The Security Of Ships And Of Port Facilities (ISPS Code) entered into force, the requirements of which are also applicable to Latvian-flagged ships engaged in international voyages.
The European Parliament and the Council have adopted Regulation No 725/2004 “on enhancing ship and port facility security”, which provides for the application of the ISPS Code requirements to ships engaged both in international and domestic shipping. On the basis of this Regulation, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia has issued Cabinet Regulation No. 790 Adopted 10 December 2024 Regulations Regarding rules on the allocation, performance and monitoring of security functions for ships, shipping companies, ports and port facilities. According to these regulations, the assessment and certification of the security of the Latvian flag vessels is carried out by the Maritime Safety Inspectorate of the Maritime Administration of Latvia.
Shipping companies are required to take into account current cyber security risks when implementing ship security measures and are obliged to include a set of cyber security measures in their ship security plans.
Cabinet Regulation No. 683 Adopted 22 August 2006 Procedures for Ensuring the Operation of Ship Security Alert Communication Networks, which sets out the procedures for the operation of the ship security alert communication network (ship security alert system) entered into force on 30 August 2006.
Ship security certification
The Maritime Safety Inspectorate of the Maritime Administration of Latvia supervise the compliance with the requirements of the ISPS Code for cargo ships of 500 gross tonnage and above and passenger ships engaged in international shipping in accordance with the Cabinet Regulation No. 790 Adopted 10 December 2024 Regulations Regarding rules on the allocation, performance and monitoring of security functions for ships, shipping companies, ports and port facilities.
Further information on the ship security certification process can be obtained from the Maritime Safety Inspectorate.
