EU funding helps Latvian law enforcement agencies combat excise crimes more effectively

The second inter-institutional expert meeting of this year, "Challenges in Cooperation in Combating Excise Crimes and Developing Best Practices," took place in Liepāja on April 24th and 25th, 2025, with the participation of over 50 representatives from various Latvian law enforcement agencies.

The meeting brought together experts from various institutions, including the Tax and Customs Police Department of the State Revenue Service, the Internal Control Department of the State Revenue Service, the Customs Administration of the State Revenue Service, the Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Latvia, and the Kurzeme Regional Administration of the State Police.

The aim of the meeting was to improve cooperation mechanisms in the investigation of excise crimes and to evaluate the practical aspects that institutions face in their daily work. The meeting's activities focused on improving the quality of investigations, exchanging practical knowledge, and strengthening inter-institutional cooperation at the national and regional levels.

This meeting is one of several activities of the Internal Security Fund project, which aims to strengthen the Baltic States' capacity to combat the illicit circulation of excise goods by promoting the exchange of practical knowledge and a unified approach to addressing challenges.

The project is being implemented within the framework of the Internal Security Fund's 2021-2027 planning period, the managing authority of which in Latvia is the Ministry of the Interior.