During the meeting, Council presented to the President a report on the progress of the modernisation initiative implemented by Latvian notaries in the past two years, including introduction of electronic services and promotion of access to services of Latvian notaries irrespective of the place of residence of inhabitants either in Latvia or abroad. This makes Latvia the first and currently the only European country that provides its population electronic access to services of the sworn notaries, including certifying and issuing of authorisations, apostilles, consultations and other services that are now available through videoconferencing. Egils Levits praised the Council for its active support of digital transformation of notary profession.
President also enquired about Council’s views on how notaries could contribute to anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing and non-proliferation efforts in real estate sector. Council members underlined the importance of stronger monitoring of real estate transactions and suggested to introduce a requirement for certified proof of ownership for registration of property in Land Register. That would enable greater protection of national and public interests, promote the rule of law and social justice.
