Integration monitor is a daily Latvian press digest on ethnic minority and society integration issues. The Monitor reviews the biggest Latvian dailies: Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga (in Latvian language), Vesti Segodnya (in Russian language). In specific cases other information sources are used. Latvian Centre for Human Rights is not responsible for information published by the media.

• Concord Centre: sunctions envisioned for insufficient language usage is more severe then sunctions for emotional or physical abuse against a child

The Concord Centre’s (CC) faction in the Saeima prepared draft amendments to the Administrative Violations Code which would soften penalties for insufficient usage of state language. The CC proposes that the penalty for the first-time insufficient usage of state language at work could be reduced to a warning, while the penalty for a repeated insufficient language usage could be a pecuniary penalty in amount of LVL 25-50 (EUR 35-71). Amendments recently supported by the Saeima envisage fines for insufficient usage of state language at work ranging from LVL 50 (EUR 71) to LVL 200 (EUR 285). Member of the CC Valerijs Agesins believes that a repressive method is a wrong strategy to solve the problem of insufficient state language proficiency. Mr Agesins notes that violation of the State Language Law is punished by more severe penalties then emotional or physical abuse against a child.

The Concord Centres (CC) faction in the Saeima prepared draft amendments to the Administrative Violations Code which would soften penalties for insufficient usage of state language. The CC proposes that the penalty for the first-time insufficient usage of state language at work could be reduced to a warning, while the penalty for a repeated insufficient language usage could be a pecuniary penalty in amount of LVL 25-50 (EUR 35-71). Amendments recently supported by the Saeima envisage fines for insufficient usage of state language at work ranging from LVL 50 (EUR 71) to LVL 200 (EUR 285). Member of the CC Valerijs Agesins believes that a repressive method is a wrong strategy to solve the problem of insufficient state language proficiency. Mr Agesins notes that violation of the State Language Law is punished by more severe penalties then emotional or physical abuse against a child. Chas, Vesti Segodnya