Rural Support Service of Latvia (RSS) is a state administration institution, responsible for implementation of unified state and European Union (EU) support policy in the sector of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and rural development. RSS supervises compliance of the sector with laws, regulations and fulfils other functions connected with agriculture and implementation of rural support policy.
In the framework of its competence, RSS performs the following key functions:
- Administrates state and EU aid for rural, agricultural, forestry and fisheries areas (evaluates applications, takes decisions on granting or refusal of the funding and its control);
- Implements intervention measures on the market for agricultural products;
- Requests the necessary information from natural and legal persons for the maintenance of registers and databases;
- Issues permits, attestations and special permits (licenses) specified in regulatory enactments;
- Other essential functions specified in regulatory enactments.
RSS administrates:
- European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF);
- European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD);
- European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF)/ European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF);
- State Aid.
RSS is an accredited body in Latvia with annual certification of expenditure in conformity within EU.