European Foundation
for the Improvement of
Living and Working Conditions

The tripartite EU agency providing knowledge to assist
in the development of better social, employment and
work-related policies

EU PolicyWatch

Database of national-level policy measures

Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.

Factsheet for measure LV-2020-12/1570 – measures in Latvia

Latvijas balzams produces hand and surface sanitizer

Latvijas balzams uzsāk roku un virsmu dezinfekcijas līdzekļu ražošanu

Country Latvia , applies nationwide
Time period Open ended, started on 19 March 2020
Context COVID-19
Type Company practices
Category Reorientation of business activities
– Change of production/Innovation
Author Kriss Karnitis (EPC) and Eurofound
Measure added 07 December 2020 (updated 26 January 2021)

Background information

Latvijas balzams, the largest producer of alcoholic beverages in Latvia, soon after the COVID-19 pandemic reached Latvia, started to produce hand and surface sanitizer. The product is called Virudes. It was prepared in line with the recommendations from the World Health Organisation. Latvijas Balzams is one of several companies that started to produce disinfectants.

Content of measure

Reacting on the lack of availability of disinfectants in the country, Latvijas balzams, the producer of alcohol beverages, started to produce hand and surface sanitizer late in the March 2020. The sanitizer in the beginning was sold in 4 litres cans, but later the company added other solutions to product line up – 1 litre bottle and spray. The company planned the output at about 6 tons a day, but due to high demand in short time the company reoriented their manufacturing and increased capacity to 20 - 30 tons a day.

Although the availability of disinfectants is no longer a problem, the company continues to produce it.

Use of measure

No information to report.

Contents

  • Other topics

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Does not apply to workers Does not apply to businesses Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
Company / Companies
No special funding required

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

Trade unions Employers' organisations
Role No involvement No involvement as case not in social partner domain
Form Not applicable Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

  • No involvement
  • Main level of involvement: Company level

Involvement

No involvement.

Views and reactions

No specific views to report.

Sectors and occupations

    • Economic area Sector (NACE level 2)
      C - Manufacturing C11 Manufacture of beverages

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

  • 19 March 2020: "Latvijas balzams" will start producing hand disinfectant (www.lsm.lv)
  • 24 March 2020: Latvijas balzams increases disinfectant production capacity; distributors are ready (jauns.lv)

Citation

Eurofound (2020), Latvijas balzams produces hand and surface sanitizer, measure LV-2020-12/1570 (measures in Latvia), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/LV-2020-12_1570.html

Share

Eurofound publications based on EU PolicyWatch

30 January 2023

 

Measures to lessen the impact of the inflation and energy crisis on citizens

Governments across the EU continue to implement policies to support citizens and businesses in the face of rising food and energy prices caused by the COVID-19 crisis and intensified by the war in Ukraine. This article summarises the policy responses as reported in Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch database from January to September 2022.

Article

12 September 2022

 

First responses to cushion the impact of inflation on citizens

Although the worldwide pandemic situation had already disrupted supply chains and triggered increases in energy and food prices in 2021, the situation deteriorated in 2022 with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Article

12 September 2022

 

Policies to support EU companies affected by the war in Ukraine

This article summarises the first policy responses that governments across the EU have started to implement to support companies affected by the rising prices, and those with commercial ties to Ukraine, Russia or Belarus.

Article

5 July 2022

 

Policies to support refugees from Ukraine

This article summarises the first policy responses of EU Member States, including those of the social partners and other civil society actors, enabling refugees to exercise their rights under the Temporary Protection Directive.

Article

Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.