On behalf of the Latvian Society of the Ireland Senior Citizens Support Group, on Latvian pensioners residing in Ireland 

The petitioner claims that Latvian pensioners living in Ireland suffer from a disproportionate burden as, according to the legislation in place, persons with a permanent residence outside of Latvia have to submit a request for the continued payment of their pension, accompanied by a document certifying that the pensioner is alive.This administrative burden, which is quite expensive, is, in the view of the petitioner, an infringement of the principle of equality as referred to in Article 20 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The petitioner claims that the cost for a notarised certificate ranges from 100 EUR to 250 EUR each year, and, at the level of the Latvian Embassy, the fee for obtaining the certificate costs 80 EUR. This is disproportionate compared to the amount of the Latvian pension eventually involved. Moreover, the pensioners might have travel costs to reach the Embassy, or even income loss if they are still at work (in Ireland).The petitioner questions the need for such an obligation, as authorities could consult interconnected EU-databases.