Ministry of Environment Protection and Regional Development of the Republic of Latvia

The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of Latvia is the central executive institution responsible for the protection of the environment and nature, maintenance and rational utilization of natural resources, as well as sub-sectors of hydrometeorology and use of subsoil. As such, we lay out and implement the relevant policy, develop the legislative acts, national strategies and programmes, formulate opinions about projects prepared by other institutions, represent the interests of Latvia in international and foreign institutions, and inform the general public.

The Ministry’s role in SUBMARINER

The activities of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of the Republic of Latvia within SUBMARINER included the analysis of the current situation in marine resource use in the Baltic Sea and the development of necessary strategic policy measures to improve the situation in Latvia. We explored Baltic Sea resource utilization possibilities from the perspective of Latvia, and reviewed the regulations and barriers to technology implementation. We lead development of the Latvian Baltic Sea Development Plan presenting proposals for improving the ecological situation and for sustainable use of resources. We also worked closely with the German Ministry of Environment to coordinate the overall political SUBMARINER recommendations.