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Latvia's environmental legislation undergoing dramatic change Latvia's efforts to achieve accession to the European Union are bringing about dramatic change in the country's environmental laws - many of which have been amended twice during the last decade in order to keep up-to-date with the latest EU directives. What follows is a look at some of Latvia's current and recent legislative work in the area of the environment. The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of Latvia is preparing a new Environmental Protection Policy Plan (EPPP) for Latvia, to replace the 1995 version of this document as the basis for developing and implementing environmental legislation in Latvia. The Framework Law on Environmental Protection, which was amended considerably in 2000, involves new norms for the environmental legal system. For example, a whole new chapter was added on the "Rights of the Public to Receive Environmental Information and Participate in Decision Making on Environmental Protection Matters." The bulk of the new legislation refers to the waste sector. Since March 2001, a new Waste Management Law has been in force. It transposes the basic requirements of EU directives on waste. The law provides legal instruments, defines competencies of administrative authorities and sets responsibilities of private or legal persons dealing with waste management. Some related regulations include: regulations on management of municipal waste landfills (2000), regulations on the means for waste recycling and landfilling (2001) and regulations on requirements for incineration of waste and incinerator plants (2001). The permitting system was improved for waste collection, storage and transfer through regulations adopted in September, 2001. A new packaging law, which goes in force on July 1 and was adopted in late December, sets requirements on packaging, packaging waste collection, reuse and recycling. It obliges packaging producers to organize the management of packaging waste and users to provide information on the packaging materials they use. Establishment of a deposit-refund system is intended to facilitate packaging reuse. Basic requirements for air quality are defined in the following regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers: on Air Quality (June 1999), on Emission of Air Polluting Substances and their Limitation and Control with Respect to Stationary Air Pollution Sources (April 2000), on Conformity Assessment of Petrol and Diesel Fuel (in force from January 2002) and other acts. By the end of 2002, Latvia is expected to adopt a Law on Water Management, which will include the basic provisions of the EU Water Framework Directive. A draft version of the law has already been prepared and is available on the web for public comment at: http://www.varam.gov.lv. In the field of nature protection, the EU Birds and Habitats directives have been transposed into national legislation through the Law on Conservation of Species and Habitats (March, 2000) and the List of Specially Protected Habitats (December, 2000). In March 2001, new changes were introduced in the system of compensating for damage to private property caused by specially protected species or protected habitats. In 2002, amendments are expected to the regulations on specially protected natural territories and hunting. Latvia's Law on Pollution, which came into force in July, regulates industrial pollution control and risk management. According to the law, certain industrial activities can only be carried out with an integrated permit issued by Regional Environmental Boards. Integrated permitting is now required for new installations and for existing installations that have undergone substantial changes. Permits for all existing installations will be phased in gradually, from now until 2007. Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers on Restrictions and Prohibitions on the Use and Marketing of Dangerous Chemical Products (adopted in April 2000) restrict the use and sale of all types of asbestos, starting from January 2001. The use of already existing asbestos-containing products however is not limited. The Regulations for the Use and Distribution of Genetically Modified Organisms (October 2000) provides general requirements for the contained use, deliberate release into the environment and placing on the market of GMOs -with the intention of preventing harm to human health, animals, biological diversity, property or the environment. An amendment to the law on Protected Belts, which would
have prohibited any construction activities within 300 metres of the Baltic
Sea shore outside of urban areas, has been held up due to heated public
debate. The amendment was intended to eliminate uncontrolled building
activities along the shore and limit access to public nature spaces, sea
shores and dunes. It is currently suspended as debate continues. |
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