National Environmental Policy Plan for Latvia-goals, principles and pre-requisites of

(This Web page is prepared within the framework of the BALLERINA initiative)

Summary

This chapter sets four long-term environmental policy goals:

significant improvement of environmental quality in territories that pose an increased risk for human health, and the stability of ecosystems while sustaining environmental quality in the rest of the territory;
protection of existing biodiversity and landscape characteristics of Latvia;
sustainable use of natural resources;
integration of environmental policy into all branches and fields of life (the national economy in general, and in the strategic plans of its various branches, in legislation and public awareness), thus establishing the basis for sustainable development.

This chapter also looks at the main principles and pre-requisites on which environmental policy in Latvia should be based. Some principles are specific to this country but most of them, such as the precautionary principle, the principle of best available technology, the substitution principle or polluter pays, are widely accepted all over the world and to a great extent determine environmental policy for other European countries.

An elaboration of environmental policy is hard to imagine without clear policy goals and principles to guarantee the consequent implementation of policy. A major reason for the preparation of the NEPP is to set long-term policy goals and co-ordinate planned activities with corresponding basic policy principles.

This chapter explains chosen goals and basic principles that form the basis for further development of the plan. This includes the choice and analysis of priority problems, measures and instruments, as well as pre-conditions that are of particular importance for efficiently developing and implementing environmental policy.

Last updated: November 8, 1996. The information prepared by Valts Vilnitis: fuxis@varam.gov.lv

	National Environmental Policy Plan for Latvia
	Goals, principles and pre-requisites of environmental policy