Agreement between the Government of Latvia, the Government of Lithuania and the Government of Estonia on cooperation in the field of disaster prevention, preparedness and response.

This Agreement covers cooperation in the field of disaster prevention, preparedness and response and mutual assistance in the face of a disaster or in circumstances where it may exceed the State Party's resource capacity and its ability to prevent the disaster and respond accordingly. The main purpose of the Agreement is to protect people, the environment and property. This Agreement shall not apply to natural disasters and large-scale accidents occurring in the maritime waters under the jurisdiction of the States Parties. Competent authorities should also designate a 24-hour contact point(s) for receiving and sending early warning messages and requests for assistance. The competent authorities shall inform each other of these contact point(s). In the event of a disaster or an imminent threat thereof, when the assistance of another Party may be needed, the Party may send a request for assistance, indicating as precisely as possible the amount and type of assistance required. The assisting Party to which the request for assistance is addressed shall immediately decide and inform the other Party and, where applicable, the transit country, whether it can provide the requested assistance, and shall indicate the amount and terms of the assistance, including, where appropriate, the cost of the assistance. Competent authorities may agree on common procedures for requesting assistance. If there is a possibility that a disaster or its imminent threat may affect other Parties, then the Party in which this disaster has occurred or in which it may occur, sends an early warning message to the other Parties, describing the situation and its possible course of development. The Parties shall cooperate to facilitate the prompt provision of assistance.