Civil Protection and Disaster Management Law (2016)

The Law lays down principles for civil protection and disaster management in Latvia. Its purpose is to determine the competence of the system of civil protection and disaster management subjects in order to ensure, to the extent possible, the safety and protection of people, the environment and property in case of a disaster or threats thereof. According to the Law, the system of civil protection is a component of the national security system which is formed by the State and local government authorities, legal and natural persons whose rights, tasks and responsibility in the field of civil protection are laid down in the law. The principle of co-operation of territories form the basis for the organisation of the system of civil protection, and municipalities and republic cities are the territorial basic units of the structure of the system of civil protection. The system of civil protection has the following tasks: (1) to ensure the safety of people, the environment and property; (2) to ensure, to the extent possible, the minimal basic needs for the public in case of a disaster or threats thereof; (3) to forecast in a timely manner the threats of a disaster; (4) to plan and perform preventive measures in a timely manner; (5) to provide assistance to victims of disasters and reduce damage that has been or may be caused by the disaster to people, the environment and property; (6) to plan and perform recovery measures; (7) to provide and receive international assistance in accordance with the procedures laid down in the laws and regulations; and (8) to support the national defence system if a military invasion or war has begun.