National Environmental Policy Plan 2004-2008

The National Environmental Policy Plan is a national cross-sectoral plan of Latvia for the period 2004-2008. Its main objective is to ensure a growing effectiveness of environmental measures, wider use of economic methods and modernisation of production processes.
The Plan aims to make agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable. To this end, it is planning to provide for a sustainable use of agricultural resources; to reduce the leakage of plant nutrients from agricultural lands, including pollution by nitrates in particularly sensitive territories; to limit the extent of eutrophication and pollution of waters with residues of pesticides and compounds of heavy metals; to avert environmental pollution with food processing and wood processing waste; to reduce the load produced by sewage and waste in rural settlements; to avert the reduction of biodiversity and degradation of the rural landscape by means of planning and sound land management methods; to promote the development of environmentally friendly agriculture and the introduction of good agricultural practices; to stimulate the production of biofuel; to preserve forest biodiversity and the quality of ecological functions in the regulation of climate and water conditions as well as soil protection; to increase the attraction of carbon dioxide by supporting the afforestation of lands not used in agriculture and to promote deliberative measures for increasing the productivity of forest growths; to stimulate the use of wood pulp and articles made of it in order to preserve the bound carbon accumulated in the wood pulp; to improve knowledge of forest owners, managers and the society about the importance of forest biodiversity and forest ecological functions; to promote a sustainable development of the fishing industry; to preserve the biodiversity and population structure of the Latvian waters; to protect the genetic variety of fish populations; and to facilitate angling, angling and fishing tourism as a perspective direction for the development of the fishing industry. In the field of water resources, the document aims to improve the quality of underground and surface waters, to prevent further pollution thereof and to gradually reduce the current level of pollution; to improve international co-operation with respect to transboundary river basins in order to ensure joint use of water resources and to reduce the pollution arriving in Latvia; to deal with the issue of reducing chemical pollution in the Baltic Sea and to provide for the fulfilment of international obligations undertaken by Latvia; to promote a sustainable and rational use of water, with particular attention paid to the preservation of underground water resources and lakes and water bodies threatened by eutrophication; and to protect water ecosystems and water-dependent terrestrial ecosystems and wetlands; to provide for the compliance of potable water to quality standards. In addition, the document also covers the air pollution; waste management; investigation and recovery of polluted sites; biodiversity; protection against ionizing radiation and nuclear safety; noise; chemical substances, genetically modified organisms, and product quality; and environment and different sectors of the national economy.
In order to increase the resilience of livelihoods to disasters, the Plan aims to provide for protection against floods and drought; to reduce the pollution, degradation and erosion of soils; to reduce the harmful effects of global climate change; to take measures with a view of jointly reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases; to provide for Latvian contribution to the prevention of global climate change without causing additional difficulty for economic development of the country; to prepare the concept of participation of Latvia in the international emission trade; to participate in jointly implemented projects, international emission trade, pure development mechanism, and to establish the institutional system to assure its implementation; to reduce the volume of methane exhaust from landfills, dumps and sewage purification plants; and to increase scientific research, and the public awareness and education.
For the sustainable use of subterranean depths, the Plan envisages to provide for a rational, environmentally friendly and sustainable use of subterranean depths; to promote the involvement of municipalities and land owners in the sustainable use of subterranean depths; to contribute to the collection of information on modern geological processes and use thereof in territorial planning; to promote international co-operation in handling geo-ecological problems; and to promote the obtaining of new and modern data which correspond to the situation in the geo-ecological environment.
The Ministry of Environment of Latvia co-ordinates implementation of the Plan. Starting from 2004, responsible ministries shall submit reports on achievement of goals stated in and implementation of measures of the Plan to the Ministry of Environment until 1 October on an annual basis. The link of fulfilment of priority tasks with funds for the following period shall be specified together with making the draft budget over implementation of the Plan, however at least once a year.