The purpose of the Law is to promote sustainable development in the field of environmental protection, to create and ensure an effective environmental protection system, with the following functions: 1) to conserve, protect, and improve the quality of environment; 2) to protect human health; 3) to ensure environmental protection from the impacts created by anthropogenic loads; 4) to conserve biological diversity; 5) to promote the sustainable utilization of natural resources and energy; 6) to ensure the inclusion of environmental protection requirements in the regulatory enactments, conceptions, plans and programmes regulating other sectors; 7) to ensure public participation in the observation of environmental protection principles and the implementation of environmental policies; 8) to ensure that the public has the opportunity to freely receive environmental information. The Law consists of 10 Chapters that contain 64 Sections. Chapter 1 lays down the general provisions. Chapter 2 establishes the competence of state administrative authorities and local government authorities in environmental protection and utilization of natural resources. Chapter 3 establishes the rights of the inhabitants of the Republic of Latvia to a qualitative life environment and the guarantees for such. Chapter 4 deals with the regulation of environmental quality norms. Chapter 5 deals with the regulation of the utilization of natural resources and the prevention of environmental pollution. Chapter 6 regards protection of nature. Chapter 7 concerns special ecological situations. Chapter 8 concerns environmental protection control. Chapter 9 determines liability for violations of laws on environmental protection. Chapter 10 regards international cooperation of the Republic of Latvia in environmental protection.
Latvia · 1991-08-06