National Nature Conservation Legislation

International conventions

The following international treaties directly connected with nature conservation have been ratified by the Parliament of Latvia:

• Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat, Ramsar, 1971;

• Convention on International Trade with Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, Washington, 1973;

• Convention on Fishing and the Protection of Living Natural Resources in the Baltic Sea and Coastal Zones, Gdansk, 1973;

• Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, Bern, 1979;

• Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, Helsinki, 1974, 1992;

• Convention on Climate Change, New York United Nations General Convention, 1992;

• Convention on Biological Diversity, Rio de Janeiro United Nations General Convention, 1992.

Latvia has joined the HELCOM convention and more importantly has participted in the Environmental Committee for Nature. It is aimed at coordinating the efforts of countries in order to ensure maintenance of biodiversity in the Baltic region. The Environmental Committee is established under the Baltic Council of Ministers. It is working on establishing bilateral agreements in nature conservation between Latvia and Estonia, and between Latvia and Lithuania.

Since the Latvian Parliament has ratified the European Agreement in 1995, an overall approximation to the EU legislation has been started. The approximation is scheduled to be finished by the year 2000.