National Nature Conservation Legislation

National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENTS OF LATVIA

RIO CONVENTION

In 1992 in Rio-de-Janeiro Latvia has signed Convention on Biological Diversity and has joined up it in 1995 by passing Law on 1992 June 5 Rio-de-Janeiro Convention on Biological Diversity. According to Convention’s paragraph No 6 the main obligations of the member states are:

• to work out the startegy for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity;
• to include conservation of biodiversity and sustainable use of nature in the plans and policy of economical branches.

PAN-EUROPEAN STRATEGY

In 1995 European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy was accepted in Sofia in conference of European Environmental protection ministers. It provides the economical branches must work out and introduce the action programms of biological and landscape diversity conservation and sustainable use of resources.

EUROPEAN UNION

In 1997 Biodiversity Strategy was ratified by European Union pointing the requests of Convention of Biological Diversity must be included in branch policy. The items of this strategy are compulsory also for Latvia as it has bound itself to submit its legislation and policy with European Union according to European agreement.

LATVIAN NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY

The working out of the National Biodiversity Startegy and Action Plan has been finished and it will be accepted by the Parliament in 2000. The National Biodiversity Strategy is based on a long-term environmental strategy established by the National Environmental Policy Plan (http://www.vdc.lv/NEPP/lot.htm).The National Biodiversity Strategy defines specific long-term goals for conservation of biodiversity. The Action Plan specifies necessary actions, along with time frames, responsible institutions and financing for implementation of the Biodiversity Strategy.

The goals of Strategy of Biological Diversity are:

• conservation and restoring of natural structure and diversity of ecosystems;
• conservation and facilitating of diversity of local wild species;
• conservation of genetical diversity of the wild species, cultivated plants and domestic animal breeds;
• facilitating of remaining of traditional landscape;
• ensuring of balanced and sustainable use of resources of the animate nature.