copy the linklink copied!Foreword

The principal aim of the OECD Environmental Performance Review programme is to help member and selected partner countries improve their individual and collective performance in environmental management by:

• helping countries assess progress in achieving their environmental goals

• promoting continuous policy dialogue and peer learning

• stimulating greater accountability from governments towards each other and public opinion.

This report reviews the environmental performance of Latvia for the first time since its accession to the OECD in 2016. Progress in achieving domestic objectives and international commitments provides the basis for assessing the country’s environmental performance. Such objectives and commitments may be broad aims, qualitative goals or quantitative targets. A distinction is made between intentions, actions and results. Assessment of environmental performance is also placed within the context of Latvia’s historical environmental record, present state of the environment, physical endowment in natural resources, economic conditions and demographic trends.

The OECD is indebted to the government of Latvia for its co-operation in providing information, for the organisation of the review mission (15-19 October 2018), and for facilitating contacts both inside and outside government institutions.

Thanks are also due to the representatives of the two examining countries, Rasmus Boldsen (Denmark) and Merit Otsus (Estonia).

The authors of this report are Ivana Capozza, Myriam Linster, Eugene Mazur, Alexa Piccolo and Mikaela Rambali from the OECD Secretariat, under the co-ordination of Ivana Capozza. Nathalie Girouard provided oversight and guidance. Mauro Migotto provided statistical support, Jennifer Humbert provided administrative support and Rebecca Brite copy-edited the report. Natasha Cline-Thomas provided communications support. Preparation of this report also benefited from inputs and comments from several members of the OECD Secretariat, including Morvarid Bagherzadeh, Peter Börkey, Nils Axel Braathen, Nicola Brandt, Juan Casado Asensio, Nathalie Cliquot, Jeremy Faroi, Florens Flues, Andrés Fuentes Hutfilter, Katia Karousakis, Xavier Leflaive and Will Symes, as well as Andrew Prag of the International Energy Agency.

The OECD Working Party on Environmental Performance discussed the draft Environmental Performance Review of Latvia at its meeting on 24 April 2019 in Paris, and approved the Assessment and recommendations.