Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Latvia, the Government of the Republic of Estonia and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on cooperation in the field of environment

The Government of the Republic of Latvia, the Government of the Republic of Estonia and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, hereinafter referred to as the “Parties”,

recognizing friendly relations between the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Estonia and the Republic of Lithuania,

acknowledging responsibility for the improvement of the state of environment,

recognizing that each country having the sovereign right to use its natural resources, shall take measures to prevent the harmful transboundary effects of its activities,

acknowledging also that many environmental problems can be resolved through international cooperation,

bearing in mind the goals and principles of the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), as well as the international agreements aimed at the protection of the Baltic Sea,

taking into account the membership of the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Estonia and the Republic of Lithuania in the European Union and their access to the European Union financial instruments,

determined to continue successful cooperation developed in the field of environment;

have agreed as follows:

Article 1

The Parties shall develop and extend mutual cooperation in the field of environmental protection and environmental pollution prevention in the interests of all the Parties, as well as promote further development of economic, scientific and technical contacts, in order to solve regional and global environmental problems by joint efforts.

Article 2

The Parties shall cooperate in order to:

(a) investigate regional environmental problems on bilateral and multilateral basis;

(b) promote the intersectorial approach for tackling the environmental issues by integration of environmental considerations into different areas of economic development;

(c) increase the effectiveness of national and international tools for the protection of environment;

(d) promote and support common environmental issues of national interests within the European Union.

Article 3

(1) The cooperation shall encompass inter alia the following sectors of the environment:

(a) sustainable use of natural resources;

(b) promotion of sustainable production and consumption;

(c) prevention and reduction of transboundary environmental pollution;

(d) protection of the Baltic Sea;

(e) coordinated elaboration of environmental criteria for policy setting and environmental policy instruments, implementation of joint projects;

(f) environmental impact assessment and strategic environmental assessment in transboundary context;

(g) global climate change;

(h) waste management;

(i) implementation of nature protection legislation;

(j) monitoring, forecast and evaluation of the state of environment;

(k) absorption of available funding for environmental protection;

(l) facilitation of green public procurement;

(m) water protection and river basin management.

(2) The list of main sectors of cooperation may be revised or supplemented by mutual agreement of the Parties.

Article 4

(1) Cooperation in the field of environment shall be carried out by mutual consent of the Parties in the following forms:

(a) exchange of scientific information;

(b) arrangement of conferences, symposia and expert meetings;

(c) exchange of scientists and experts;

(d) elaboration and implementation of joint programmes and projects;

(e) coordination and development of environmental standards and legal acts;

(f) determination of strategic direction in the cross-border cooperation.

(2) The Parties may also agree on other forms of cooperation.

Article 5

(1) The Parties shall exchange the information on the state of environment and on possible transboundary impact on regular basis.

(2) In case of environmental emergencies of possible transboundary impact, the Parties shall inform each other and take immediate coordinated actions in order to eliminate the consequences of such emergencies.

Article 6

The general coordination of activities under this Agreement shall be taken by the Environmental Committee of the Baltic Council of Ministers.

Article 7

(1) Any dispute related to the interpretation or the application of this Agreement shall be settled by consultation between the Parties.

(2) This Agreement may be amended on the basis of mutual agreement between the Parties.

(3) This Agreement can be supplemented by special agreements and technical protocols.

Article 8

(1) This Agreement is concluded for an indefinite period of time and shall enter into force upon its signature.

(2) This Agreement may be denounced by any of the Parties by written notification sent through diplomatic channels to the other Parties. The denunciation shall take effect on the ninetieth day following the date of the notification. After the denunciation by one Party this Agreement shall remain in force for the other two Parties.

(3) Upon the entry into force of this Agreement, the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Latvia, the Government of the Republic of Estonia and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on cooperation in the field of environmental protection, signed in Tallinn on 21 July 1995, shall cease to be in force.

Done at Dagda on 4 June 2010 in three original copies, each in the Latvian, Estonian, Lithuanian and English languages, all the texts being equally authentic. In case of divergence of the interpretation of this Agreement, the English text shall prevail.