The Interreg V-A Latvia – Lithuania 2014 – 2020 Programme is pleased to announce that the first call for proposals in open from 29th April to 5th August 2016 till 12:00 (EET).

Interreg Latvia – Lithuania programme is taking off and inviting its stakeholders to the programme’s Launch Event on May 11th, 2016 in Liepāja, Latvia. The date is chosen in May close to European Union day to emphasize the importance of European regional cooperation policy and the impacts which this cooperation can create.

On 3 – 4 March 2016 the first meeting of the Monitoring Committee of Interreg V-A Latvia – Lithuania Cross Border Cooperation Programme 2014 – 2020 took place in Riga, Latvia.

On 26 October, 2015 in Luxembourg, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of Latvia will represent Latvia's at the European Union Environment Council (ENV). The head of Latvian delegation at the Council meeting will be Mr Edgars Tavars, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development. Ms Alda Ozola, the Deputy State Secretary for Environmental Protection also is part of the Latvian delegation.

Riga, 30 June 2015. On 29 June, the Latvian Minister for Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Kaspars Gerhards, went to New York (USA) to represent the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union at the high-level event on international climate policy, convened by the President of the United Nations General Assembly.

On 25-26 June, 2015 in Riga, the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union together with the European Commission (EC) met with the Eastern Partnership countries, to reach a consensus in international climate change negotiations and to promote conclusion of the new international agreement in December 2015, in Paris.

The presidency of the Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on a new directive to limit the emissions of certain pollutants from medium combustion plants. These new rules are part of the clean air legislative package, which aims at improving air quality in the EU.

Properly applied, digital technology is a source of development and innovation, which in turn generates economic benefits. In order to enhance growth in the EU and create new jobs, one of the priorities of the Latvian Presidency is to create a truly Digital Europe, focusing particularly on the Digital Single Market.

Nowadays, the most common approach is for the grass cuttings to be dried and then pressed into bales or rolled into large rolls. However, for the time being, you can still see the «pyramids» of hay or haycocks.

On Wednesday 10 June, the informal meeting of Ministers responsible for Cohesion policy, Territorial Cohesion and Urban Matters entered its second day, as the Ministers responsible for Territorial and Urban Development met in Riga to discuss the development of the EU Urban Agenda. At the meeting, the participants agreed on the Riga Declaration “Towards the EU Urban Agenda’’, prepared by the Latvian Presidency. 

On 10 June, the second session of informal meeting of Ministers responsible for Cohesion Policy, Territorial Cohesion and Urban Matters will take place in Riga under the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. During the meeting, for the first time, political discussion of Ministers responsible for Territorial Cohesion and Urban Matters regarding the EU Urban Agenda to support sustainable urban growth will take place at a political level.

The sword-like leaves inspired the ancient Greeks and Romans to come up with a legend about friends, who were forced to fight in a gladiator tournament. After their death, the magnificent gladiolus flower would blossom from their swords.

From 1-11 June, 2015 in Bonn (Germany) Latvia, as Presidency of the Council of the European Union, will represent the EU in the second round of the international climate negotiations. During discussions, it is planned to prepare a new legally global binding agreement on limiting climate change beyond 2020.

On 3-4 June 2015, the ESPON 2020 Territorial Cooperation Programme launch seminar will take place in Jūrmala. During the seminar, the European Commission (EC), Italy, Latvia and Luxembourg, the so-called Presidency trio, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and other stakeholders will exchange views on the new Territorial Cooperation Programme. The conference will be broadcast live on the Presidency website: www.eu2015.lv.

On 2 June, 2015 the Latvian Minister for Environmental Protection and Regional Development Mr Kaspars Gerhards will participate in CITIES Forum 2015 that takes place in Brussels, Belgium. CITIES Forum will be dedicated to the development of an Urban Agenda for Europe.

On 1-2 June 2015, a meeting of the European Spatial Planning Observation Network (ESPON) Monitoring Committee takes place in Jūrmala, during which it is planned to agree on the new ESPON 2020 Territorial Cooperation Programme launch and thematic focus until 2020. The meeting is organised under the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU).

In Rauna, of the many natural riches, the most distinguished is that of the Staburags cliffs of Rauna. There is no other place in the Rauna River valley, where in such a small area you could find so many fascinating things.

With an aim to foster a coherent European Union's (EU) inland and marine waters policy in all the Member States, on 26 - 27 May, under the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the EU, informal meeting of Water and Marine Directors of the EU will be held in Riga.

On 26 - 27 May, 2015 international conference “EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 - implementation” will be held in Riga. During the conference representatives from EU Member States and non-governmental organisations will discuss the preservation of biodiversity. The conference is organised under the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The conference will be live streamed here: www.EU2015.lv

Dabas koncertzāle is the Latvian word for Nature Concerthall which has evolved, starting from the year 2006 as a concert conducted in nature to bring people closer to the understanding of that nature, its inhabitants and how to care for it.

On 17-19 May, 2015 the Latvian Minister for Environmental Protection and Regional Development Kaspars Gerhards represented the European Union at the sixth meeting of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue. During that event, the Minister stressed the necessity to agree on a new binding agreement on climate change mitigation.

From 4-16 May 2015 in Geneva (Switzerland) Latvia, as Presidency of the Council of the European Union, represented the European Union and its Member states in the Conferences of Parties of the Stockholm, Basel and Rotterdam Conventions* which were dedicated to the sound management of chemicals and waste.  During this time an international agreement was reached on implementing restrictions on certain chemicals to reduce risks to human health and the environment.

Despite the widespread prevalence of the hermit beetle, it is the most endangered insect species in the world faced with the risk of extinction in all those areas it inhabits.

On 11 May, 2015 Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of Latvia Edgars Tavars participated in a high-level stakeholder conference ''Eliminating Plastic and Microplastic Pollution - an urgent need'' in Brussels, Belgium. The Conference was organized during the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Innovation and sustainable development coexisting with vast bogs, the rolling landscapes of the North Vidzeme region and Salaca – the 4th most important salmon river in the Baltic Sea region. Sounds impossible?

From 4 to 15 May 2015, Latvia as the country holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union will represent the EU’s position at the meetings of the Conferences of the Parties (COPs)* to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions in Geneva, Switzerland. The theme for this year’s meetings is “From science to action, working for a safer tomorrow”.

During the meetings, the participants intend to agree on the measures needed to ensure the safe management of chemicals and to promote the environmentally sound management and transportation of hazardous waste at international level.

The military training area at «Adazi», which has been used for military training for almost 100 years, since 2004 has been part of the Natura 2000 protected site network.

In Teiči Reserve, it is like being in tundra – no matter where you look, you will see kilometres of swampy hollows grown with mosses and small birch and pine trees.

In the present-day Latvian territory, the last ice age ended 16 to 14 thousand years ago. As the glacier melted and retreated, plants typical of tundra began to spread. Their diversity was quite small. Dwarf birch was one of the few pioneer plants, which managed to survive in the harsh climate.

Joint session of environment and energy ministers was held on the second day of informal meeting of the EU Environment and Energy Ministers. Within this session ministers took part in a high-level debate on how to accommodate biodiversity preservation with increased use of renewable energy sources.

On 14 April, the meeting of the Environment Ministers opened the three-day informal meeting of the European Union Environment and Energy Ministers. The Environment and Climate Ministers focused on biodiversity preservation and the international climate change negotiations aimed towards reaching a new global agreement on post-2020 climate change mitigation at the Paris Climate Change Conference in December. The informal meeting takes place under the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Daugava – the river of Destiny Daugava is the largest river in Latvia and also one of the most prominent national symbols. It is featured in legends and myths and is commonly called «mother Daugava» and «the river of Destiny».

The special charm of the Latgale region is the beautiful landscapes surrounded by lakes, forests and ancient hill forts. The diverse natural landscape and cultural heritage is the reason why in 2007, Raznas National Park was established in this area of 59 615 ha.

Out of the almost two thousand kilometres of land that outlines Latvia’s border some 496 kilometres is surrounded by the Baltic Sea.