The government is preparing a draft decision on the transformation of VARAM into DARAM

A draft government order on the reorganization of VARAM and the Ministry of Climate and Energy (KEM) and the establishment of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (KEVM) and DARAM has been submitted for harmonization on the portal of legal acts. It is planned that the reorganization will end on July 1, with KEM taking over the field of environmental protection policy from VARAM.

With these changes, DARAM will become the leading state administrative institution in the field of nature protection, and KEVM the leading state administrative institution in the field of environmental protection policy.

The changes envisage that the Department of Environmental Protection with 37 positions will be transferred from VARAM and KEM.

As of July 1, the supervision of the State Environmental Service and the State Office for Environmental Supervision will also be changed. It will be monitored by KEVM in the future. KEVM will also be the holder of the state-owned parts of the Latvian Center for Environment, Geology and Meteorology.

TVNET already announced that after the transfer of environmental services from VARAM to the Ministry of Climate and Energy, the Nature Protection Board, the Salaspils Botanical Garden and the Nature Museum could remain under VARAM’s control.

In general, it is envisaged that VARAM will maintain supervision over the nature area, which is related to the educational and informative function, municipalities and specially protected areas.