Worth knowing! Upcoming and current events
On 5 December at the LBTU Faculty of Forest and Environmental Sciences
The 9th LMSP International Conference “Scientific, economic and social aspects of natural resource use in the current environmental and geopolitical context”
On 12 October, guided walks in the Krustkalni Nature Reserve
On 27 September, European Researchers’ Night
Until 30 September we invite you to submit a tree and its story to the “European Tree of the Year” competition
10–11 October, the international conference “Old-growth forests: policy and practice” (in Latvian, “Vecie meži: politikas un prakse”)
On 11 October, the conference “The furniture manufacturing industry in Latvia and the world. Today and tomorrow”
Until 11 October there is an opportunity to apply to the open competition “Provision of forest regeneration, tending and protection services in 2025–2028 under a framework agreement” announced by AS “Latvijas valsts meži” (LVM)
Until 15 October there is an opportunity to apply to the open competition “Mechanised forest sowing, soil preparation in strips with a disc plough, and soil preparation by forming mounds with a rotating mounder, in 2025–2029” announced by AS “Latvijas valsts meži” (LVM)
Excursion timetable for the Baloži peat railway train
The “Ziedu ceļos” campaign, from 1 February to 30 October
From 18 May, the exhibition “From birch seed to betulin” at the Pharmacy Museum
27–29 March 2025, the 12th Baltic Theriological Conference “Baltic mammals in the turbulence of anthropogenic tensions”
On industry matters
On 20 September, the Baltic Brand Forum took place in Riga, where the most loved, greenest, most humane, most entertaining and fastest-growing brands in the Baltics were announced on the basis of public assessment. For the seventh year running, AS “Latvijas valsts meži” has managed to hold on to its leading position as Latvia’s greenest brand, and it also took 2nd place among Latvia’s most humane brands.
The forest sector’s greatest challenge this year is competitiveness in weak market and timber sales conditions, said Pēters Putniņš, Chairman of the Board of AS “Latvijas valsts meži”.
The European Union Deforestation Regulation came into force back on 29 June 2023. Its aim is to reduce the risk that products linked to deforestation and forest degradation could be sold on, or exported from, the EU market; this is intended to reduce the EU’s impact on deforestation and forest degradation worldwide.
The flooring manufacturer SIA Amber Wood has created a new product for which it has received a Latvian patent, and is at the same time working on an investment project worth around two million euros that would allow artificial intelligence and robots to be used in production.
According to statistics compiled by the International Trade Centre (the ITC is supported by the UN trade and development agency (UN Conference on Trade and Development), the European Union and the World Trade Organization), in 2023 one in every ten planed softwood boards and battens sold worldwide was produced in Estonia. Latvia, meanwhile, was the world leader in exports of aspen and birch boards in 2023.
In September, the State Forest Service’s Remote Fire Detection and Monitoring System (AUANS) was expanded. Monitoring cameras have been installed on eleven fire watchtowers, which will make it possible to identify the location of forest fires more quickly and accurately. In total, 23 fire watchtowers are now connected to AUANS, overseeing forest areas in the Riga region, Northern Kurzeme and part of Zemgale.
On 20 September, during a regional visit, Prime Minister Evika Siliņa visited the “VEREMS” factory of AS “Latvijas Finieris”. The Prime Minister and her team learned more about the operations of the “VEREMS” factory and about its development and expansion project, which is one of the largest private capital investments in the Latgale region in recent years.
Official news
In order to make the Common Agricultural Policy management system simpler for both farmers and administrators, Latvia has prepared a proposal for discussion in the Council. It sets out the case for simplifying the implementation model of the CAP Strategic Plan and for reducing the number of indicators to be reported. Latvia also calls for the promised flexibility in adjusting indicators to be applied without requiring legal justification.
Latvia’s proposal to simplify the CAP Strategic Plan has received the support of almost all EU member states, which confirms the importance and urgency of the issue.
During the government’s first year in office, the Ministry of Agriculture (ZM) has taken a series of measures to improve the support available to farmers and to strengthen the competitiveness of agricultural and food producers. A great deal of work has gone into reducing the administrative burden in the sectors overseen by the Ministry.
On the economy
Latvia is a peat superpower on a global scale – 10% of the country’s territory is covered by peat bogs and, thanks to favourable climatic conditions, the volume of peat grows every year: at present around 1.7 billion tonnes of peat have accumulated in Latvia, with an annual natural increase of 1.6 million tonnes. World Trade Organization data show that, since 2018, Latvia has ranked first in the world by total exports of peat products; in 2022, Latvia’s share of the world market by volume of peat products exported was 19.9%. Already today, 31% of the peat used in professional horticulture in Europe is extracted in Latvia. And this has been achieved by extracting peat on just 0.4% of Latvia’s total territory, or roughly the area of Varakļāni municipality!
Latvia’s economic growth is currently weaker than expected, and there are a number of things Latvia needs to do to “nudge” growth forward, the Governor of the Bank of Latvia, Mārtiņš Kazāks, said in an interview with the LETA news agency.
The Valmiermuiža brewery will from now on take on responsibility for washing the glass bottles returned through the deposit system – with an investment of 700,000 euros, it plans to complete the construction of a sustainable extension and the installation of bottle-washing equipment in the historic manor complex by the end of this year.
https://www.db.lv/zinas/jauna-vienotiba-un-progresivie-velas-redzet-uznemejus-cietuma-517971
Representatives of businesses said that they see risks in the proposal that will have negative consequences for the business environment in Latvia. “It is important to strengthen the business environment, but prison sentences for entrepreneurs are not the right direction,” stressed Kaspars Gorkšs, Director General of the Employers’ Confederation of Latvia.
On education
To spark the interest of pupils in years 5 to 12 in the natural sciences and, in particular, in wood as a sustainable material, AS “Latvijas valsts meži” invites teachers to sign up for continuing education courses on wood experiments in chemistry and physics. The courses will take place on 22 November at the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry in Riga.
AS “Latvijas Finieris”, Europe’s leader in birch plywood production, is opening applications for study placements in the group’s units from 24 September to 31 October.
In September 2024, environmental scientist Rūta Ozola-Davidāne began a new stage of her career at the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU), applying for a tenured associate professorship in an open competition and winning it.
Varied and interesting
The blogger describes Tallinn’s station as the most convenient and best located of the three Baltic capitals’ stations – on the one hand, it is a couple of steps from the old town, and on the other, it is very close to the Kalamaja district, which has lately come to be regarded as a particularly attractive spot for tourists.
...internationally there are not very many cases in which Russian property has been taken over. In this context, the takeover of the so-called Moscow House into Latvian state ownership, and Russia’s reaction to such a step, can be regarded as a special case.
Current affairs in cartoons