Latvia
Beneficiary state since 2004 · EEA Grants & Norway Grants · Capital: Riga · Population 1.9m
Headline figures for Latvia
Donor programme partners
Bilateral initiatives
125 recorded, showing the 12 largest by grant
Assistance to Ukrainian refugees in Latvia
The aim is to provide long-term support to Ukrainian refugees in Latvia and to involve the public in the provision of assistance. Planned activities: 1. Providing support for Ukrainian refugees in Latvia, including Social support program: Help to purchase of household items and other goods and services; soup kitchens, day care centers for kids. Health program: Help to gain medical services that are not state paid in Latvia (might include operations, treatment, rehabilitation, dentist services, technical aid etc.), and war injury treatment. Covers the costs for specialists, medicine, technical aids for children with disabilities (cerebral palsy, neuromotor diseases, autism). Also trainings for Ukrainian doctors in Latvia included. Consultation program: Practical guidance in communication with governmental institutions and local municipalities about available social benefits, application procedures and conditions for receiving the aid. Non-governmental organization (NGO) cooperation program: Provision of support for other NGOs, who provides help for different socially vulnerable groups. Psychosocial rehabilitation, integration and cultural activities, incl. children camps. 2. Society involvement to ensure support for Ukrainian refugees - Ziedot.lv will ensure informative and involving activities for society aiming to rise donations. 3. Ziedot.lv adaptation to work with Ukrainian refugees - to ensure all informative and legal information in Ukrainian.
€3.4m awarded
Cycle II of Programme "Correctional Services" level bilateral activities
The initiative emphasises bilateral cooperation within the "Correctional Services" programme, facilitating closer collaboration among the Latvian Prison Administration, State Probation Service, and Norwegian partners – Norwegian Correctional Services and Oslo Red Cross (Network After Imprisonment). The State Probation Service will implement the following activities: Exchange visits to Croatia, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Romania, Norway, Bulgaria and Latvia; Motivational Interviewing Trainer Training; and Strengthening Cooperation with the Norwegian Mediation Center. The Latvian Prison Administration will conduct activities: Students of the Training Centre visiting the University College of the Norwegian Correctional Service (KRUS), Directorate of Norwegian Correctional Service (KDI), Romerike Prison; Staff of Training Centre and other representatives of Latvian Prison Administration visiting KRUS and Romerike prison (or other prisons); and Development of Training video. The Ministry of Justice will organise participation in the International Corrections and Prison Association (ICPA) annual conference "Enabling Desistance: Beyond Recidivism". The Directorate of Norwegian Correctional Service will produce a documentary about the Project and Training centre construction from all partners', Project Promoter's, and the Programme Operator's perspectives. An exchange visit on the debt repayment programme and financial literacy for State Probation Service clients will be organised.
€701k awarded
Building Resilient Media and Inquisitive Audiences in the Baltic States
The initiative envisages expansion of interactive resources and mentoring modules aimed at fostering resilience of independent media in Latvia and the Baltic states and improving coordination between like-minded governments from Europe and beyond that support media development in the region (further – donor governments). The initiative will enable Baltic Centre for Media Excellence (BCME) to develop, in close collaboration with the Norwegian partners, a set of needs-based data services and a repository of resources for media professionals, and to supply the donor governments with intelligence on media development in the region to assist them in setting priorities on the types of necessary interventions and funding modalities. Norwegian partners will provide knowledge and practical input in capacity building of the innovative local media and creation of high quality multimedia content.
€400k awarded
Cycle I of Programme "Correctional Services"-level bilateral activities
The initiative aims to promote bilateral relationships between the Latvian and Norwegian Correctional Services within the framework of the Bilateral Fund of Programme "Correctional Services". This will enable the beneficiary state to adopt the best practices of Norwegian Correctional Services in working with inmates. The initiative foresees experience exchange visits between Norway and Latvia in matters related to the content of the new Training Centre in Olaine (Latvia), ensuring it meets modern standards, and providing training for correctional services staff. The goal is to transition from traditional security roles in prisons to a modern contact person system. Additionally, the bilateral initiative will foster closer cooperation between the staff of the Red Cross NGOs both in Latvia and Norway. Future collaboration is planned through experience exchange visits between the Latvian Training Centre and the University of the Norwegian Correctional Services (KRUS), focusing on vulnerable prisoners (women and juveniles). There will be 4 (four) bilateral activities implemented to strengthen and promote bilateral relations between the states: 1) Experience exchange for strengthening capacity of staff of Latvian Prison Administration. 2) Elaboration of capacity of training in Training centre of Latvian Prison Administration. 3) Bilateral study trips for future cooperation on topics of vulnerable prisoners. 4) Cooperation with NGO Red Cross.
€385k awarded
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The aim of the initiative is to develop a feasibility study of the development and further management of the disposal of the contaminated sediments of the Karosta Canal. Planned activities and results: The main activity and deliverable of the initiative is feasibility study for the development of the contaminated sediment disposal site of the Liepaja port Karosta Canal, analysing tailored development and management alternatives, assessing environmental, technical, economic, and financial feasibility; conducting sampling and analysing the geotechnical and chemical properties of the sediments; performing cost-benefit analysis to attract public funding; and transferring expertise from Norwegian scientific institutions NIVA and NGI to local companies to develop customized technical solutions in accordance with Latvian regulatory standards.
€265k awarded
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The initiative will strengthen scientific cooperation and research exchange between Latvia and Norway, as well as Estonia and Lithuania. In addition, the initiative aims to establish a network of leading research think tanks to collaborate, with the aim of making more active use of available research tools, technological know-how and offices, as well as sending researchers to other institutes. This initiative will allow the four designated think tanks to set up a long-lasting cooperation network with a continuation after this specific research. The aim of the research proposed by the Norway-Baltic Research Network is to compare the critical infrastructure protection policies and national communication on critical infrastructure used by public authorities in three Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) and Norway. The research will be conducted in the framework of the national legislation of the four countries, taking into account the specific and sensitive nature of the research theme. The initiative will provide an opportunity to discuss the necessary improvements in policy and communication on critical infrastructure, including in the media, with a view to strengthening confidence of society in public authorities, promoting pragmatic engagement of society in critical infrastructure provision and reducing the impact of communication that creates a sense of vulnerability in society.
€187k awarded
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The main goal of the initiative is to promote partnership and educational exchange of experience between Latvia and Norway in the field of combating cybercrime, as well as to create an effective police cooperation network between the Baltic states and Scandinavian states, thereby strengthening cyber security in the Northern European region. During this initiative the shared information and established international contacts between cybercrime enforcement departments will provide more efficient way for analysis of data and electronic evidence, exchange of information between contacts, as well as it will help to introduce innovations and best solutions in cybercrime investigation and digital forensics. Taking into account the geopolitical situation of Latvia and its neighboring countries and the growing cyber threats, it is especially necessary to strengthen the capacity and opportunities of law enforcement institutions in the application of innovative solutions in combating transnational crime. The initiative is aimed at exchanging experience of Latvian and Norwegian law enforcement experts and organising joint study trips. It is also aimed at involving other countries into the Northern European region for the exchange of experience by organising international practical seminars in Latvia.
€149k awarded
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The main objective of the initiative is to increase the capacity of Latvian Police to collect, analyze and evaluate evidence used in the process of combating cross-border computer crime. This will increase the detection capabilities of law enforcement agencies, equipping them with knowledge relevant to current threats, which will improve the prosecution of cybercrimes, organized crime and cyber-terrorism. The Norwegian Police University College is a public university. Police officers (future and present), as well as officials of the administration of the Kingdom of Norway, acquire knowledge there. Additionally, international police officers from countries promoting cooperation agreements with PHS are allowed to study within some of the programmes such as Nordic Computer Forensic Investigators. Research conducted by the above university includes both short and long-term projects, focusing mainly on aspects related to broadly understood law enforcement work. As a result of highly specialized training in computer forensics, the staff of Latvian Police will be able to secure and then analyze electronic evidence in a way that makes it irrefutable. Given the extremely dynamic development and global nature of high-tech crime, the continued cooperation with the Norwegian Police University College, which aims to increase the competences of police forensic laboratory research staff in computer forensics, will also find its application in relation to cross-border crime.
€143k awarded
Capacity building in the field of AML, including in the identification of environmental crime
As environmental crime is financially lucrative and on the rise, there is a need to increase skills in recognising these crimes, learning about the typologies, and adopting best practices in combating them. It would therefore be necessary to foster additional cooperation with countries that have more experience in this field, in order to exchange knowledge, technological solutions and financial intelligence techniques, thereby strengthening the capacity in AML financial intelligence. FIU Latvia will establish an international inter-agency working group to develop common practices in identifying and combating environmental crime. The group will enhance expertise in analysing data related to such crime, identifying possible data sources and technologies to improve the fight against financial crime. The training and exchange trips will directly contribute to the exchange of best practices and knowledge between the EEA Grants donor countries (Norway, Iceland) and the FIU Latvia. The activities of this initiative will not only contribute to the general knowledge on the prevention of money laundering, but will also gather and develop knowledge on the identification and combating of environmental crime.
€140k awarded
3D scanning and new technologies in cultural heritage management
The aim of the initiative is the capacity building of experts of the national heritage authorities in Latvia and Norway in using innovations and contemporary technology in heritage conservation. The initiative would facilitate setting up platform for further cooperation and knowledge exchange between experts of the beneficiary and donor states. Such knowledge sharing would promote higher quality conservation with appropriate methods involving wider range of experts and awareness of the latest technologies. The initiative foresees organization of bilateral workshops in Latvia and Norway for representatives of heritage authorities to acquire practical skills both in the scanning and in processing of the results obtained. As well elaboration of handbook for wide range of experts in Norway and Latvia, which explain the quality requirements, the recommended data storage formats and technological solutions, is planned. The expected outcome will be further discussion on specifications for 3D scanning and elaboration of handbook for stakeholders (experts, heritage owners, architects, restorers etc.) that can be used for wide range of experts in Norway and Latvia and can benefit for exchange of expertise based on the same quality criteria and specifications among experts from beneficiary state and donor states.
€127k awarded
Forensic science cooperation: 3D scanning expertise method
The project "Forensic science cooperation: 3D scanning expertise method" aims to enhance the Latvian criminal forensic service's capabilities to use advanced 3D scanning methods to document complex scenes of crime or accident, to support investigations and to present 3D models in court proceedings. The initiative will extend Latvian cooperation with the forensic services in Norway represented by the National Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS). During the initiative, Latvian and Norwegian experts will work together to transfer, exchange and strengthen knowledge in using 3D scanning. NCIS will provide continual guidance and feedback throughout and between the scheduled workshops i-vi, in the form of written correspondence, video and telephone conferences.
€124k awarded
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The aim of the initiative is to strengthen the bilateral cooperation between institutions of correctional service system in Norway and Latvia, beyond the scope of the NFM 2014-2021 period programme “Correctional services”. More specifically, the target group will be staff of the correctional service in Norway and Latvia. Norway and Latvia established a very close and good cooperation in the previous programme period 2009-2014 and have achieved very good results – both on programme – and project level, and on the bilateral level. This cooperation was highly successful and Directorate of Norwegian Correctional Service (hereinafter – KDI) ranged the cooperation with Latvia as the best of all beneficiary countries that they were working with. Both Norway and Latvia see the great opportunity to build on this platform and are eager to develop the bilateral cooperation further. Both parties would like to organize common international conferences, with the participation of highest level of experts from Latvia and Norway, focusing on relevant professional topics for both sides. Moreover, Norway and Latvia would like to share this knowledge with other beneficiary countries that are trying to improve their own correctional services. KDI would therefore like to invite other beneficiary countries with programmes within the correctional services to participate in the conferences.
€99k awarded