Ministry might consider sacking Riga City Council if solution to waste management problem is not provided by mid-December

RIGA - If the Riga City Council by December 11 does not find a solution to the waste management problem in the Latvian capital, the Environment Protection and Regional Development Ministry, most believably, will initiate the council's dissolution, said Environment Protection and Regional Development Minister Juris Puce (For Development) today.

The minister said that the local government has been given 20 days to prepare an explanation and a detailed action plan on how to ensure waste collection and management in the city after December 11 when the regulations on emergency situation in Riga expire.

He said that so far the explanations provided by the Riga City Council do not suggest that the council has a clear action plan. It means that the local government repeatedly will not be able to perform one of its functions.

The Riga City Council also has to present a plan how they will inform residents of Riga.

Puce said that this year the ministry has seven times pointed out to the Riga City Council that it is not fulfilling it functions in the area of waste management and has no regulations in force in this area.

According to Puce, the ministry has no hopes that the Riga City Council will be able to meet all demands by December 11, therefore, the ministry should think about solutions and further steps.

As reported, Riga City Council and Getlini EKO landfill entered into a EUR 686.3 million public-private partnership on management of household waste in Riga with CREB Riga, a company set up by two environmental service providers - Clean R and Eco Baltia Vide.

At the beginning of June, Getlini EKO and CREB Riga established joint venture Rigas Vides Pakalpojumi, later renamed Tiriga, which from September 15 was to provide household waste management services in Riga for the next twenty years.

On September 9, the Competition Council banned Tiriga from signing agreements with the residents of Riga and initiated infringement proceedings against the Riga City Council and Getlini EKO, suspected of possibly violating the prohibition of abuse of dominant position.