Republic of Latvia Cabinet Regulation No. 42 Adopted 18 January 2011

By-law of the Crisis Management Council

Issued pursuant to
Section 23.¹, Paragraph two
of the National Security Law

I. General Provision

1. The Crisis Management Council (hereinafter - Council) is a co-ordinating institution, the objective of the operation of which is to ensure co-ordinated actions of State and local government institutions in taking measures for the prevention and suppression of danger to the State, as well as measures for the liquidation of consequences caused thereby.

II. Functions, Tasks and Rights of the Council

2. The Council shall have the following functions:

2.1. to co-ordinate the co-operation of State and local government institutions in matters related to measures for the prevention and suppression of danger to the State, as well as measures for the liquidation of consequences caused thereby;

2.2. to co-ordinate civil-military co-operation in prevention and suppression of the danger to the State.

3. In order to implement the functions referred to in Paragraph 2 of this Regulation, the Council shall fulfil the following tasks:

3.1. examine the information prepared by State and local government institutions regarding danger to the State and prepare proposals to the Cabinet regarding the necessary measures for the prevention and suppression of danger to the State, as well as measures for the liquidation of consequences caused thereby;

3.2. examine the dangers to the sectors within the competence of ministries and assess the draft plans for the prevention, suppression and liquidation of possible consequences of dangers the sectors;

3.3. prepare proposals to the Cabinet for announcement of extraordinary situation and mobilisation;

3.4. examine proposals regarding the development of draft regulatory enactments and development planning documents for the prevention and suppression of danger to the State;

3.5. examine draft regulatory enactments and development planning documents related to measures for the prevention and suppression of danger to the State, if an agreement has not been reached during harmonisation thereof;

3.6. prepare proposals to the Cabinet regarding the possibilities of providing aid to a foreign country in a crisis situation, as well as regarding foreign aid necessary to Latvia in a crisis situation;

3.7. prepare proposals regarding attraction and co-ordination of the necessary resources at the disposal of State and local government institutions for the prevention and suppression of danger to the State;

3.8. prepare proposals to the Cabinet regarding the necessary additional financing for the prevention and suppression of danger to the State, as well as for the liquidation of consequences caused thereby;

3.9. co-ordinate improvement of the national crisis management;

3.10. examine the conclusions of crisis management training prepared by the ministries;

3.11. upon a proposal of the Minister for the Interior, approve the structure of managers of the Secretariat of the Council (hereinafter - Secretariat) and of the Secretariat; and

3.12. perform other tasks determined in the regulatory enactments.

4. The Council has the following rights:

4.1. to invite officials or experts of State, local government and other institutions to the Council meetings;

4.2. to request and receive information necessary for the fulfilment of the tasks of the Council from State, local government and other institutions, as well as from private individuals;

4.3. to initiate the development of such draft regulatory enactments and development planning documents, which are necessary for successful functioning of the national crisis management;

4.4. to establish a group of experts in crisis management matters (hereinafter - group of experts) and specify the tasks thereof.

III. Organisation of the Council Work

5. The work of the Council shall be managed by the Chairperson of the Council.

6. The Chairperson of the Council shall:

6.1. convene and chair meetings of the Council;

6.2. approve the agenda of the Council meetings;

6.3. sign the minutes of the Council meetings;

6.4. give assignments to the Council members and the Secretariat;

6.5. upon a proposal of the Council members approve groups of experts and their tasks;

6.6. approve the sample form of the Council and the Secretariat; and

6.7. represent the Council without a special authorisation.

7. The Council meetings shall take place not less than once in six months. The Chairperson of the Council is entitled to convene an extraordinary meeting of the Council.

8. A Council member is entitled to propose convening of an extraordinary meeting of the Council, as well as inclusion of any issue within the competence of the Council in the agenda of the Council meeting.

9. The manager of the Secretariat shall participate in the Council meetings in advisory capacity.

10. If the Council members invite officials or experts of State or local government institutions to a Council meeting, they shall inform the Secretariat thereof not more than one working day before the relevant meeting.

11. If a Council member appoints other official for the participation in a Council meeting in his or her place, he or she shall inform the Secretariat thereof not more than one working day before the relevant meeting. The appointed official does not have the right to vote in the Council meeting.

12. The Council shall have a quorum if at least a half of the Council members participate in a meeting thereof.

13. The Council shall take decisions by a simple majority vote. In the event of a tied vote, the vote of the Chairperson of the Council shall be the decisive vote.

14. The Council members shall submit proposals regarding the agenda of a Council meeting and the documents to be reviewed in a Council meeting to the Secretariat not more than five working days before a regular Council meeting.

15. The Secretariat shall, not more than four working days prior to a regular Council meeting, prepare and submit the agenda of the Council meeting and the documents to be reviewed in a Council meeting to the Chairperson of the Council for approval.

16. The Chairperson of the Council is entitled to delete a matter of the agenda of the Council meeting, if the relevant documents have not been submitted to the Secretariat by the deadline referred to in Paragraph 14 of this Regulation.

17. The Secretariat shall, not more than three working days prior to a regular Council meeting, compile, prepare and send the agenda of the Council meeting and the documents to be reviewed to the Council members.

18. A Council member, upon proposing to convene an extraordinary Council meeting, shall submit the documents to be reviewed in the extraordinary Council meeting to the Secretariat without delay and send to all Council members.

19. Matters of the agenda of a Council meeting, participants of a Council meeting and persons who expressed an opinion on the relevant matter, as well as the decisions taken and the differing opinions shall be recorded in the minutes of the Council meeting.

20. The Secretariat shall, within three working days after a Council meeting, send electronically the draft minutes of the Council meeting to the Council members. The minutes shall be deemed co-ordinated if written objections have not been received from the Council members within three working days after sending of the draft minutes.

21. The Secretariat shall, within five working days after co-ordination of the minutes of the Council meeting, send the approved minutes of the meeting to the Council members.

IV. Tasks and Rights of the Secretariat

22. The work of the Secretariat shall be provided by the Ministry of the Interior.

23. The Secretariat shall fulfil the tasks referred to in this Regulation and other regulatory enactments, as well as decisions of the Council and tasks of the Chairperson of the Council.

24. The Secretariat has the following rights:

24.1. to submit proposals to the Chairperson of the Council regarding the agenda of a Council meeting;

24.2. to request and receive the information and documents necessary for the work of the Secretariat and the Council;

24.3. to involve officials of other institutions in preparation of materials of the Council meetings;

24.4. to provide proposals to the Chairperson of the Council regarding establishment of groups of experts, taking into account the type and significance of dangerous situations to the State;

24.5. to provide an opinion to the Chairperson of the Council on the documents prepared by other institutions;

24.6. to control the fulfilment of the tasks specified in decisions of the Council and notify the Chairperson of the Council and the Council thereof;

24.7. to participate in meetings of groups of experts and crisis management training; and

24.8. to provide information to mass media regarding operation of the Council and the Secretariat and the decisions taken, if it does not endanger the protection of restricted access information or official secret.

V. Establishment of Groups of Experts

25. If a decision has been taken to establish a group of experts, the ministries shall appoint officials for work in the referred to group of experts, observing the specified composition of the group of experts. The composition and tasks of the group of experts shall be approved by the Chairperson of the Council.

26. The manager of a group of experts shall ensure the fulfilment of the tasks specified by the Chairperson of the Council.

27. The work of a group of experts shall be ensured by the institution represented by the manager of the group of experts, unless specified otherwise by the Chairperson of the Council.

VI. Closing Provision

28. Cabinet Regulation No. 358 of 2 May 2006, By-law of the Crisis Management Council (Latvijas Vēstnesis, 2006, No. 73), is repealed.

Prime Minister V. Dombrovskis

Minister for the Interior L. Mūrniece

 

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