Nature Conservation Agency privacy policy

I. General issues

1. In order to perform its functions, tasks and provide quality services, the Nature Conservation Agency (hereinafter – the Agency) needs to process (obtain, store, register, view, use) certain types of information about individuals.

2. The purpose of the Agency’s privacy policy (hereinafter – the Privacy Policy) is to provide you with information on the purposes for which the Agency obtains personal data, data volumes and data processing periods, data protection, as well as to inform you about your rights and obligations.

3. The Agency takes care of your privacy and protection of personal data, respects your right to the lawfulness of personal data processing. When processing personal data, the Agency complies with the laws and regulations in force in the Republic of Latvia, Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) (hereinafter – the Regulation), as well as other laws and regulations in the field of privacy and personal data processing.

4. The Privacy Policy applies to any individual who is not an employee or official of the Agency and whose personal data is processed by the Agency, and it applies to the processing of personal data, regardless of the form in which you or any other individual has provided personal data: on the Agency’s website, on paper or by phone.

II. Identity and contact information of the controller

5. The controller of personal data processing is the Agency, reg. No. 90009099027, address: Baznīcas Street 7, Sigulda, LV-2150; phone: 67509545; e-mail: pasts@daba.gov.lv; website: https://www.daba.gov.lv.

6. Contact information of the Data Protection Specialist of the Agency: Julija Valpetere, e-mail: Julija.Valpetere@tet.lv or postal address: “Baznīcas Street 7, Sigulda, LV-2150”, indicating “Data Protection Specialist of the Nature Conservation Agency” on the letter.

III. Purposes of processing for which personal data are intended and types of data

7. The Agency shall process the following personal data for the following purposes:

7.1. Name, surname, personal identification number, declared and actual address of residence, phone number, e-mail, photo, video with voice recording, information on property rights, information on account number, as well as information provided by you to the Agency and information necessary for the Agency to fulfill a legal obligation – to perform the functions and tasks specified for the Agency in regulatory enactments. For instance:

Maintenance of a register of experts in the field of species and habitat protection;
Certification of experts in the field of species and habitat protection;
Providing a natural resource accounting function;
Providing real estate management;
Maintenance of the micro-reserve system;
Providing biodiversity monitoring;
Preparation of assessments and issuance of administrative acts;
Performing a control function;
Quality control of natural resource surveyors;
Granting of compensation for restrictions on economic activities in specially protected nature territories;
Granting of compensation for damage caused by animals of specially protected non – hunting species and migratory species.

7.2. Your image (appearance, behavior and audio in cases where the State Environmental Inspector is filming during the inspection), the location of your image recording (room, camera location), the time of your image recording (date, time, start and end of the recording) – control of the non-observance of laws regarding nature protection and prevention or detection of criminal offenses relating to the protection of property and the protection of the vital interests of persons, including life and health;

7.3. Name, surname, gender, date of birth, contact information, work experience, education (including courses and certificates), language skills, other information you want to provide to the Agency – to ensure the recruitment process and to ensure your legal interests as far as it is related to recruitment;

7.4. Photo or video image of a person – informing the public about the organization of the activities of the Agency, performing the functions specified for the Agency in regulatory enactments;

7.5. Name, surname, position, phone number, e-mail – for procurement and conclusion of civil contracts;

7.6. Name, surname, e-mail – to send information about the latest news regularly.

IV. Legal basis for processing

8. The legal basis for the processing of personal data by the Agency for the following purposes of personal data processing:

8.1. In order to fulfill the functions and tasks of the Agency specified in regulatory enactments:

8.1.1. The processing of your personal data is necessary for the Agency to be able to perform its functions and tasks delegated to it by regulatory enactments (Article 6 (1) (c) and (e) of the Regulation); Cabinet Regulation No. 507 of 2 June 2009 “Regulations of the Nature Conservation Agency”; State Administration Structure Law; Law on Applications; Administrative Procedure Law, etc.).

The Agency has the right to leave the application without consideration if you have not provided your name, surname and place of residence or e-mail. However, if you have not provided your name, surname and e-mail or phone number, the Agency will not be able to contact you.

8.2. Prevention or detection of criminal offenses relating to the protection of property and the protection of the vital interests of persons, including life and health:

8.2.1. The processing of your personal data is necessary for the Agency to perform tasks carried out by the Agency in the public interest and necessary for the management and functioning of the Agency. The mentioned processing of personal data takes the form of video surveillance of the Agency’s premises, adjacent and specially protected nature territories for the purpose of preventing and detecting criminal offenses, protecting the physical safety of the Agency’s employees and visitors and their property safety (Article 6 (1) (e) of the Regulation).

8.3. In order to ensure the recruiting competition and to ensure their legal interests as far as it is related to the recruitment:

8.3.1. The processing of your personal data as a candidate is necessary for the Agency to assess your compliance with the requirements set out in the vacancy and to fulfill the legal obligation incumbent on the Agency (Article 6 (1) (b) and (c) of the Regulation; State Civil Service Law and Labour Law);

If you have not provided your personal data, the Agency has the right not to forward your candidacy to the second selection round.

8.3.2. Upon receipt of your application as a candidate, the Agency has a legitimate interest in processing your application, evaluating the information provided in it, organizing a negotiation procedure and providing evidence that substantiates the legal course of the respective process. In the event of a dispute, the information obtained during the selection process may be used to reflect the legal course of the corresponding process (Article 6 (1) (f) of the Regulation).

8.4. Informing the public about the organization of the Agency’s events by performing the functions specified for the Agency in regulatory enactments, including educating the public on nature protection issues by implementing targeted measures:

8.4.1. The mission of the Agency is to preserve the diversity of nature and to promote the harmonious coexistence of man and nature, so that the values of nature will remain in the future and will delight future generations. The processing of your personal data is necessary to reflect the events organized by the Agency, to inform the public about the work of the Agency, as well as to inform and educate the public about nature protection issues. In order to ensure the visibility of the Agency and inform the public about the work of the Agency, your photos and videos without your name can be published in the Agency’s annual report and on the following websites – the Agency’s website, the Agency’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube profile. The Agency undertakes to take and publish only such photo and video images that characterize the activities of the Agency. When choosing what information can be published, the Agency always shall apply the highest ethical standards, thus seeking to ensure that publications do not infringe on your rights and freedoms (Article 6 (1) (e) of the Regulation).

8.5. For procurement and conclusion of civil contracts:

8.5.1. The processing of your personal data is necessary to ensure the organization of purchases, including contact the candidates’ contact persons within the procurement and implement the procurement procedures provided for in the Public Procurement Law, as well as to conclude civil contracts on ensuring the activities of the Agency and performance of the functions specified in the Agency’s regulatory enactments (Article 6 (1) (c) of the Regulation, Public Procurement Law).

8.6. To send the information on the latest news regularly:

8.6.1. The Agency regularly prepares and sends information on the latest news (Article 6 (1) (a) of the Regulation).

V. Processing, protection and storage of personal data

9. For the protection of your personal data, the Agency shall take appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure that personal data are processed in such a way as to ensure adequate security of personal data, including protection against unauthorized or unlawful processing and accidental loss, destruction or damage by appropriate technical means. or organizational arrangements.

10. The Agency implements the protection of personal data by physical and logical means of protection, ensuring:

10.1. protection against threats to personal data due to physical exposure;

10.2. protection provided by software, passwords, encryption, encryption and other logical protection.

11. The Agency shall take measures to ensure that any individual acting under the authority of the Agency and who has access to personal data does not process it without the instructions of the Agency.

12. There is no automated decision-making in the Agency, data processing envisages the participation of an individual in the data processing decision-making process.

13. The recipients of your personal data are the Agency and its authorized employees, you, processors, state and local government institutions in cases specified by law, as well as data may be transferred to other persons in accordance with law, for example, third parties who may be cooperation partners, authorized persons in accordance with regulatory enactments, concluded contracts, as well as controlling institutions, law enforcement institutions. Before transferring data to third parties, the Agency shall carefully assess whether there is an appropriate legal basis for such transfer.

14. The Agency does not transfer data to countries outside the European Union or the European Economic Area, except in cases when it is necessary to ensure the fulfillment of functions and tasks specified in regulatory enactments and to inform the public about the industry and the Agency’s work (Article 46 (2) a) of the Regulation).

15. Period for which the personal data will be stored:

15.1. All information in order for the Agency to be able to perform its functions and tasks delegated to it by regulatory enactments shall be kept for as long as is necessary to achieve the purpose of personal data processing in accordance with the applicable regulatory enactments.

15.2. Video surveillance records are kept for one month, taking into account the deadlines for providing a response referred to in the Law on Applications, the Regulation and the Law on Administrative Procedure. However, if a disciplinary case, an administrative violation case or criminal proceedings are initiated, the records can be removed from the device (recording that the records have been removed) and kept for as long as necessary for the respective process.

15.3. All information obtained during the recruitment competition will be stored in full or in part for a maximum of one year for civil servants and for a maximum of two years for employees in order to ensure the legal interests of the Agency (Section 31 of the Labour Law, Part 7 of Section 9 of the Civil Service Law and Section 79 of the Administrative Procedure Law). In case the Agency receives complaints about the specific recruitment process, then all the information processed in the recruitment process will be kept for as long as necessary for the specific process.

15.4. Your photos and videos are kept until the Agency has a legal interest. The Agency will use the information obtained during the events to create an archive. Therefore, the relevant information will be stored independently, unless the preconditions for its deletion set out in this policy are met or the Agency has determined that the relevant information cannot be used for the purpose.

16. Criteria used to determine the period referred to in the paragraph 15:

16.1. as long as you or the Agency can realize their legitimate interests in accordance with the procedures specified in external regulatory enactments (for example, review of claims, protection of rights, settlement of issues, bringing a claim to court or observance of the limitation period, etc.);

16.2. as long as there is a legal obligation for either party to retain the data.

After the criteria mentioned in this paragraph are not applicable, your personal data is deleted or destroyed, or transferred to the state archives for storage in accordance with the requirements of regulatory enactments.

VI. Access to personal data and other rights of the data subject

17. You have the following rights:

17.1. if filming or photography takes place on the premises of the Agency or at events organized outside them, you have the right to object to the publication of photographs and videos in the media. In this case, you must inform the Agency in advance. This right shall be exercised insofar as the processing of data does not arise from the obligations (functions and tasks) of the Agency imposed on it by the regulatory enactments in force and which are performed in the public interest;

17.2. to receive the information specified in regulatory enactments in connection with the processing of your personal data or restriction of processing, or the right to object to the processing (including the processing of personal data performed on the basis of the legitimate interests of the Agency). This right shall be exercised insofar as the processing of data does not result from the obligations of the Agency imposed on it by the regulatory enactments in force and which are performed in the public interest;

17.3. to submit a request for the exercise of your rights in writing. The Agency accepts documents using post, e-mail (documents signed with a secure electronic signature) or using the public administration service portal Latvija.lv, as well as they can be left at Baznīcas Street 7, Sigulda, LV-2150;

17.4. to receive your personal data, which you have provided and which is processed, in written form or in one of the most commonly used electronic formats.

18. The Agency shall review your request for information within one month from the date of receipt of the request in accordance with the procedures specified in the Regulation and the Personal Data Processing Law. If necessary and informing you in advance, the Agency may extend the time limit for processing the request for information for another two months, taking into account the complexity and number of requests.

19. The Agency will send the answer by post to your declared address of residence, to the e-mail address specified by you with a secure electronic signature, if you want to receive the answer electronically or using the public administration service portal Latvija.lv.

20. The Agency ensures the fulfillment of personal data processing and protection requirements in accordance with regulatory enactments. If in case you have a reasonable concern that the Agency processes your personal data in a manner that does not comply with the requirements of regulatory enactments, and you think that we will not be able to resolve the issue and the Agency violates your right to protection of your personal data, you have the right to file a complaint to the State Data Protection Inspectorate (http://www.dvi.gov.lv/lv/funkcijas/kontaktinformacija/) at Blaumaņa Street 11/13-11, Riga, LV-1011.

VII. Agency`s website and use of cookies

21. The Agency’s website may use cookie technology for the following purposes:

21.1. to improve the experience of using the website, to ensure its operation and functionality;

21.2. to provide you with the opportunity to freely visit and browse the website, using all the features it offers;

21.3. to identify the most visited sections of the website by obtaining statistics on the website and the number of visitors to those sections, time spent, etc.

22. Cookies only identify your device, but do not reveal your identity in any way.

23. You can restrict and delete cookies in the security settings of any web browser. However, it should be noted that the use of mandatory and functional cookies cannot be waived, as without them it is not possible to ensure the full use of the website.

24. The Agency’s website may contain links to the websites of other institutions (third parties) which have their own rules of use and protection of personal data, for which the Agency is not responsible.

VIII. Closing question

25. The Agency has a right to make changes or additions to the Privacy Policy by publishing the current version of the Privacy Policy in the subsection “Processing of Personal Data” of the section “About Us” of the Agency’s website.

Use of cookies

This website, like many others, uses cookies to help improve the website experience and ensure that it works well. We invite you to get acquainted with the principles of using cookies.

This website is managed by the Nature Conservation Agency. Personal data may be processed during the use of cookies. By using this website, you agree to the use of cookies described here (unless your browser is set to not accept cookies). You should be aware that if you choose to disable certain cookies, the website will not work properly.

Cookie information

This website is accessed through one of the browsers, such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera or others.

Cookies are information that this browser collects and stores when you use our website. The next time you visit our website, the browser will remember your actions and do some of them for you, such as choosing your working language or controlling the display of cookies. With the help of cookies, the website gains the ability to store the user’s individual settings, recognize him and respond accordingly.

Types of cookies and their purposes

There are two types of cookies in total – session and persistent cookies. Cookies are also classified as first-party or third-party cookies. Below we will explain the concepts mentioned above so that you can better understand the nature of cookies and why we use them.

Session cookies allow you to recognize when you visit a particular website by memorizing any changes or selections on that website so that they are stored on other pages. These cookies allow you to quickly and easily use multiple pages of the same website, avoiding the need to process each page you visit. Session cookies are non-persistent – they expire when you close your web browser or end a session on a particular website.

Persistent cookies are cookies that are stored on your computer for a period of time after the end of a web browsing session, so they allow you to store a user’s choices or actions on a website and use them the next time a user visits that website.

First-party cookies are cookies maintained by entities administered by the website operator.

Third-party cookies are maintained by other domains that do not belong to us. Third-party cookies that may be stored on your computer, phone or tablet when you browse our website.

List of cookies used

Name	Type	The purpose	Expiration date
_ga _gid _gat _utmz _utmt _utmc _utmb _utma	Tracking cookies from Google Analytics	Are used to improve our website by analyzing user habits. These cookies provide us with information such as the number of visitors to the website and the pages visited by users, and the total time spent on our website (more information – Google Analytics Cookie Usage on Websites).	2 years, 24 hours or only during the session
dap_cookies	Website cookie	Determines whether the user has agreed to the terms of use of cookies and whether to display a statement about the use of cookies in the future.	1 year
PHPSESSID	Website cookie	Checks user session or authorization data.	Only during the session
SID, SAPISID, APISID, SSID, HSID, NID, PREF	Tracking cookies from Google Maps	Google Maps cookie to record card usage (more information –Types of cookies used by Google).	Most 10 years

Withdrawal of consent and restriction of the use of cookies

You can change your cookie settings at any time in your web browser. For example, you can withdraw your consent to the storage of cookies by unchecking the feature in your browser that allows you to reject all suggestions for the storage of cookies. You can find these settings in your web browser’s “options” or “preferences” menus. Below you can find some useful links:

The information on the use of cookies has been prepared on the basis of the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (General Data Protection Regulation) and of the requirements of Directive 2002/58/ EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 2002 concerning the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector (Directive on privacy and electronic communications).

Privacy policy