Research on ownership rights in the use of subterranean depths in Latvia

In Latvia, subterranean depths are considered the property of the landowner. This ownership model is very rare both in the EU and worldwide. In his dissertation, RSU doctoral student Kārlis Piģēns has identified the most important challenges and problems related to extraction rights and use of minerals and geological formations.

Subterranean depths are under-exploited in Latvia, and therefore the legal framework for resolving legal issues related to their use is not widely used. Moreover, given that a similar principle of the ownership of subterranean depths is rarely used elsewhere in the world, Latvia has few opportunities to adopt legal practices from other countries.

To date, the ownership of subterranean depths in Latvia has not been studied from this perspective and to this extent, therefore the unique research direction offered by Kārlis Piģēns can make a positive contribution to the improvement of the legal environment of the Republic of Latvia and, consequently, to the development of the country's economy.

Kārlis Piģēns will defend his dissertation “Ownership Features and Developments in the Use of Subterranean Depths in the Republic of Latvia” on 21 June 2023.

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RSU dissertation database