The Baltic States were conspicuous for their radicalism among the other Eastern European countries in regard to the science reforms after 1990. Till 1990, despite of being subjected to the USSR, the Eastern European countries still managed to carry out comparatively independent science policy. Like all the other republics of USSR, the Baltic countries were forced to deputize and follow up obediently all the rules imposed by the USSR. After 1990 the preexisting science administration system was completely abolished in the Baltic States and a new one was gradually introduced. The Baltic academies of sciences underwent a transformation from ministries of science to the academies of individual members with the former institutes becoming independent and later being incorporated within the universities.

After a democratic voting in the fall of 1990 the newly formed Council of Science settled on the introduction of grant system in all spheres of science financing. The grant system accustomed the Latvian scientists with the financing principles operating in the Western world and subjecting the projects and their performance results to a rather thorough expertise.

One can distinguishe two main characteristics of the last decade in the development of the Latvia’s science:

• transition from being a part of a large country’s (USSR) science  to the science of a small country;

• hope for a full-scale entry to the new united space of European science.

It could be considred that to a certain extent the Latvia’s science is alreday in Europe by taking part in many common programmes and projects financed by the European Union or by some Western European country. The EU, NATO and Western countries provide financial support for the participation of Latvian scientists in international conferences etc. Entry to the united space of European science implies an idiomatic return to the model of the Latvia’s science being part of a big science.

The specific science policy of Latvia is features by several basic documents:

• National Concept of the Republic of Latvia on Research Development
  

Other documents:

• Janis Stradins. Science for the 21^st Century - New Challenges. - 
  Speech delivered at the World Science Conference in Budapest (26 June - 1 July 1999)

• Vaira Vike-Freiberga. Speech delivered at the 7^th Baltic Conference on Intellectual Co-operation in Riga (17 – 18 September 1999)

• Andris Berzins. Address to the General Meeting of the Latvian Academy of Sciences (22 February 2001)

• Janis Stradins.  Opening Address to the General Meeting of the Latvian Academy of Sciences (22 February 2001)

• Janis Stradins. Guidelines of Science in Latvia: Historical Development and Contemporary Real Facts.  Paper presented at the 8th  Baltic Conference on Intellectual Co-operation (Tallinn, Estonia, June 15 -16, 2001). Published in: National Strategies of Research in Smaller European Countries. Tallinn: Estonian Academy of Sciences, 2001,  pp. 41-46.

• Juris Ekmanis. The Present Situation of Science in Latvia. Paper presented at the 8th  Baltic Conference on Intellectual Co-operation (Tallinn, Estonia, June 15 -16, 2001). Published in: National Strategies of Research in Smaller European Countries. Tallinn: Estonian Academy of Sciences, 2001,  pp. 47-52.  

• Latvia Human Development Report 1999. The United Nations Development Programme, 2000. Ed.: Talis Tisenkopfs. Chapter 3: An Information Society and New Technologies. Conclusion: Knowledge Based Human Development. 

• Report on the Development of Economy of Latvia in 2000 (December 2000). Prepared by the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Latvia. Chapter 5: Priorities and Reforms of Economic Policy; Chapter 6: Recommendations.   

• Concept for Sustainable Development. Summary. Prepared by work group J.Bikis et al. (December 2000). 

• National Concept on Innovation (accepted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia on 27 February 2001). 

• Industrial Development Guidelines of Latvia (accepted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia on 20 March 2001). 

• Action Plan for Improvement of Business Environment (accepted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia on 10 July 2001).

• Long-term Economic Strategy of Latvia  (accepted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia on 17 July 2001) (in Latvian).