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Environmental rules - Lithuania

Updated 11/2010

Legal requirements

Environmental control

The following are the main legal acts regulating the protection of environment:

  • Law on Environmental Protection lietuvių
  • Law on Environmental Impact Assessment of the Proposed Economic Activity lietuvių
  • Law on Water lietuvių
  • Law on Ambient Air Protection lietuvių
  • Law on Environmental Monitoring lietuvių
  • Law on Wildlife lietuvių
  • Law on Fisheries lietuvių
  • Law on Amateur Fishing lietuvių
  • Law on Wild Flora lietuvių
  • Law on the Protected Species of Fauna, Flora and Fungi lietuvių
  • Law on Hunting lietuvių
  • Law on Land lietuvių
  • The Underground Law lietuvių
  • Law on Protected Areas lietuvių
  • Forestry Law lietuvių
  • Law on Financial Instruments for Climate Change Management lietuvių

Territorial planning

The following are the main legal acts regulating territorial planning:

  • Law on Territorial Planning lietuvių
  • Special Conditions for the Use of Land and Forests lietuvių
  • Description of the Procedure for the Strategic Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programs lietuvių
  • Law on Protected Areas lietuvių
  • Law of the Coastal Strip lietuvių

Waste management

The main legal acts regulating waste management are:

  • Law on Waste Management lietuvių
  • Law on the Management of Packaging and Packaging Waste lietuvių
  • Regulations on Waste Management lietuvių
  • State Strategic Plan for Waste Management lietuvių

Noise protection

The main legal act regulating noise management is the Law on Noise Management. It assigns the competency for noise management to various institutions: e.g. the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Health, etc.

  • Law on Noise Management lietuvių

Noise protection is also governed in technical regulations of construction:

  • STR 2.01.01(5):2008 Essential requirement for buildings "Noise protection" lietuvių
  • STR 2.01.07:2003 Protection of indoor and outdoor environments of buildings against noise lietuvių
  • STR 2.01.08:2003 Management of the noise emission in the environment by equipment for use outdoors lietuvių

The annual National Market Monitoring Report is prepared in accordance with Directive 2000/14/EC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the noise emission in the environment by equipment for use outdoors.

  • Directive 2000/14/EC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the noise emission in the environment by equipment for use outdoors lietuvių
  • Lithuanian National Market Monitoring Report lietuvių
  • Aircraft Noise Restriction Rules lietuvių
  • Description of the Road Vehicle Engine Noise Limit Values ​​and the Procedure for Determining lietuvių

Nuclear safety

The main legal acts regulating nuclear safety are the following:

  • Law on Nuclear Energy lietuvių
  • Law on the Management of Radioactive Waste lietuvių

The following is presented on the website of the State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate:

  • System of legal acts regulating nuclear energy safety lietuvių

Environmental monitoring

Environmental monitoring of economic entities is regulated by the following:

  • Law on Environmental Monitoring lietuvių
  • Regulations for the Environmental Monitoring of Economic Entities lietuvių

Businesses are free to go beyond the minimum environmental legal requirements at their own initiative.

Administrative procedures

Declaratory procedures

Territorial planning

More information about territorial planning procedures is provided on:

  • Website of the State Territorial Planning and Construction Inspectorate lietuvių
  • Websites of municipalities lietuvių

Waste management

Waste management companies must register with the Registry of Waste Management Companies.

  • The procedure specified in the Regulations on Waste Management lietuvių

Manufacturers, importers, foreign individuals and foreign manufacturers supplying oils, transport vehicles, electric and electronic equipment, batteries or accumulators or other taxable goods and/or packages filled with these goods to the domestic market of the Republic of Lithuania must register themselves in

  • the Register of Manufacturers and Importers. lietuvių

Every year, enterprises must provide the following reports to the corresponding regional environment protection department of the Ministry of Environment:

  • Annual report on primary waste management lietuvių
  • Annual report of waste management lietuvių
  • Report on packages released to the domestic market lietuvių
  • Report on recording the delivery of oils to the market and waste management lietuvių
  • Report on recording the delivery of transport vehicles to the market and waste management lietuvių
  • Report on recording the delivery of electric and electronic equipment to the market and waste management lietuvių
  • Report on recording the delivery of batteries or accumulators to the market and waste management lietuvių
  • Report on recording the delivery of taxable products (excluding batteries or accumulators) to the market and waste management lietuvių

More information about waste management is provided on:

  • Website of the Ministry of Environment lietuvių

Chemicals

It is mandatory to register all chemicals if a manufacturer produces or an importer imports more than 1 ton of a chemical per year in accordance with the procedure provided for in Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 concerning the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals.

Information about chemicals:

  • Website of the Ministry of Environment lietuvių
  • Website of the Environmental Protection Agency lietuvių

Manufacturers, importers, downstream users, distributors, exporters, consumers of chemical substances and preparations every year must submit data and information to the Environment Protection Agency on chemical substances and preparations produced, imported, supplied to the market, used in industrial, professional or other economic activities and exported. Procedure of data and information submission is specified by

  • Description of procedure on reporting, collection, storage and subsequent distribution of data and information about chemical substances and preparations produced, imported, distributed, exported and professionally used in the Republic of Lithuania, their properties, potential effects on human health and the environment. lietuvių

Water

Information about water is provided on:

  • Website of the Ministry of Environment lietuvių

The owner, manager or operator of the pond hydraulic engineering structure (excess water culvert) must prepare the Rules on the pond use and maintenance and submit for approval to the Environmental Protection Agency. Preparation of these rules is regulated by

  • Standard rules of pond use and maintenance LAND 2-95 lietuvių

Climate and air

Those carrying out activities must prepare greenhouse gas emission record reports by 31 March of every year, and, after inspection by an independent assessor, submit them to the regional environmental protection department that has issued the TIPK permit along with a certificate of confirmation of suitability.

Information about the regulation of the climate change is provided on:

  • Website of the Ministry of Environment lietuvių
  • Website of the Lithuanian Environmental Investment Fund lietuvių

Information about the regulation of the atmosphere and air is provided on:

  • Website of the Ministry of Environment lietuvių

Companies must provide the following reports:

  • Annual report on environment air protection lietuvių
  • Report on the produced, imported, exported, transported into the Republic of Lithuania, transported out of it, consumed, collected, recirculated, regenerated and destroyed fluorinated greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting substances lietuvių

Noise protection

Information about noise prevention is provided on:

  • Website of the State Public Health Service lietuvių

Nuclear safety

The State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI) implements state regulation and control of nuclear safety.

  • VATESI lietuvių

Permits and licences

In order to operate objects of economic activity or to perform economic activities, it is necessary to receive an Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Permit.

  • Regulations for the Issuance of Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Permits lietuvių
  • Information about Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Permits lietuvių

Waste management

More information about waste management is provided on:

  • Licensing of dangerous waste lietuvių
  • International transportation of waste lietuvių

Chemical substances

A person planning to carry out activities with poisonous materials must receive a permit to acquire, sell or otherwise transfer poisonous materials.

  • Regulations for the Issuance of Permits to Acquire, Sell or Transfer Poisonous Materials lietuvių

Climate and air

Operators engaged in activities involving emissions of greenhouse gases need to obtain a permit to emit greenhouse gases, to acquire tradable pollution permits and open an account with the Greenhouse Gas Registry.

  • Procedure for the Issuance of Tradable Greenhouse Gas Pollution Permits lietuvių
  • Procedure opening accounts with the Greenhouse Gas Registry lietuvių

A permit to emit greenhouse gas is an adjusted Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Permit issued by the regional environmental protection departments of the Ministry of Environment.

Noise protection

A list of types of economic and commercial activities for which a permit-hygiene passport is necessary as well as the regulations for the issuance of permits-hygiene passports are provided here:

  • Regulations for the Issuance of Permits-Hygiene Passports lietuvių
  • Information about permits-hygiene passports lietuvių

Nuclear safety

Licences related to nuclear activities are issued by the VATESI; however, the applicant must receive approvals for the issue of a licence from other institutions participating in the process.

  • Regulations on the Licensing of Nuclear Energy Activities lietuvių
  • Permits and licences being issued by the VATESI lietuvių

Environmental Protection Agency issues

  • authorizations for the discharge of radionuclides into the environment. Issue of permits is regulated by
  • LAND 41-2010 Description of restrains to release radionuclides into the environment by companies, personal and public health care institutions, education and training institutions, state governance and municipal institutions and the procedure of issuance of authorizations for the discharge of radionuclides into the environment and of radiological monitoring lietuvių
  • authorizations for the discharge of radionuclides into the environment from nuclear facilities. Issue of permits is regulated by
  • LAND 42-2007 Description of restrains to release radionuclides into the environment from nuclear facilities and the procedure of issuance of authorizations for the discharge of radionuclides into the environment and of radiological monitoring. lietuvių

Inspections

Enforcement of the state control of environmental protection policy is regulated by

Law on Environmental Protection Sate Control.

  • Law on Environmental Protection Sate Control lietuvių

Regional environmental protection departments must supervise the compliance with all environmental requirements with the exception of chemical substances.

  • Regional environmental protection departments lietuvių

Chemical substances

The Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for the supervision of compliance with environmental requirements for chemical substances.

  • Environmental Protection Agency lietuvių

Noise protection

State noise control is performed by:

The Ministry of the Interior performs the noise control in residential buildings, on private property, and in public areas.

Nuclear protection

The State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI), in performing the inspections:

  • Monitors the compliance with requirements of licenses, safety regulations and standards concerning nuclear safety requirements.
  • Performs the state supervision of nuclear substances records and control.
  • VATESI lietuvių

Resources

Lists of standards and legal acts relating to environmental protection:

  • Published environmental standards lietuvių
  • International agreements of the Ministry of Environment in the area of environmental protection lietuvių
  • List of multilateral conventions (protocols) in the area of environmental protection signed and ratified by Lithuania lietuvių

Programmes

The Lithuanian Environmental Investment Fund (LEIF) aims to support the public and private sectors in implementing environmental projects and projects to reduce the negative impact of economic activities on the environment.

  • Lithuanian Environmental Investment Fund lietuvių

Investment projects are financed through LEIF by providing soft loans and subsidies:

  • Loans are only provided to finance environmental protection projects worth up to 1.5 million litas.
  • The subsidy to one beneficiary may not exceed 600,000 litas over three years, and is limited to 70% of the total amount of the environmental protection investment project.

Check also the legislation on this topic in:

  • References

    Legal texts

    • Law on Chemical Substances and Preparations, 17 June 2008, No. X-1606 (Official Gazette, 2008, No. 76-3000) lietuvių
    • Law on Environmental Impact Assessment of the Proposed Economic Activity, 21 June 2005, No. X-258 (Official Gazette, 2005, No. 84-3105) lietuvių
    • Law on Environmental Protection, 24 March 2005, No. I-2223 (Official Gazette, 1992, No. 5-75) lietuvių
    • Law on Noise Management, 26 October 2004, No. IX-2499 (Official Gazette, 2004, No. 164-5971) lietuvių
    • Law on Protection of the Marine Environment, 13 November 1997, No. VIII-512 (Official Gazette, 1997, No. 108-2731)
    • Law on Water, 25 March 2003, No. IX-1388 (Official Gazette, 1997, No. 104-2615, 2003, No. 36-1544) lietuvių
    • Law on Environmental Protection Sate Control, 1 July 2002, No. IX-1005 (Official Gazette, 2002, No. 72-3017) lietuvių
    • Law on Waste Management, 1 July 2002, No. IX-1004 (Official Gazette, 2002, No. 72-3016) lietuvių
    • Law on the Management of Packaging and Packaging Waste, 25 September 2001, No. IX-517 (Official Gazette, 2001, No. 85-2968) lietuvių
    • Law on Pollution Tax, 22 January 2002, No. IX-720 (Official Gazette, 1999, No. 47-1469) lietuvių
    • The Underground Law, 10 April 2001, No. IX-243 (Official Gazette, 1995, No. 63-1582) lietuvių
    • Law on Ambient Air Protection, 4 November 1999, No. VIII-1392 (Official Gazette, 1999, No. 98-2813) lietuvių
    • Law on the Management of Radioactive Waste, 20 May 1999, No. VIII-1190 (Official Gazette, 1999, No. 50-1600) lietuvių
    • Law on Environmental Monitoring, 20 November 1997, No. VIII-529 (Official Gazette, 1997, No. 112-2824; 2006, No. 57-2025) lietuvių
    • Law on Financial Instruments for Climate Change Management, 7 July 2009, No. XI-329 (Official Gazette, 2009, No. 87-3662) lietuvių
    • Law on Nuclear Energy, 14 November 1996, No. I-1613 (Official Gazette, 1996, No. 119-2771) lietuvių
    • Law on Territorial Planning, 12 December 1995, No. I-1120 (Official Gazette, 1995, No. 107-2391) lietuvių
    • Resolution No. 1160 of 11 September 2003 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the Approval and Implementation of the National Sustainable Development Strategy (Official Gazette, 2003, No. 89-4029) lietuvių
    • Resolution No. 519 of 12 April 2002 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the Approval of the State Strategic Plan for Waste Management (Official Gazette, 2002, No. 40-1499) lietuvių
    • Resolution No. 1175 of 22 October 1999 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the Approval of the Description of the Procedure of Disclosure of Environmental Information in the Republic of Lithuania to the Public (Official Gazette, 1999, No. 90-2660; 2005, No. 26-831) lietuvių
    • Resolution No. 103 of 27 January 1998 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the Approval of Rules on the Licensing of Nuclear Energy Activities (Official Gazette, 1998, No. 12-274) lietuvių
    • Resolution No. 343 of 12 May 1992 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the Approval of the Special Conditions for the Use of Land and Forests (Official Gazette, 1992, No. 22-652) lietuvių
    • Resolution No. 967 of 18 August 2004 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the Approval of the Description of the Procedure for the Strategic Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programs (Official Gazette, 2004, No. 130-4650) lietuvių
    • Order No. D1-330 of 29 June 2005 of the Minister of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania on the Approval of the Regulations for the Issuance, Renewal and Cancellation of Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Permits (Official Gazette, 2005, No. 103-3829) lietuvių
    • Order No. 302 of 26 June 2002 of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania on the Approval of the Regulations for the Issuance of Permits to Acquire, Sell or Otherwise Transfer Poisonous Materials (Official Gazette, 2002, No. 70-2932) lietuvių
    • Order No. 217 of 14 July 1999 of the Minister of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania on the Approval of Waste Management Regulations (Official Gazette, 1999, No. 63-2065) lietuvių

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Further help

The Ministry of Environment answers the questions related to its activities:

  • Contact details of the Ministry of Environment lietuvių