REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA
LAW
ON THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Chapter 1
General Provisions
Article 1. The Department of Environmental Protection of
the Republic of Lithuania shall be a state body accountable to
the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania and responsible
for the regulation of the use of natural resources and control of
environmental protection.
Article 2. The Department of Environmental Protection shall
function in accordance with the Provisional Basic Law of the
Republic of Lithuania, this Law, as well as other laws and
legislative acts of the Republic of Lithuania.
Article 3. Decisions of the Department of Environmental
Protection adopted within its jurisdiction shall be binding upon
all ministries, local governments, military units, and other
legal and natural persons.
Article 4. The Department of Environmental Protection of the
Republic of Lithuania shall coordinate legislative acts on the
issues related to the use of natural resources and environmental
protection adopted by ministries, departments and local
governments.
Article 5. The Department of Environmental Protection of the
Republic of Lithuania shall submit an annual report to the
Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania on the use of
natural resources and the state of environmental protection.
Article 6. The Department of Environmental Protection shall
prepare an estimate of expenditures which, upon its presentation
by the General Director of the Department, shall be approved by
the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania.
Chapter 2
Objectives and Functions
Article 7. The Department of Environmental Protection shall:
(1) ensure state regulation of the use of natural resources
and state monitoring of the environmental protection in the
Republic, including its territorial waters, continental shelf and
economic zone;
(2) protect the characteristic landscape of the Republic, as
well as its separate areas, ecological systems, and natural
objects of scientific, cognitive and historical-cultural value.
Article 8. The Department of Environmental Protection of the
Republic of Lithuania shall implement state policy in the spheres
of utilization of natural resources and environmental protection,
and perform the following functions:
(1) monitor the use of natural resources and environmental
protection;
(2) at the behest of the Supreme Council of the Republic of
Lithuania and on its own initiative draft laws, within the limits
of its powers, adopt legislative acts, approve norms and
standards for the utilization of natural resources and
environmental protection;
(3) regulate and monitor the survey and utilization of
natural resources, establish optimum permissible utilization of
natural resources;
(4) regulate and control human activity in protected areas
and preservation zones, manage state natural reserves, compile
and update the Red Book;
(5) establish the procedure for coordinating ecological
investigation and development plans, organize and implement these
tasks;
(6) prepare national special-purpose programmes of the
utilization of natural resources and environmental protection and
monitor their implementation;
(7) organize, coordinate and perform overall ecological
monitoring;
(8) organize, coordinate and carry out scientific
investigation of the utilization of natural resources and
environmental protection;
(9) create the State Environmental Protection Fund and use
the moneys contained in said Fund as prescribed by the
regulations of the State Environmental Protection Fund;
(10) cooperate with foreign countries and represent the
Republic of Lithuania in international organizations and at
conferences on issues related to the utilization of natural
resources and environmental protection;
(11) monitor the implementation of international agreements
on environmental protection;
(12) inform the public on the state of the environment and
coordinate public ecological education programs; and
(13) as needed, organize the implementation of other
measures of environmental protection.
Chapter 3
Powers
Article 9. Within its powers the Department of Environmental
Protection shall:
(1) submit to the institutions responsible for the approval
of projects binding recommendations on the issues of
environmental protection in relation to the location,
construction, reconstruction and planned expansion of economic
and other facilities;
(2) suspend the construction or reconstruction of economic
and other facilities if environmental protection regulations are
violated;
(3) suspend or restrict the activities of enterprises,
institutions, and organizations if they violate laws on
environmental protection, fail to implement measures of
environmental protection, or if their activities contradict the
norms and standards of environmental protection;
(4) submit to the Supreme Council of the Republic of
Lithuania plans for the establishment of state reservations,
nature preserves, national and natural parks, and other protected
areas;
(5) designate natural monuments for special protection;
(6) file claims for damages resulting from pollution of the
environment and unscientific use of natural resources; prepare
and approve the procedure and tariffs for assessing damages;
(7) investigate cases of administrative liability for the
violation of laws on environmental protection and impose
penalties therefor; propose the removal from office of officials
responsible for gross violations of environmental protection
legislation;
(8) issue licences for prospecting and utilizing natural
resources, for storing and burying domestic and industrial
wastes, and for discharging pollutants, as well as promulgate
pollutant discharge limits and regulations;
(9) within its powers issue permits for blasting operations
and hydrotechnical works, promulgate environmental protection
limits for the use of motor and power boats;
(10) stop and inspect Lithuanian and foreign ships, and
other vessels in the internal and territorial waters, and in the
economic zone, and exercise State environmental control;
(11) obtain from the Government of the Republic of Lithuania
drafts of planned decisions and information on issues concerning
utilization of natural resources and environmental protection;
apply to the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania for
repealing Government acts that violate regulations of
environmental protection;
(12) obtain from ministries, departments, local governments,
enterprises, institutions, and organizations information, and
statistical and other data on issues concerning utilization of
natural resources and environmental protection; and
(13) obtain from heads of enterprises, institutions, and
organizations oral and written explanations, required
certificates, and copies of documents concerning utilization of
natural resources and environmental protection.
Article 10. Officers of the Department of Environmental
Protection shall have the right to enter without hindrance the
territories and facilities of all enterprises, institutions,
organizations, farms, and military units to perform environmental
control as well as special tests and special measurements.
Article 11. The Department of Environmental Protection of
the Republic of Lithuania shall consist of a central apparatus,
district divisions, district inspectorates, and other
organizations subordinate to it.
Article 12. The head of the Department of Environmental
Protection shall be the General Director of the Department who
shall be appointed or removed from office by the Supreme Council
of the Republic of Lithuania.
Article 13. The General Director shall:
(1) organize the work of the Department and be responsible
for its functioning;
(2) represent the Department of Environmental Protection of
the Republic of Lithuania;
(3) approve the structure and number of employees of the
Department of Environmental Protection within the limits of funds
appropriated for Department salaries, the rules and regulations
of the structural subdivisions of the Department, as well as
their internal rules and regulations; establish the procedure for
state monitoring of environmental protection;
(4) form commissions for the consideration of more complex
issues; and
(5) issue directives, approve instructions, regulations, and
methods of functioning; adopt other decisions within the limits
of his powers.
Article 14. The Department of Environmental Protection shall
include the Council of the Utilization of Natural Resources and
Environmental Protection, which shall also include ex officio the
General Director of the Department.
The decisions of the Council shall be implemented upon the
General Director's instructions.
Article 15. The Department of Environmental Protection of
the Republic of Lithuania shall have the rights of legal person.
The Department shall have its own seal with the State emblem of
the Republic of Lithuania, its own emblem and other symbols.
Vytautas Landsbergis
President
Supreme Council
Republic of Lithuania
13 July 1990
No. I-373