I N T E R V I E W
Lithuania has emerged from behind the Iron Curtain as a fiercely independent nation, and the Green movement should take a big bow for its role in Lithuania's fight for autonomy. But recently the Greens have lost much of their political clout, and cooperation between environmental NGOs and the relevant government ministries has reached an all time low. The Bulletin recently spoke with Bronius Bradauskas, Lithuania's minister for environmental protection. Excerpts:
The Bulletin: What are Lithuania's environmental priorities?
Bronius Bradauskas: Right now we are working on the preparation of the National Environmental Strategy (NES) for our country, work that is being supported by the PHARE program. Short-term, medium-term and ultimate goals will be described and we will finalize the setting of our priorities. We already have a system of priorities, let's call it preliminary, that I believe will remain more or less intact in the NES.
Our most important problem now is water treatment; we have obligations under HELCOM to build water treatment plants for all major cities in order to minimize pollution in the Baltic Sea and other Baltic countries. Another problem is waste management. Now, as we face an enormous amount of production from Western markets in a variety of containers and packaging, household waste has become a significant problem.
TB: How can the ministry for environmental protection and NGOs cooperate?
BB: Our ministry is open for cooperation with any organizations bringing constructive proposals on any issue. We have a public, scientific council at the ministry where the best experts in the field of environmental protection are included. We always ask the council for advice and we consider their opinion before any decisions are made. The ministry is not closed to the public - on the contrary, we try to listen to public opinion. Unfortunately, as I have already mentioned, the issue acquires a political aspect, and that, of course, becomes a problem.
TB: Experts, no matter how professional, cannot well represent public opinion. People are annoyed when they only see results post factum. Would it be possible to provide better conditions for public participation in the decisionmaking process?
BB: I don't think we have produced any law without awareness of the interested persons. For instance, we invited the Greens many times for ongoing discussions. Also, during the preparation of the NES, as soon as the framework is ready, we will invite all the interested parties. There is also an institution of ecological engineering that is invited. The other part of the problem is that many of them are interested to participate with respect to this or that document but they want to get paid. We don't have the resources and that causes discontent. They claim that they have not been invited without considering that they may come and get that document at any time, read and analyze it, and prepare their own comments and remarks.
TB: So you are saying that any representative of, say, Green Movement, may come and ask to be shown the material of, for instance, the National Environmental Strategy that is being designed right now?
BB: Of course. Whenever they want it. It's absolutely possible. It's under preparation right now, so we already have the contents of the future strategy, and there is already a written part on environmental assessment. So anybody may come and study that part of the work.
TB: And, provided someone has come and examined the material already prepared and discovered some weaknesses, if such a person or NGO brings its own proposals, will they be included in the project?
BB: Yes, of course, no doubt. The program we are working on is not for the Ministry, it is for our state. It will have to be approved by Parliament. I should note, however, that everybody may have her/his own opinion regarding various issues and we do not necessarily have to accept these possible proposals. But we should consider them, that's for sure.
TB: Is there a movement toward involving both Western and Eastern businesses in the development of sound environmental policy in Lithuania?
BB: Nowadays, we have to restrict their activities by various regulations setting limits on the exploitation of natural resources and pollution. I see a threat from most businesses - including Western ones - that are striving toward maximizing profits from the lowest possible investments. Their cooperation is somewhat compulsory.