THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA NATIONAL REPORT ON Republic of Lithuania SUSTAINABLE THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT From Rio to Johannesburg From transition to sustainable development Vilnius, 2002 EDITOR IN CHIEF: Romualdas Juknys EDITORIAL BOARD: Emilis Gustainis Lina Jankauskienë Romas Pakalnis Elena Taloèkaitë Evaldas Vëbra TRANSLATION TO ENGLISH: Aldona Matulytë Skaistë Sruogaitë Jolita Jarmakauskienë LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS: Tomas Adomaitis, Centre of Agrochemical Research – 5.3 Valdas Arbaèiauskas, Kaunas University of Technology - 6.2 Rûta Baðkytë, State Protected Areas Service- 5.5 Rièardas Baubinas, Institute of Geology and Geography -9 Rûta Bubnienë, Ministry of Environment–5.1 Antanas Budraitis, Ministry of Communications– 6.4 Arûnas Èepelë, Ministry of Environment -5.7 Jonas Èepinskis, Vytautas Magnus University– 6.1 Arvydas Domatas, Institute of Transport and Roads Research – 6.4 Vyda Elena Gasiûnienë, Geological Survey – 5.6 Gediminas Girèys, UAB “Urbanistika” - 6.5 Giedrë Godienë, Ministry of Environment – 5.5 Aleksandras Gordevièius, Ministry of Environment - 6.5 Romualdas Juknys,– Vytautas Magnus University 1, 3, 10 Jonas Karpavièius, Ministry of Environment – 5.6 Vytautas Krušinskas, Ministry of Environment – 5.1 Andrius Kuliešius, Institute of Forest Management– 6.7 Ðarûnas Lauþadis, Ministry of Agriculture– 6.6 Jadvyga Lubytë, Centre of Agrochemical Research – 5.3 Kæstutis Masalskis, Ministry of Economy– 6.2 Jonas Maþvila, Centre of Agrochemical Research – 5.3 Vaclovas Miškinis, Institute of Energy – 6.3 Juozas Mockevièius, Geological Survey – 5.6 Stasys Motiejûnas, Ministry of Environment – 5.7 Remigijus Ozolinèius, Forest Research Institute - 6.7 Romas Pakalnis, Institute of Botany– 2, 5.4 Danielis Pivoriûnas, Ministry of Environment – 5.5 Virginija Poðkutë, Group of Social Policy – 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7 Rimvydas Pranaitis, Ministry of Environment – 7.5 Leonardas Rinkevièius, Kaunas University of Technology - 4.3 Raimundas Sakalauskas, Ministry of Environment – 5.2 Jonas Satkûnas, Geological Survey – 5.6 Vidas Stakënas, Forest Research Institute– 6.7 Jurgis Staniškis, Kaunas University of Technology – 6.2 Elena Taloèkaitë, Environmental Centre for Administration and Technology – 8, 9 Marina Teriošina, Ministry of Environment – 5.1 Rûta Tijûnaitë, Ministry of Environment – 5.1 Valdas Vaièiûnas, Ministry of Environment – 6.7 Evaldas Vëbra, Ministry of Environment – 4.1, 4.2 Violeta Vincevièienë, Ministry of Environment – 5.2 Virginija Þostautienë, Ministry of Agriculture– 6.6 The year 2002 is famous for the jubilees of some very significant global events. 30 years ago the United Nations organised a very important intergovernmental conference in Stockholm. In this conference a new approach to the environmental protection policy at global level was adopted in order to integrate environmental protection requirements into the whole economic development at the same time relating this to the relevant social changes. These issues should have already been addressed at global level because it was realised that natural resources were limited and that some factors of economic development destroying the environment in many countries caused evident irreversible negative changes in the natural environment. These changes are also closely related to the emergence of social problems. The ideas of sustainable development started to form. The principles of the development were laid down in the declaration at the United Nations conference on environment and development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. In 2002 the representatives of all the world countries are again going to congregate in the World Summit Meeting in Johannesburg. There the countries’ success in implementing the ideas of sustainable development and the priority challenges that we will have to face in the nearest future will be discussed. While preparing for the Summit Meeting in Johannesburg Lithuania also has made an elaborate assessment of what was achieved during 10 years after the conference in Rio de Janeiro, what issues are still to be addressed, what should be done in the nearest future so that our economic and social development will gradually come up to compliance with all the sustainable development requirements. This is very important to us not only because we must ensure the living conditions favourable to health and prosperity of our future generations, but also because we have to meet the challenges of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy when getting ready for the accession to the European Union. On the basis of this report with the achievements and shortcomings analysed, the National Sustainable Development Strategy is being devised to that will be finalised this year. Taking the opportunity I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the institutions that helped collect the material for the report and analyse it as well as to the United Nations Development Programme and the Earth Council that gave financial assistance in preparing and publishing this report. Arûnas Kundrotas The Minister of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania contents 1. INTRODUCTION 7 2. LITHUANIA AS AN OLD AND NEW EUROPEAN STATE 8 3. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT - GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND SPECIFIC FEATURES OF COUNTRIES IN TRANSITION 11 4. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT POLICY IN LITHUANIA 16 4.1. International Co-operation 16 4.2. Main Instruments for the Implementation of Sustainable Development Policy 18 4.3. Public participation 22 5. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND NATURAL RESOURCES 26 5.1. Air 28 5.2. Water 34 5.3. Soil 42 5.4. Biological diversity 47 5.5. Landscape 53 5.6. Mineral resources 59 5.7. Waste 64 6. EKONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 71 6.1. General trends of economic development 72 6.2. Industry 77 6.3. Energy sector 83 6.4. Transport 89 6.5. Urban development 94 6.6. Agriculture 98 6.7. Forest sector 104 7. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 111 7.1. Demographical indicators 112 7.2. Public health 115 7.3. Education and science 118 7.4. Employment 122 7.5. Housing 125 7.6. Povertry 129 7.7. Gender equality 132 8. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT LOCAL LEVEL 134 9. INTERACTION BETWEEN SECTORS 136 10. SUMING UP: FROM TRANSITION TO SUSTAINABILITY 142 1. Introduction Last decade was a period of very great changes in preconditions for a quite rapid and sustainable Lithuania as well as in the neighbouring countries. development. Essential changes in the political and economic system In preparation of this report we were trying to make and transition to market economy determined great it not only in line with the spirit of the Johannesburg changes in different fields, which should be taken into World Summit Meeting, but also to provide compre- account in analysing the experience and prospects of hensive information on those great changes that took sustainable development. place in different areas of our life during this really This decade of changes showed that the success of extraordinary decade for our country and to register the reforms carried out had been determined not only Lithuania’s state entering the third millennium. The by objective, but also by subjective factors. Having report is simultaneously prepared in English and legalised a democratic political system and having Lithuanian so that the public of the country could also created new economic development possibilities, the get acquainted with the ideas of sustainable development public and state institutions needed some time so that and more actively participate in implementing them. they could acquire the necessary knowledge and gained On the other hand, this report should be as an original at least minimal experience, allowing to more effectively reading point in evaluating Lithuania’s further make use of these opportunities. development and its steps from the transition period to At the beginning of the transition period the decline sustainable development. of Lithuanian economy started, production, as well as In the first chapters of the report the principles of the consumption of the natural resources and sustainable development, specific features of the environmental pollution decreased by several times. In countries in transition and sustainable development the second part of the decade with the recovery in policy in Lithuania are presented. The other three (5-7) economy, the consumption of natural resources and chapters analyse basic components of sustainable environmental pollution were on the slight increase. development – the condition of the environment, However, economic market relations, restructuring of economic and social development. In preparation of Lithuanian economy and the increased prices of energy these chapters, changes in different environmental and other resources determined favourable changes in components and economic and social sectors, which the development of Lithuania in relation to sustainable took place during the recent decade, were analysed in development. At the beginning of the transition period detail, the main problems faced in implementing the the consumption of natural resources and environmental principles of sustainable development were emphasised pollution decreased more rapidly than production, and and the measures taken in order to solve these problems. when the economy started to gradually increase, the Together with the problems, the achievements were consumption of natural resources and environmental shown and examples presented, where a greater progress pollution increase incomparably more slowly than was made. At the end of each chapter the main production and services do