BALTIC SEAENVIRONMENT PROCEEDINGS No. 59 - Helcom

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT OF LITHUANIA
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BALTIC SEA JOINT COMPREHENSIVE
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION PROGRAMME IN LITHUANIA
Prepared by Daiva Semeniene for the HELCOM seminar for experts from
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia on the implementation of HELCOM
arrangements, other international instruments and related matters, Riga
Mr. Chairman, Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me express our thanks to the hosts and Helsinki Commission for the organizing this
seminar.
It is especially useful for us - representatives of new parties of the HELCOM to deepen
our knowledge about the different HELCOM matters. Also it is very important that we
can discuss here, among the countries of more or less the same economical situation,
problems that are urgent for us concerning the improvement of the Baltic sea ecological
state, to exchange little experience we have and to try to find together ways for the better
discharge of our duties.
I would like first of all, before the description of our state in the implementation of
Action Programme, to touch upon the some problems we have in Lithuania as far as
HELCOM PITF questions are concerned. We have only done our first steps in the
HELCOM activities, but, nevertheless, some self-criticism I would like to express here.
It is clear that we have to make our work in this field more intensive (to study more
deeply all the papers, to submit more comments, to contact hot spots more frequently).
However, this is stipulated by subjective and also by objective reasons. First of all, the
lack of the money doesn’t allow to set special institutional unit for the solving questions
related to HELCOM. Thus people working at the Environmental Protection
Department aside their ordinary work have additional duties with HELCOM matters. It
is very difficult to do all the best being responsible in a lot of fields. Second, rather
unstable organisational situation in Lithuania doesn’t help to work purposefully. Third,
we have to admit that problem of knowing languages is very important now for us,
because often professionals with experience in the field of environmental protection
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