Lithuanian parliament rejects proposal to assess laws’ demographic impact

The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has rejected a proposal to require assessments of how draft laws would affect the country’s and regions’ demographic situation, LRT reports.

On Tuesday, 87 MPs voted to reject amendments to the Seimas Statute that would have introduced the requirement, while 6 voted against and 3 abstained.

If approved, the proposal would have obligated drafters of legislation to include in the explanatory memorandum an assessment of the potential demographic impact of the proposed law.

Conservative MP Jurgis Razma, a critic of the proposal, argued that such an assessment would not improve the quality of explanatory memoranda nor solve demographic issues. “We will not solve demographic problems by adding an extra line to the explanatory memorandum,” Razma said during the Seimas session.

Eimantas Kirkutis, deputy elder of the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union and Christian Families Union faction, countered that all laws have some demographic impact.

Justice Minister Rita Tamašunienė stated that the Statute amendments were initiated to ensure consistent lawmaking and a unified approach to addressing the pressing issue of the demographic crisis.

However, the Seimas Legal Affairs Committee, which proposed rejecting the amendments, argued that the additional mandatory requirement would be excessive and disproportionate, “not contributing to either the improvement of the demographic situation or the quality of draft legal acts.”

The Seimas Chancellery’s Law Department also noted that current requirements for explanatory memoranda already allow for the presentation of opinions on a draft law’s demographic impact, including expected positive results and potential negative consequences.

Under the current Seimas Statute, explanatory memoranda for draft laws must include the reasons for the draft, its objectives, proposed new legal regulations, and expected positive results. They must also explain the impact on the criminogenic situation, corruption, business conditions, and compliance with strategic planning documents. However, assessing the demographic impact is not currently a mandatory part of the process.