Seimas rejects liberal proposal to revert Energy Committee to commission

Lithuania’s parliament, the Seimas, has rejected a proposal by opposition liberals to dissolve the recently established Energy and Sustainable Development Committee and revert it to a commission, as previously reported by LRT.

In a vote, 23 lawmakers supported considering the proposal, 37 opposed it, and 27 abstained. A subsequent amendment to the Seimas statute was also overwhelmingly rejected.

Liberal MP Eugenijus Gentvilas argued for restoring the previous structure, which had functioned effectively for years as the Energy and Sustainable Development Commission. He stated that the committee was created at the request of a single party, which no longer holds a governing majority, making its continuation unnecessary.

Gentvilas also noted that the committee’s formation had led to complications, including a Special Investigation Service (STT) inquiry into the Seimas Chancellery’s hiring practices. He suggested that the selection process for the committee’s bureau chief had triggered concerns over unclear recruitment principles.

The Energy and Sustainable Development Committee was established in mid-April following a coalition reshuffle, after the Democrats left the ruling majority and were replaced by the “Nemuno Aušra” party. The committee took over some functions from the Economic and Environmental Protection Committees.

Currently, the Seimas has 17 parliamentary committees and 10 permanent commissions.