State may need to intervene in Vilnius region waste crisis, says prime minister

Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius has warned that the state may need to step in to resolve the ongoing waste management crisis in the Vilnius region, LRT reports.

Speaking to journalists, Sinkevičius said the crisis, which began over a year ago following a fire at a waste sorting facility, has escalated despite efforts to address it. He has called for an emergency meeting on Monday and tasked Environment Minister Ieva Andriulaitytė with personally assessing the situation.

“This crisis emerged some time ago—around a year and three months ago, after the fire. The situation has not normalised over that time; in fact, it has escalated. It seems the state will have to intervene to resolve the issue,” Sinkevičius said.

He added that the government must evaluate the scale of the waste management problem it has inherited. “I have already spoken with the environment minister and asked her to personally familiarise herself with the situation—to see what we, as the new government, are dealing with, what kind of waste legacy we are facing,” the prime minister stated.

Sinkevičius confirmed that Monday’s meeting will focus on finding solutions, as legal actions alone may not be sufficient. “It is clear that on Monday, I will call and hold a meeting to address this situation, because it seems the state will have to intervene to find a solution. Legal measures and court appeals are fine, but we should not have unresolved situations in the Vilnius region, with waste and odour issues remaining unsolved. If they cannot manage, the state will have to step in,” he said.

Earlier this week, the National Crisis Management Centre (NKVC) convened a meeting, with its head, Vilmantas Vitkauskas, indicating that authorities are considering declaring a state-level emergency over the waste management problems in the Vilnius region.

The crisis stems from a dispute between the Vilnius County Waste Management Centre (VAATC) and the company Energesman. Last week, VAATC terminated its operational contract with Energesman over alleged failures to fulfil obligations. The company, however, denies wrongdoing and has filed a legal challenge, claiming it has continued waste sorting operations and supplied processed waste to the nearby Vilnius Combined Heat and Power Plant (VKJ) for incineration.

Energesman states that VAATC had planned to install five stationary thermal imaging cameras at the sorting plant but failed to do so. The company also outlined plans to clear part of the plant’s territory by removing construction materials, such as roof and wall coverings.

VAATC, in turn, has referred the case to the Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office, alleging that Energesman has systematically violated environmental protection and waste management laws, as well as fire safety and waste management regulations at the capital’s biological waste sorting plant.