Lithuania’s acting environment minister says time is too short for major changes

Acting Environment Minister Ieva Andriulaitytė has acknowledged that her tenure will not allow for significant reforms, though she believes environmental issues now require greater attention, LRT reports.

“It is time for environmental protection to receive the attention it deserves,” Andriulaitytė told the Seimas Environmental Protection Committee on Tuesday while presenting the new government’s environmental policy programme.

Andriulaitytė, previously a representative of the Association of Lithuanian Municipalities in Brussels, said she had not been directly involved in drafting the programme. She admitted that two years would not be enough to implement major or transformative changes but pledged to continue the work started by previous governments.

She repeatedly declined to answer some lawmakers’ questions, promising to analyse the situation and provide more concrete information later. Committee chair Linas Jonauskas, a social democrat, stepped in to clarify parts of the programme.

Liberal MP Simonas Gentvilas noted that Andriulaitytė would not be granted the usual 100-day grace period for new ministers to familiarise themselves with their portfolio. He also expressed concern about the funding needed for some of the programme’s measures.

Andriulaitytė did not rule out increased support for municipalities with lower resident incomes and urgent housing renovation needs, calling this “still at the planning stage.” She stressed the importance of involving municipalities more in the renovation process, as they are best placed to understand local needs.

The government’s programme aims to renovate around 640 multi-apartment buildings per year, a target she described as ambitious but achievable.

Andriulaitytė will be the first woman to lead Lithuania’s Environment Ministry, replacing Kastytis Žuromskas. Prime Minister-designate Mindaugas Sinkevičius has expressed confidence in her ability to handle the role. Presidential advisor Ramūnas Dilba said last week that President Gitanas Nausėda had not been aware of her candidacy before her remote conversation with him.

Andriulaitytė is from the town of Jurbarkas.