Speaker of the Seimas: no intention to undermine the hard-earned trust between the state and RES consumers

Press release, 7 July 2025(News ● Photos ● Broadcasts and videos)

Saulius Skvernelis, Speaker of the Seimas, met with Žygimantas Vaičiūnas, Minister of Energy, and Dr Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), visiting Lithuania. The meeting focused on the development of renewable energy sources (RES) in Lithuania, steps towards energy independence, and the historic decision of the Baltic States to disconnect from the Russian-controlled electricity grid.

Drawing on the IEA’s latest Energy Policy Review on Lithuania, Dr Birol outlined recommendations to Lithuania, which included a proposal to restructure the current pricing model for the solar energy system and to raise taxes in the transport sector.

During the meeting, the Speaker of the Seimas thanked the IEA team for their insights, but also made it clear that Lithuania had its own vision of a smooth transition to renewables and intended to continue with it. 

‘We cannot undermine the hard-earned trust between the state and RES consumers. On our way towards energy transformation in Lithuania, greater benefits, in our view, stem from incentives, rather than additional taxes imposed on the population. Moreover, our daily energy consumption is very closely linked to the transport sector. Therefore, higher tax rates would adversely affect both our population and our economic competitiveness,’ Mr Skvernelis said while stressing that energy price predictability was crucial for both residents and business.

The Speaker of the Seimas also emphasised that, as regards plans to significantly reduce emissions from the transport sector, complete electrification of the rail network was among the key goals of Lithuania.

Mr Skvernelis also reiterated that Lithuania would continue to pursue its ambitious goal of becoming fully self-sufficient in electricity production by 2028, thus reducing dependence on imported fossil fuel.

Ramunė Muzikevičiūtė-Narmontienė, Adviser to the Speaker of the Seimas for Communication, mob. +370 611 08125, e-mail [email protected]