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IN THE ISSUE
- Amendments to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union concerning the establishment of a permanent crisis mechanism ratified
- The Seimas has ratified the EU fiscal pact
- The Seimas endorses the National Energy Independence Strategy
- MPs from NATO and Partner Countries met in Vilnius to discuss the developments in Eastern Europe
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WWW.PIRMININKAVIMAS.LRS.LT –
A NEW SEIMAS WEBSITE OF THE LITHUANIAN PRESIDENCY OF THE EU COUNCIL
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The second half of 2013 with Lithuania holding the Presidency of the EU Council for the first time is drawing closer each day. Preparations involving increasingly specific and visible activities are now under way.
A special Seimas website – the first joint project by several structural divisions of the Seimas – was symbolically launched on Europe Day, 9 May. The website provides information on the Presidency of the EU Council and the significance the parliamentary dimension gained following the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon on 1 December 2009. It will also publish all the documents related to the Seimas activities and the Lithuanian Presidency, current affairs, notices for producers of public information, and other information. English and French versions of the website are available already. You are kindly invited to visit the website www.pirmininkavimas.lrs.lt
Public Relations Unit |
| PREPARATION OF THE SEIMAS FOR THE LITHUANIAN PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL |
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THE SEIMAS CLOSED ITS REGULAR SPRING SESSION |
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On 30 June 2012, the Seimas closed its 8th regular spring session that opened on 10 March this year. During the session, the MPs convened for 56 plenary sittings and adopted over 200 laws, about 70 legislative documents, and 10 resolutions.
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AMENDMENTS TO THE TREATY ON THE FUNCTIONING OF THE EUROPEAN UNION CONCERNING
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PERMANENT CRISIS MECHANISM RATIFIED |
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With 81 vote in favour and 8 abstentions, the Seimas adopted the Law on Ratification of the European Council Decision 2011/199/EU of 25 March 2011 Amending Article 136 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union with Regard to a Stability Mechanism for Member States Whose Currency is the Euro.
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THE SEIMAS HAS RATIFIED THE EU FISCAL PACT |
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The Seimas has ratified the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union by 80 votes in favour, with 11 votes against, and 21 abstentions.
As the explanatory note says, the objective of the Treaty is to maintain sound and sustainable public finance and prevent excessive general government deficits with a view to ensuring stability across the euro area and transposing the balanced budget rule to the national legal systems, giving priority to the constitutional level. “The Treaty aims to ensure that the general government deficit of Member States does not exceed 3 per cent of GDP at market prices and to bring the general government debt below or near 60 per cent of their GDP at market prices,” the explanatory note says. Audronius Ažubalis, Minister of Foreign Affairs, indicated that the provisions of the Treaty will be applicable to Lithuania as soon as it joins the euro area. “Once the Treaty is ratified and comes into effect in Lithuania, our country will be entitled to attend the Euro Area Summit at least once a year to debate the issues related to the competitiveness of the signatory states, the change of the global architecture of the euro area, or specific matters concerning the Treaty,” Ažubalis said.
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THE SEIMAS ENDORSES THE NATIONAL ENERGY INDEPENDENCE STRATEGY |
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Press release, 26 June 2012
The Seimas endorsed the National Energy Independence Strategy which sets out the main objectives and directions of the Lithuanian energy policy by 2020 and provides guidelines for the development of the energy sector until 2030 and 2050. The Resolution on the Approval of the National Energy Independence Strategy (No. XIP-3260(3)) was adopted by 60 votes in favour, with 20 against and 31 abstentions.
The Seimas adopted other important laws on energy policy
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THE SEIMAS VOTED IN FAVOUR OF THE NEW NUCLEAR POWER PLANT |
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The Seimas voted in favour of the construction of the new nuclear power plant. The construction of the new nuclear power plant in Lithuania was approved. After the roll call voting*, the new version of the Draft Law on the Nuclear Power Plant No. XIP-4407(3) was adopted by 70 votes in favour, with 2 against and 2 abstentions…
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THE SEIMAS APPROVED THE AWARD OF CONCESSION TO THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT COMPANY IN VISAGINAS NUCLEAR POWER PLANT PROJECT |
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The Seimas adopted the Law on Granting the Concession and Assuming Essential Property Obligations of the Republic of Lithuania in Visaginas NPP Project. Following the roll call voting, 69 MPs were in favour of the Law, 2 were against, and 3 MPs abstained. The document approves the award of the concession to the project development company in Visaginas nuclear power plant project. The Seimas also approved the Draft Concession Agreement between the Republic of Lithuania, the strategic investor, and the project development company, including the essential property obligations of the Republic of Lithuania set forth in the Draft Concession Agreement…
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SEIMAS VOTED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF LNG TERMINAL IN LITHUANIA |
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Seimas approved the Law regarding the construction of the liquefied natural gas terminal in Lithuania. The Law passed by the Seimas establishes the general principles and requirements for the construction and maintenance of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on the territory of Lithuania and creates legal, financial, and organisational conditions for the implementation of the LNG Project…
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SEIMAS ADOPTED THE LAW ON ENERGY MARKET |
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The Law is aimed at providing energy market participants with opportunities for effective competition on the energy market and use of a transparent, clear and non-discriminatory centralised system of trade in energy…
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THE LAW ON INTEGRATION OF THE LITHUANIAN POWER SYSTEM INTO THE EUROPEAN POWER NETWORK ADOPTED |
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The Seimas adopted the Law on Integration of the Lithuanian Power System into the European Power Network, providing for the main stages of, necessary preconditions for and general implementation principles of integration of the Lithuanian power system into the European power network..
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SWITCHING TO THE CENTRALISED ACCUMULATION AND MANAGEMENT OF STOCKS OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS AND CRUDE OIL AS OF 2015 |
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The Seimas adopted the amendments to the Law on State Stocks of Petroleum Products and Crude Oil, providing for the switch to the centralised accumulation and management of stocks of petroleum products and crude oil as of 2015…
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THE SEIMAS ADOPTED AMENDMENTS TO THE NATURAL GAS LAW |
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The Seimas adopted amendments to the Natural Gas Law (No XIP-4149(2)). The amendments specify the concept of the natural gas exchange defining it as natural gas trading system organised by a market operator in accordance with the procedures and conditions established by the Natural Gas Trading Rules. The amendments to the Law aim to promote natural gas trading on the exchange and remove restrictions for consumers using gas for their own needs to buy natural gas on the exchange.
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THE SEIMAS REJECTED DRAFT AMENDMENTS TO ARTICLE 38 OF THE CONSTITUTION REVISING THE FAMILY CONCEPT |
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After the first approval the Seimas rejected Draft Amendments No XIP-3981(2) to Article 38 of the Constitution. 93 MPs voted for the amendments, 16 against and 13 abstained. The amendments aimed to include into the Constitution the provisions stipulating that the family shall be established through marriage; marriage shall be entered into by free consent of a man and a woman; and the family shall equally derive from motherhood and fatherhood. It was also proposed that the fundamental law of the country contains the provision that the state shall protect and foster marriage, and not only family, motherhood, fatherhood, and childhood, as established in the present Constitution.
The Seimas adopted amendments to the Natural Gas Law (No XIP-4149(2)). The amendments specify the concept of the natural gas exchange defining it as natural gas trading system organised by a market operator in accordance with the procedures and conditions established by the Natural Gas Trading Rules. The amendments to the Law aim to promote natural gas trading on the exchange and remove restrictions for consumers using gas for their own needs to buy natural gas on the exchange.
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LITHUANIAN, LATVIAN AND ESTONIAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEES DISCUSS MAJOR INTERNATIONAL POLICY AND SECURITY ISSUES |
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A traditional meeting between the Foreign Affairs Committees of the three Baltic States, hosted by the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs, took place in Nida on 3 June 2012. The Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian MPs discussed at the meeting the following international policy issues of significance to the region: military build-up in the Kaliningrad Region of the Russian Federation in the vicinity of Lithuania and its impact on Russia’s relationship with the Baltic States, NATO and the EU; energy security of the Baltic States; the potential for developing cooperation between the Nordic and Baltic States.
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MPS FROM NATO AND PARTNER COUNTRIES MET IN VILNIUS TO DISCUSS THE DEVELOPMENTS IN EASTERN EUROPE |
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The Seimas, together with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, organised the 80th Rose-Roth Seminar titled Eastern Partners: Contemporary Challenges and Future Prospects. The Seminar was held in the historical March 11 Hall on 18-19 June 2012. The key objective was to discuss economic, social, and political processes in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, and Moldova. Welcome address at the Seminar was given by Mrs Irena Degutienė, Speaker of the Seimas, and Dr. Karl A. Lamers, President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Presentations were made and the discussions were attended among others by Mrs Rasa Juknevičienė, Minister of National Defence, Mr Česlovas Vytautas Stankevičius, former first Head of the Lithuanian delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (formerly - North Atlantic Assembly) and current Deputy Speaker of the Seimas, and Mr Simon Lunn, former Deputy Secretary General of the Assembly and the organizer of the 1st Rose-Roth Seminar in Vilnius.
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MEMBERS OF THE SEIMAS FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE MET WITH GENERAL KNUD BARTELS, CHAIRMAN OF THE NATO MILITARY COMMITTEE |
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On 22 June 2012, Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee met with General Knud Bartels, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee. The results of the Chicago NATO Summit, security aspects of the Baltic Sea Region, relations between NATO and Russia, Lithuania’s participation in NATO international operations as well as the problems of combatting terrorism were discussed at the meeting.
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AT THE MEETING WITH THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER ALGIRDAS ŠEMETA SPOKE ABOUT THE BENEFIT OF ENERGY PRODUCTS TAXATION |
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A meeting with Mr Algirdas Šemeta, Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud, took place on 31 May 2012, on the initiative of the Committee on Environment Protection. The meeting discussed the proposal for an energy products taxation directive which was under discussion by the EU institutions. Commissioner Šemeta informed the Seimas members about the progress of deliberations on the directive and prospects for its adoption. He expressed his regret for a very narrow interpretation of the directive’s provisions in the Lithuanian public domain which is mostly concerned with a possible sharp rise in diesel and petrol prices. The Commissioner believed that, despite the upcoming parliamentary elections, it was high time to initiate a broader debate among politicians working in the fields of finances and environment by involving representatives of civil society and providing them with more information about the benefit of energy products taxation in the long term.
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PHOTO EXHIBITION THE US CAPITOL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO BE PRESENTED AT THE SEIMAS |
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A photo exhibition entitled The US Capitol throughout the Year by Diana Garbačauskienė and Leonas Garbačauskas, dedicated to the Independence Day of the United States of America, was presented at the Exhibition Gallery of the Seimas, on 22 June 2012. The exhibition was introduced by Mr Emanuelis Zingeris, Chairman of the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Seimas Group for Interparliamentary Relations with the United States of America, and Ms Nina Murray, Cultural Ataché of the Embassy of the United States in Lithuania.
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Public Relations Unit
Arūras Zeleniakas, Head (+370 5) 239 6666; [email protected]
Jolanta Anskaitienė, Editor, Chief Expert (+370 5) 239 6508; [email protected]
Neringa Motiejūnaitė, Designer (+370 5) 239 6204; [email protected]
Olga Posaškova, Photographer (+370 5) 239 6205; olga.posaskova@lrs.lt
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