Lietuva in brief

The Lithuanian Ministry of Energy has reviewed the final Ignalina nuclear power plant decommissioning plan; it turns out that the closing price will be at least 2.6 billion euros, while the closing deadline has been extended for 9 years, reports ELTA. The initial decommissioning plan, passed in 2005, spoke about closing the plant by 2029 for 1.2 billion euros. The reviewed plan, meanwhile, states 2038 as the new completion date. By that time, the Ignalina NPP territory will have to be adapted for different economic activities. The 2019 deadline will be missed due to delays in the B1 project (Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility). Unit 1 of the Ignalina NPP was stopped on Dec. 31, 2004, with Unit 2 on Dec. 31, 2009.

On Sept. 23, Seimas approved the proposed amendments to the Law on Welfare and Protection of Animals, allowing ritual slaughter of animals from 2015, reports ELTA. Fifty-seven members of parliament voted in favor and 4 against, with 11 abstentions. This will allow slaughtering farm animals without any prior stunning, in accordance with methods as required by religious rites. EU regulations permit such slaughter. Lithuanian business will now have all legal conditions to export farm animals to Muslim countries which provide for such requirements relating to animal slaughtering without use of a stun gun. Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius sees opportunities with this decision on exports to Asia. “We see no other choice after Russia imposed the embargo on Lithuanian food products,” he said in an interview to the national radio. “I believe the law would facilitate entering those countries which require for it to be adopted in Lithuania and such slaughter procedures would be applied,” said Butkevicius. Rejecting criticism of animal rights advocates, Butkevicius said a solution can be found. “I think there should be a happy medium, because not all animals would be slaughtered like this, only a portion exported to certain Asian countries,” the head of government said. Experts believe this law facilitates exports to Muslim countries and Israel.

In August, over half of Lithuanians (55 percent) were not happy with the way democracy works in the country, while four in ten were satisfied with democracy in Lithuania, reports ELTA. Seven percent had no opinion. The poll was held from Aug. 26 – Sept. 6 and conducted by Baltijos Tyrimai. Compared with a similar poll carried out a year ago, the number of residents dissatisfied with the way democracy works in Lithuania grew by 5 percent. Those under 30, university and school students, the electorate of the Liberal Movement and the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democracts (TS-LKD) were mostly satisfied with the functioning of democracy. Men over 30, village and town residents, those with secondary education, residents with Polish and Russian nationalities, left-wing voters were mostly unhappy with Lithuania’s democracy.