Hrc/43/53/Annex VI general Assembly

Lithuania

Constitutional provisions

Article 54 of the Constitution of Lithuania

The State shall take care of the protection of the natural environment, wildlife and plants, individual objects of nature, and areas of particular value, and shall supervise the sustainable use of natural resources, as well as their restoration and increase.

The destruction of land and subsurface, the pollution of water and air, radioactive impact on the environment, as well as the of wildlife and plants, shall be prohibited by law.

In Case No. 11/90 of 1 June 1998, the Lithuanian Constitutional Court found that Article 54 of the Constitution contained an implied “human right to a healthy and clean environment”. In Case No. 3K-3-112/2013 of 16 January 2013, the Supreme Court of Lithuania found that "It should be noted that a person's right to a healthy environment is a prerequisite for a dignified life and for the exercise of many other constitutional rights, and therefore, if actions (inaction) that violate this right are detected, the court must defend it … The right to a safe and clean environment is a constitutional right guaranteed to all individuals, it is granted without requiring compliance with special requirements (for example, to have property rights, to belong to an entity protecting the environmental rights or to comply with similar conditions) and therefore the court must defend this right in case of violation. … Ensuring the right to a healthy and clean environment as one of the objectives of state activities is also a public interest." Valstybė rūpinasi natūralios gamtinės aplinkos, gyvūnijos ir augalijos, atskirų gamtos objektų ir ypač vertingų vietovių apsauga, prižiūri, kad su saiku būtų naudojami, taip pat atkuriami ir gausinami gamtos ištekliai.

Įstatymu draudžiama niokoti žemę, jos gelmes, vandenis, teršti vandenis ir orą, daryti radiacinį poveikį aplinkai bei skurdinti augaliją ir gyvūniją.

Treaty provisions

State party to the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters.

Legislative provisions