2013-01-18 14:04

Lithuania risks losing EU environmental aid

Delays in using EU funds allocated for the waste sector may cost Lithuania at least 450 million litas (EUR 130.43m), the business daily Verslo Žinios reports.
Konteineriai perkelti arčiau važiuojamųjų gatvių.
. / Organizatorių nuotr.

Environmental specialists have started sounding alarm bells and the Environment Ministry also admits that the situation in the waste recycling sector is dramatic.

The ministry gives a lot of reasons to explain why not a single municipality has managed to build biodegradable waste recycling centers despite hundreds of millions of litas in EU aid having been earmarked for this purpose.

Environment Minister Valentinas Mazuronis has warned that if regional waste management centers (RWMC) fail to use the 450 million litas provided by the EU, the country will not only have to return the money, but it may face fines as well. The EU has not given any official warnings to Lithuania yet.

"The situation is very serious. It will become tragic unless the RWMC do the necessary work within the next several months," he said.

Report mistake
Successfully sent
Thank you