"Indeed, after consultations and conversations with ministries, we received an answer that the exception would not be the best solution. We have agreed a while ago not to take the path," Environment Minister Valentinas Mazuronis told BNS on Monday.
Earlier in the day, the European Law Department warned that the Environment Ministry's bid to waive the public procurement provisions for the events abroad in connection to Lithuania's EU presidency ran counter to an EU directive. In its conclusion, the department said that the European Commission would initiate a violations procedure against Lithuania, should the country's parliament adopt the law.
Lithuania is planning to hold EU presidency in the second half of 2013 and should hold about 3,000 meetings in Brussels and Luxembourg, as well as host about 180 presidency events in Lithuania.
