2012-06-11
National Audit Office of Lithuania: Lithuania may be sanctioned for uncontrolled noise
Taking into account the increasing noise levels and the related problems, as well as seeking to find out if Lithuania is ready to implement the requirements of the Directive of the European Parliament and the Council relating to the assessment and management of environment noise in a timely manner, the National Audit Office of Lithuania conducted a performance audit.
As well as other EU Member States, Lithuania has an obligation to prepare strategic noise maps and action plans. ”The National Audit Office identified that implementing the first stage of the Directive, Lithuania submitted the required information about such noise maps to European Commission with a delay of over a year. Obviously, the implementation of the second stage of the Directive will also lag behind. Lithuania will not be able to meet the deadline and prepare strategic noise maps before 30 June this year. If no urgent actions are taken, sanctions threaten our State: EU law infringement procedure may be initiated, and a penalty amounting to several thousand euros per day may be imposed” says the Auditor General Giedrė Švedienė.
Noise management was assigned to the Government, five ministries (Ministry of Health, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Agriculture), municipal institutions, as well as the Noise Prevention Council. However, there is no single entity coordinating this field.
The audit was carried out in the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ministry of Health, as well as in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai, Panevėžys City Municipalities and Jonava, Radviliškis and Ukmergė District Municipalities. The auditors identified that both Ministries and Municipalities did not implement some of noise management measures assigned to them.
The NAOL also identified that half of Lithuanian Municipalities have not approved noise prevention action plans aimed at the management of noise problems, although they are obliged to approve the plans under the Law on Noise Management, which came into force on 31 December 2004.
The biggest source of noise in Lithuania is noise from cars. The most part of inhabitants falling under the area of noise impact is in Vilnius (122.000, 22 per cent), Klaipėda (60.000, 37 per cent), Panevėžys (52.000, 48 per cent).
The Noise Prevention Council was assigned to annually assess the implementation of programmes associated to the noise management and to submit conclusions of the assessment to the Government.
The NAOL recommended to the Government to assign the Ministry, which would form the national noise prevention policy and would organize, coordinate and control its implementation. It would allow a single institution to manage closely related issues. It was also recommended to Government Representatives performing administrative supervision of municipalities to examine if municipalities follow the laws and implement Government Resolutions regarding the noise management.
Audit report “Noise Management in Lithuania” is available in Lithuanian on the website of the National Audit Office