The article analyzes the integration of Common security and defense policy and Common energy policy. The first part of the article draws attention to the different decision-making procedures and institutional competencies in these policy areas, the second part analyses the functions of the EU institutions in energy and security policies, while the third part - sets out common priorities for energy in Common energy policy and Common security and defense policy. At the end of the article the following conclusions are made: (i) the development of the new energy technologies are the most appropriate points of integrations, and (ii) the different institutional activity methods is the greatest threat to the successful strategy implementation. ; Straipsnyje nagrinėjama Bendros saugumo ir gynybos politikos ir Bendros energetikos politikos integracija. Pirmoje dalyje atkreipiamas dėmesys į skirtingas sprendimų priėmimo procedūras bei institucijų kompetenciją šiose politikos srityse, antroje dalyje aptariamos pagrindinių ES institucijų funkcijos, o trečioje dalyje nustatomi bendri energetiniai prioritetai jau suformuoti Bendros energetikos politikos ir Bendros saugumo ir gynybos politikos srityse. Straipsnio pabaigoje prieinama išvadų, kad efektyviausia integracija galima technologinės plėtros srityje, o didžiausia grėsmė sėkmingai integracijai – skirtingi institucinės veiklos būdai.
Energy security is an integral part of national security, for this reason the role of the state to ensure the smooth functioning of the energy sector is very important. Regulation of the energy sector will never be left to the market laws, because economic and social well-being depends on it. One of the characteristics of the energy sector is its inertness, so it is indispensable the long-term planning and settings of development policies. The last National Energy Strategy (hereinafter – NES (2012)) was approved on the 26 th of June 2012, but the new National Energy Strategy Project (hereinafter - NESP) is ready. The guidelines of energy sector, which are determined by the state, are especially important for potential investors, as the construction of energy facilities require a very large initial investments and their service life can reach 50 years. Only the energy strategy, which is long-term, based on economic calculations, independent of the election results and maintaining the continuity of strategic goals can attract private investment in the energy sector. The aim of this article is to compare the framework and strategic objectives of current National Energy Strategy o with the Project of National Energy Strategy. The main objectives are: (i) to analyze the influence of stability of the energy strategies on the development of the energy sector; (ii) to compare the general provisions of NES (2012) with the general provisions of NESP; (iii) to compare the strategic objectives of NES (2012) with the strategic objectives NESP. It is likely that many discussions will be on NESP in political life and public space, so the comparative analysis and insight, which is made in this article, are relevant to today's life in Lithuania. NES (2012) and NESP apply the same strategic objectives in the energy sector, only NESP provide one additional objective - efficient use of energy. NESP differs from NES (2012) in their flexibility and multiple analysis of alternatives depending on the current situation. Meanwhile, NES (2012) observed that it can be only one correct way without any possible alternatives. It even very clearly indicates what damage will occur if Lithuania does not implement identified energy projects. Presumably, because of inflexible approach of NES (2012), identified strategic projects no longer meet today's realities. ; Energetinis saugumas yra neatsiejama nacionalinio saugumo dalis, todėl valstybės vaidmuo užtikrinat sklandų energetikos sektoriaus funkcionavimą yra kertinis. Energetikos sektoriaus reguliavimas niekada nebus paliktas tik rinkos dėsniams, nes nuo jo priklauso valstybės ekonominė ir socialinė gerovė. Viena iš energetikos sektoriaus savybių yra jo inertiškumas, todėl yra būtinas ilgalaikis planavimas ir plėtros krypčių nustatymas. Paskutinė Nacionalinė energetinės nepriklausomybės strategija buvo patvirtinta 2012 m. metų birželio 26 d., tačiau jau dabar yra parengtas naujas Nacionalinės energetikos strategijos projektas. Šio straipsnio tikslas: palyginti šiuo metu galiojančios Nacionalinės energetinės nepriklausomybės strategijos bendrąsias nuostatas bei strateginius tikslus elektros energetikos sektoriuje su Nacionalinės energetikos strategijos projektu.
In: Gabrielė Juodkaitė-Granskienė al., eds. Baudžiamasis procesas: teisingumo garantas ar kliūtis? (Criminal procedure: is it a garantee or an obstruction for justice) Scholarly study, UAB Vilniaus Panda, pp. 37-52, 2014
Abstract The European arrest warrant system is one of the greatest achievements in the development of cooperation in judicial matters among EU Member States. However, its implementation has raised many questions, resulting in referrals by national courts to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) for preliminary rulings. This article analyses the impact of the CJEU's preliminary rulings on Lithuanian law concerning European arrest warrants. Specifically, the focus of the paper is institutional configuration and corresponding regulation in this field because/after the CJEU decided that (1) the Ministry of Justice cannot be considered a judicial authority because as part of the executive branch it cannot guarantee the protection of the parties' fundamental rights; (2) however, the Prosecutor General of Lithuania can be considered a judicial authority because it participates in the administration of criminal justice and is independent of executive governance, and because its decisions to issue European arrest warrants are subject to judicial review.
In Lithuania rules for the anonymization of court decisions were introduced in 2005. These rules require automatic anonymization of all court decisions, which in the opinion of the authors violates the public interest to know and freedom of expression is unjustifiably restricted on behalf of the right to privacy. This issue covers two diametrically opposed human rights: the right to privacy and the right to information. The first question is how the balance between two equivalent rights could be reached. The second question is whether this regulation is in accordance with the law as it is established in the national Constitution and revealed by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania and developed by the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights. The authors conclude that the legislator is not empowered to delegate to the Judicial Council issues which are a matter of legal regulation and suggest possible solutions evaluating practice of the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Court of Human Rights, and selected EU countries.
In Lithuania rules for the anonymization of court decisions were introduced in 2005. These rules require automatic anonymization of all court decisions, which in the opinion of the authors violates the public interest to know and freedom of expression is unjustifiably restricted on behalf of the right to privacy. This issue covers two diametrically opposed human rights: the right to privacy and the right to information. The first question is how the balance between two equivalent rights could be reached. The second question is whether this regulation is in accordance with the law as it is established in the national Constitution and revealed by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania and developed by the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights. The authors conclude that the legislator is not empowered to delegate to the Judicial Council issues which are a matter of legal regulation and suggest possible solutions evaluating practice of the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Court of Human Rights, and selected EU countries ; Privatinės teisės katedra ; Viešosios teisės katedra ; Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas
Abstract The article analyzes the investment environment in renewable electricity generation capacities, evaluating the credibility of long term renewable energy targets, the stability of promotion schemes and the impartiality of national administrative procedure. The article explores two main questions: (i) are the EU and Lithuanian energy policy targets and promotion schemes credible enough to convince private investors to put their money in renewable energy development; (ii) does national administrative procedure put a disproportional burden on renewable energy investors or on certain group of investors? The assessment of the investment environment includes a large number of criteria, but we analyze three of them: the stability of long term strategy; the attractiveness of promotionmeasures; and the simplicity and transparency of administrative procedure. Two further criteria are investigated: the stability of targets in renewable energy and the stability of promotional measures. The greatest uncertainty for investors occurs because of constantly changing support schemes of renewable energy sources-schemes that are not harmonized among the member States. At the national level the main driver in the development of small generators is the feed-in tariff. However, the high feed-in tariff does not always guarantee the smooth development of small scale generators of renewable energy.
The article analyzes the investment environment in renewable electricity generation capacities, evaluating the credibility of long term renewable energy targets, the stability of promotion schemes and the impartiality of national administrative procedure. The article explores two main questions: (i) are the EU and Lithuanian energy policy targets and promotion schemes credible enough to convince private investors to put their money in renewable energy development; (ii) does national administrative procedure put a disproportional burden on renewable energy investors or on certain group of investors? The assessment of the investment environment includes a large number of criteria, but we analyze three of them: the stability of long term strategy; the attractiveness of promotionmeasures; and the simplicity and transparency of administrative procedure. Two further criteria are investigated: the stability of targets in renewable energy and the stability of promotional measures. The greatest uncertainty for investors occurs because of constantly changing support schemes of renewable energy sources-schemes that are not harmonized among the member States. At the national level the main driver in the development of small generators is the feed-in tariff. However, the high feed-in tariff does not always guarantee the smooth development of small scale generators of renewable energy ; Privatinės teisės katedra ; Teisės fakultetas ; Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas
The aim of this article is to address the regulatory framework as one of the key factors determining the success of creation of single market for renewable energy. No one could possibly argue that non-discriminative and consistent legal regulation plays a big role in the creation of a single market. Therefore, the question of legal capability to create the single market for renewable energy and the overall quality of present regulatory framework is at the centre of this article. Our objective is to analyse whether the single market for energy produced from renewable sources can be created under current legal regulation of the European Union Therefore, the first part of the article analyses the competence of the European Union to regulate the renewable energy sector and division of legislative powers between the Member States and the European Union. The goal of the first part is to answer the question whether the European Union has the competence to regulate renewable energy market. The second part of the article analyses the legal framework of measures for the promotion of renewable energy production used in each Member State. The goal of the second part of this article is to answer the question – whether all renewable energy producers are in equal competitive position, notwithstanding different legal frameworks of the Member States. ; Straipsnio tikslas yra ištirti, ar galiojantis Europos Sąjungos teisinis reguliavimas sudaro prielaidas energijos, pagamintos iš atsinaujinančiųjų energijos išteklių, bendros rinkos sukūrimui. Pagrindiniai straipsnio uždaviniai yra: nustatyti Europos Sąjungos kompetencijos apimtį atsinaujinančios energijos išteklių sektoriaus reguliavime; nustatyti Europos Sąjungos kompetencijos įgyvendinimo būdus bei valstybių narių nacionalinio reguliavimo įtaką iš atsinaujinančiųjų energijos išteklių pagamintos energijos bendros rinkos sukūrimui. Pirma šio straipsnio dalis yra skirta nustatyti Europos Sąjungos kompetencijos apimtį atsinaujinančiųjų energijos išteklių sektoriuje. Nors pirmoji Europos Sąjungos direktyva dėl elektros energijos gamybos iš atsinaujinančiųjų energijos išteklių skatinimo buvo priimta jau 2001 metais, tačiau tik Lisabonos sutartyje pirmą kartą buvo įtvirtintas specialus straipsnis, skirtas energetikos sektoriui. Iki Lisabonos sutarties atsinaujinančiųjų energijos išteklių sektorius buvo reguliuojamas remiantis straipsniais, numatančiais Europos Sąjungos kompetenciją tik aplinkos apsaugos srityje. Todėl po Lisabonos sutarties iš esmės pasikeitė teisinis pagrindas Europos Sąjungai reguliuoti atsinaujinančiųjų energijos išteklių sektorių. Antroji straipsnio dalis yra skirta Europos Sąjungos kompetencijos įgyvendinimo būdams. Nustatyta, kad atsinaujinančiųjų energijos išteklių sektorius yra reguliuojamas direktyvomis, taip pat svarbų vaidmenį atlieka Komisijos komunikatai, kuriuose nustatomi pagrindiniai tikslai ir veiklos kryptys. Antros dalies antrasis skyrius yra skiriamas atsinaujinančiųjų energijos išteklių skatinimo priemonių, naudojamų valstybėse narėse, analizei. Nustatyta, kad Europos Sąjungos direktyva nesuvienodina atsinaujinančiųjų energijos išteklių naudojimo skatinimo priemonių, todėl valstybės narės naudoja labai įvairias paramos schemas siekdamos didinti energijos gamybą iš atsinaujinančiųjų energijos išteklių. Šie skirtumai, egzistuojantys valstybėse narėse, lemia skirtingą konkurencinę aplinką energijos gamintojams, esantiems skirtingose valstybėse narėse, nes dėl skirtingų paramos schemų vienose valstybėse narėse esančių energijos iš atsinaujinančiųjų išteklių gamintojų konkurencinė padėtis yra daug palankesnė nei gamintojų kitose valstybėse narėse. Dėl šių priežasčių daroma išvada, kad bendra atsinaujinančiųjų energijos išteklių rinka Europos Sąjungoje negali veikti dėl skirtingų paramos schemų, taikomų atskirose valstybėse narėse. Nors Europos Sąjungai Sutartimi dėl Europos Sąjungos veikimo yra suteikta kompetencija nustatyti vienodas paramos schemas, tačiau valstybių narių sutarimo šiuo klausimų būtų labai sunku pasiekti dėl labai skirtingų atsinaujinančiųjų energijos išteklių potencialo ir konkurencingumo lygio valstybėse narėse.
Summary The meaning of the general principles of EU law has been broadly developed by the Court of Justice of the European Union; however, for many years it had only limited competence in deciding criminal cases. The principle of direct effect is important for ensuring the efficient functioning of EU law. The aim of this research is to find out if and how this principle affects criminal justice. To reach this objective, the researchers examine how the substance and content of the principle, through the doctrine and the judgments of Court of Justice of the European Union, can influence national criminal law and criminal procedure. Afterwards, the actual impact of EU law on national criminal law is evaluated, taking Lithuania as an example. The analysis reveals that direct application of directives in material criminal law is highly unlikely, while in criminal procedural, law such a possibility is real if EU norms are clear, unconditional, and precise.
Abstract With the enactment of the Lisbon Treaty, EU law gained supremacy over national law in ten areas of criminal law (with the possibility of extension in the future) treated as particularly serious crimes with a cross-border dimension and the right to enact directives. The question arises if and when direct effect is possible in criminal law, taking account of developments and applications of this principle in other areas of EU law. To answer this question, the following tasks are necessary: (1) to discuss the role of principles in criminal law, (2) to define the principle of direct effect through the academic literature and the jurisprudence of the CJEU, (3) to discuss whether directives could have direct effect in criminal law, and (4) to analyze the EU's impact on Lithuanian national criminal law through an analysis of the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court of Lithuania.
This article examines the intersection differing the supremacy of law, the effectiveness of the protection of the financial interests of the European Union, and the principles of legality the same as predictability of the law in EU criminal law. The authors analyze the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice, assessing cases where the principle of the supremacy of EU law is applied to ensure the effective protection of the Union's financial interests and where the ECJ imposes mandatory exceptions to this principle for national courts. In order to strike a balance between the principles of effectiveness and legal predictability, different liability conditions are assessed for a natural person and a Member State that fails to fulfill its obligation to protect the EU's financial interests. ; Šiame straipsnyje nagrinėjama Europos Sąjungos finansinių interesų apsaugos efektyvumo ir teisės viršenybės principo bei teisėtumo ir teisės nuspėjamumo takoskyra ES baudžiamojoje teisėje. Autorės analizuoja Teisingumo Teismo jurisprudenciją vertinant atvejus, kai, siekiant užtikrinti veiksmingą Europos Sąjungos finansinių interesų apsaugą, taikomas ES teisės viršenybės principas ir ESTT nacionaliniams teismams imperatyviai nurodo šio principo taikymo išimtis. Siekiant nustatyti efektyvumo ir teisės nuspėjamumo principų pusiausvyrą, vertinamos skirtingos atsakomybės sąlygos fiziniam asmeniui ir valstybei narei, nevykdančiai pareigos užtikrinti ES finansinių interesų apsaugą.