Lithuania’s incoming centre-left government has revealed its draft programme for the next four years, LRT reports. The new coalition plans to focus on welfare, with more child benefits and better accessibility to health care and education. Also, the government may make changes to tax policy, moving towards progressive taxation. The new government plans to reverse…
European news portal Politico ranked the performance of Lithuania’s EU commissioner, Virginijus Sinkevicius, highest of the three Baltic members of the outgoing European Commission, ERR reports. The outlet gave Sinkevicius, who served as the European Commissioner for Environment in 2019-2024, a score of A minus. Latvia’s Valdis Dombrovskis, who is staying on as EC Vice…
The leader of Lithuania’s far-right Dawn of Nemunas party, Remigijus Zemaitaitis, announced that his party was likely to nominate Virginijus Kulikauskas, former head of the Lithuanian Prison Service, to the position of justice minister, ELTA reports. Earlier, former justice minister, lawyer Gintautas Bartkus declined the party’s nomination to the ministerial post. Meanwhile, President Gitanas Nauseda…
Several ministries in Estonia have criticised the Ministry of Climate’s proposed new climate law, ERR reports. The ministries argued that the bill’s structure and purpose were unclear, and that the bill failed to define the rights and obligations under the proposed law. Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets and Justice Minister Liisa Pakosta said that the bill…
Estonia’s Ministry of Climate will propose legislation to support the development of more wind farms both on land and at sea, ERR reports. Climate Minister Yoko Alender said that the ministry would create a 20-year support plan for offshore wind farms. The ministry plans to hold an auction for offshore wind capacity in the first…
Estonia’s air quality can be rated “good” overall, according to the Ministry of Climate, ERR reports. Most pollution in Estonia comes from vehicle exhaust fumes, improper use of heating stoves, and similar sources. A study conducted by the University of Tartu in 2022 showed that air pollution causes around 1,200 premature deaths annually in Estonia,…
Air quality in the capital cities of the three Baltic States is best in Estonia’s Tallinn and worst in Latvia’s Riga, according to a new study by the European Environment Agency (EEA), LSM reports. Tallinn ranked 9th out of altogether 372 cities in Europe with “good” air quality that is better than the World Health…
A recent study reveals a significant increase in the occurrence of heat waves in the Baltic States, particularly Estonia, over the past 30 years, ERR reports. Using data from 40 weather stations in 1951-2021, the study assessed changes in heat waves using five common indices: Number, duration, total days, amplitude, and magnitude, showing a marked…
Latvia’s ruling coalition will soon need to discuss “painful decisions” on taxes, Prime Minister Evika Silina stated, LETA reports. Speaking in an interview with TV3, Silina said that simplifying taxation was an important priority. The Ministry of Finance has developed potential proposals for changes on real estate tax, labour costs, corporate income tax, VAT, small…