Nord Pool has decided to stop trading Russian electricity from its only importer in the Baltic States Inter RAO.

Vilnius is among 100 European cities to be implementing the experimental innovation programme to become a climate-neutral settlement by 2030 under the prestigious EU’s Mission “100 Climate- Neutral and Smart Cities”.

On May 17 representatives of the Ministry of National Defence presented the defence and modernization plans of Lithuania to the NATO Defence Planning Committee and were praised more than ever throughout the history of NATO membership and partnership.

A representative public opinion poll conducted at the end of April showed that the majority of the Lithuanian residents consider industry, road transport, the waste sector and agriculture as the most polluting activities (in terms of carbon dioxide). A significant proportion of respondents (17%) indicated that aviation and air transport were among the activities that generate the largest carbon dioxide emissions.

The EU has launched several initiatives to reduce emissions. As forests play a crucial role in capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere that would otherwise contribute to global warming, the EU is working on rules to increase its carbon sinks.

This spring, Vilnius will introduce new lawn care rules, according to which the city will be dominated by natural meadows and self-flowering plants. While abandoning mowing where it is not required, natural oases will be created in many parts of the city to help citizens live more comfortably and sustainably.

In order to improve the military mobility connections with Europe, Lithuania has prepared a list of projects and will submit new applications to the European Commission (EC) for the financing of dual-purpose (civil and military) transport infrastructure projects. This opportunity is provided by the second call for proposals for funding under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) announced by EC on May 12. The Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Ministry of National Defence have jointly prepared a list of projects funding for which will be sought with the European Union.

To ensure data security, for the first time in Lithuania's history, the storage of encrypted copies of Lithuania's most essential registers has been started not only in Lithuania but also in one of the NATO countries' data centers. Data security will also be guaranteed by the amendments to the Law on Management of State Information Resources adopted today in the Seimas, which will allow for more flexible and efficient management of data stored by state institutions.

After active discussions and talks with representatives of municipalities and the public, the Ministry of Transport and Communications approved the optimal route alternative of the Rail Baltica railway from Kaunas (Jiesia) to the Lithuanian-Polish border. Taking into account the opinion of the majority of the residents, the shortest option the most remote from the urban areas – alternative 6A – has been chosen.

The Vilnius City Council has decided that the city needs another sports facility – the Extreme Sports Centre. The city will implement the project in cooperation with private investors – it is planned to announce a concession tender shortly and conclude a 17-year concession agreement with the winners.