Lithuanian Environmental Protection and Energy Policy on Hydropower

Lithuanian environmental and energy management regulates the development of hydroelectric power in the country. Hydropower is a renewable energy source (RE) that stands as a viable alternative solution for fossil fuel-based energy and environmental protection. The legislative provisions established by the European Union (EU) promotes the development of RE and hydropower by creating favourable conditions for the revision of national RE policy. The success of RE regulation in the EU depends not only on Member States’ legislative measures transposing the EU Directives and to eliminate obstacles for the development of hydropower, but also on the active role of the European Commission (EC) to ensure that legal acts set by EU are being implemented adequately. Current Lithuanian environmental policy is not compatible with the EU hydropower development principles. Particularly stringent environmental requirements caused complete suspension of large and small hydropower development. Therefore, this article reflects the new concept of scientific research, policy and practice interfaces. This article presents an content analysis of Lithuanian environmental and energy policy on hydroelectric power, an assessment of the conformity of Lithuanian national policies to EU policies, an analysis of strategic documents and strategies, and an expert comparative evaluation of legal obstacles in the Lithuanian and European legal system differences. Hydropower development problems have been investigated according to Lithuanian and foreign countries research studies. This paper presents the comparison methods of the hydropower development problems in foreign countries.