A lot of managers, yet a little order in the Curonian Lagoon
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Problems which have accumulated in the Curonian Lagoon raise a reasonable concern for the future of this unique object of nature,- reveal auditors of the National Audit Office having evaluated the use of the peninsula territory for the State and public needs. According to the Auditor General Rasa Budbergytė, the key issue is too complicated territory planning system. It causes unbalanced urbanization of the territory and illegal constructions. Therefore the NAO recommended the Government to improve the territory planning system and to submit the new version of the Draft Law on Territorial Planning. |
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Six public institutions participating in the administration of the Curonian
Lagoon do not have a common opinion on possibilities of territory use and its
planning; setting of the use mode and development of economic activities. It
brings contradictions and provokes conflicts among persons representing public
and private interests. It is necessary to solve issues of distribution of
functions among institutions, says Rasa Budbergytė. Under the valid territory
planning procedure, three general plans, as well as many various special
planning and detailed planning documents should apply to land territory of the
Curonian Lagoon. Some of them are not yet drafted. Auditors point out that a
single territory planning document for the Curonian Lagoon general plan, which
would change the currently valid special and general plans could be developed.
This would simplify the territory planning process, and it would require less
human, time, and financial resources. Taking into consideration the importance
of the Curonian Lagoon, such planning document could be approved by the
Government.
Furthermore, the audit report notes that Klaipėda County Governors
Administration, which is assigned to perform public supervision of territory
planning and constructions, did not ensure the land use mode set in the general
plan of the National Park of the Curonian Lagoon. The Administration took
unfounded decisions, unproperly managed documentation, did not follow
requirements of laws and other legislation; over a half of checks of territory
planning documents were carried out behind time. In the opinion of the NAO,
there is a risk that costs incurred by private persons due to illegal decisions
of public institutions will have to be recovered with the State Budget funds. In
order to essentially improve the quality of supervision of territory planning
and constructions and taking into consideration that County Governors
Administrations will be dissolved, it would be purposeful to assign the public
supervision function of territory planning and construction to the State
Territorial Planning and Construction Inspectorate.
Although currently cultural heritage values in the Curonian Lagoon are protected
by three institutions which duplicate their functions - Department of Cultural
Heritage under the Ministry of Culture, Directorate of Kuršių Nerija National
Park, as well as Neringa Municipality Administration, however, the condition of
the values is deteriorating. In the opinion of the NAO, protection of cultural
heritage should be assigned to single institution with clearly defined
competence and responsibility.
Full report is available in Lithuanian:
Use of the Baltic Coast Territory for Public and State Needs