KOMUNALINIŲ ATLIEKŲ TVARKYMO SISTEMOS ORGANIZAVIMO TEISINIS REGLAMENTAVIMAS: PRAKTINIAI IR TEORINIAI ASPEKTAI

Abstract

The specificity of a legal framework on waste management lies in the nature of the provision of this service. Waste management is a visible and politically sensitive public service, which can be described as universal, complex, and of great importance for the public. The article analyses the legal framework on municipal waste management from the organisational point of view: the institutional framework of the waste sector management is presented and the operation of authorities at the central, regional and local level is discussed. The Law on Waste Management of the Republic of Lithuania establishes a legal framework for the organisation of municipal waste management systems, whereas specific organisational methods are selected and implemented by municipalities. Municipalities play a central role in the organisation of municipal waste management systems. The specific elements of municipal waste management systems include: (1) delegation of performance of relevant functions to the administrator of the municipal waste management system; (2) terms and conditions of municipalities and waste managers’ agreements on waste management; (3) specific terms and conditions of collaboration with producers and importers; and (4) ways of funding the implementation of decisions regarding the municipal waste management system. A combination of the said elements forms a specific model of the organisation of a municipal waste management system applied by a municipality. There is a variety of organisational models used by municipalities in this area. The article analyses the amendment to the Law on Waste Management, which provides the definition of the administrator of a municipal waste management system and establishes the administrator’s functions. The process of consideration and adoption of the amendment showed a lack of the state’s vision regarding a wider role of regional waste management centres as well as their position within the municipal waste management systems. The article also deals with other issues related to the organisation of municipal waste management systems. The factors of the private sector’s involvement in the municipal waste management are discussed as these factors, in their entirety, influence the selection of an appropriate model (public or private). Speaking about the municipalities’ choice between the public and the private models, the aspect of legal framework is highly important and is discussed in the article in greater detail. Municipalities, as entities responsible for the achievement of the targets set for the municipal waste management systems, should be provided with proportional facilities for this purpose, with the reasoning for relevant decisions explained.