Protecting the environment through public procurement: Lithuania’s case

ENThe environmental aspect of sustainability is highly aspired for in public procurement. Nevertheless, protection of the environment through public procurement is yet an understudied phenomenon in Lithuania and a comprehensive analysis of it within the context of sustainable development has not been offered. This article aims at presenting a comprehensive analysis of the Lithuanian national framework regarding possibilities of public institutions to consider environmental issues in public procurement and deliver results of sustainable development in terms of environmental protection. The article argues that, despite existing legal possibilities in the Lithuanian public procurement law to integrate requirements related to protection of the environment in public contract documents, a number of issues which limit the effective application of green purchasing and prevent from profiting from its full potential can be identified. The article discloses that the major obstacles hindering the effective application of green public purchasing include drafting of relevant legislation in loose terms, giving contracting authorities a broad discretion to act or not to act, inconsistency lying within the purpose and definition of green public procurement, obliging only a defined group of contracting entities to consider environmental requirements in contract documents and generally a lack of guidance towards sustainable development. Besides, it suggests that protection of the environment through public procurement should not refer solely to implementation of green public procurement and reveals other possibilities of public procurement, such as contribution to environmental protection and response to environmental challenges, making the voice of the environment heard. This research should contribute to legislative efforts aimed at utilizing public procurement more effectively.