Lithuanian Conservatives will seek abolishment of EP resolution on anti-gay law

The ruling conservative Christian Democrats in Lithuania have encouraged the Seimas (parliament) to fight against the European Union. Christian Democratic MP Mantas Adomėnas prepared a draft of a resolution in which he asks the government to go to the Court of Justice of the European Communities to make the European Parliament abolish its resolution on the Lithuanian Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information, which was passed on 17th of September 2009.

The draft prepared for the Seimas by representatives of the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats proposes expressing the opinion that the EP resolution regarding the Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information, particularly paragraph 1 of the resolution, constitute “an unlawful action due to lack of jurisdiction”. In the aforementioned paragraph, the EP asked the Agency for Fundamental Rights to present its opinion about the law and its amendments after considering the legislation and treaties of the EU.

If the proposed resolution were passed, the Lithuanian government would be encouraged to file a case with the Court of Justice by 17 November 2009 concerning the lawfulness of the resolution and to request that the document, in particular the aforementioned paragraph, be acknowledged as void.

The Seimas would also be asked to express its concern that in case the resolution is not officially acknowledged as void it may “become a dangerous precedent” which will make it possible for the EP and the Agency for Fundamental Rights “to encroach on the prerogatives of the European Commission and the Court of Justice of the European Communities”.

Furthermore, the proposed resolution is aimed at expressing regret and deep concern with regard to the “attempt” on the part of the EP “to doubt the lawfulness of the law passed by the great majority of the democratically elected parliament of a member state, although this issue should not fall under the jurisdiction of the EP”.

If passed, the resolution would then be forwarded to President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė, Prime Minister of Lithuania Andrius Kubilius, the EP, the EU Council, the European Commission, the governments and parliaments of EU member states and candidate countries, the Agency for Fundamental Rights, and the Council of Europe.

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Vladimir Simonko +370 612 58211 vladimir@gay.lt