Germany's Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) and the Republic of Lithuania's Ministry of Environment have initiated preliminary talks in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius concerning increased cooperation on energy-efficient urban redevelopment. Gunther Adler, State Secretary for Building, reaffirmed the countries' close cooperation on energy-efficient neighbourhood redevelopment in Lithuania at the conference on the topic Increasing national energy efficiency: from modernising individual apartment blocks to complex redevelopment of urban neighbourhoods. He said: "I am pleased that there is so much interest in Lithuania in the approach to energy-efficient urban redevelopment that has been put to the test successfully in neighbourhoods in Germany. Of course, each country has its own specific national circumstances, but there are also always practical experiences from which many countries can benefit. That is why we want to share good experiences at the international level." The conference also serves as opportunity for talks with Prime Minister Butkevičius and Environment Minister Trečiokas.
Since 2000, the BMUB has been supporting projects that strengthen environmental protection in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe with funds from the advisory assistance programme. The project Energy efficient redevelopment of urban areas in Lithuania was carried out within this framework. In July 2016, an important goal was realised with the decision of the Lithuanian Government on recommendations on the procedure for preparing and implementing programmes to increase energy efficiency in neighbourhoods.
An important step towards further cooperation was taken with the signing of a framework agreement between the BMUB and the Lithuanian Ministry of Environment on the margins of the congress with the title From the building to the district: fifth anniversary of the KfW Energy-efficient Urban Rehabilitation programme in Berlin on 22 June 2016.
The agreement provides the basis for fostering model investment measures for more environmental protection and climate action in Lithuania. On 30 August 2016, the working group set up to identify specific projects will hold their first meeting in Vilnius. Initial proposals have already been drafted within the framework of the advisory assistance programme.