The Seimas Committee gives the green light to the decriminalization of drugs – Respublika.lt

Syringes photo from freepikcompany.com

These amendments, initiated by MEP Morgana Daniela, propose the transfer of penalties for low drug use from the Criminal Code (CC) to the Code of Administrative Offenses (ANC).

The CC’s proposal to abolish penalties for possession of small amounts of drugs, leaving penalties only for amounts greater than small, was supported by 4 deputies, 3 voted against and 1 abstention. As the votes for and against the project were evenly distributed, support for the project was determined by the vote of its president, S. Shedbar.

Meanwhile, the proposal to include penalties for possession of small amounts of drugs in the ANC was supported by 4 deputies and another 3 voted against it. Česlav Olševskis, a member of the Group of Regions, abstained from voting because he supported the proposal to postpone consideration of the entire project.

A. Širinskienė suggested taking a break from discussing this topic.

Agnė Širinskienė, member of the Lithuanian Union of Peasants and Greens (LVŽS), who participated in the committee meeting, suggested that the committee members take a break from discussing this project, as an amendment to article 199 of the CC that regulates There have also been sanctions for smuggling in the Seimas. The farmer suggested waiting for the committees to evaluate this latest project and consider the two initiatives together.

“It would be more prudent to take a break now, present that project, work during the summer and have a normal result. You, the rulers yourself, say that the number of projects in the Seimas must be reduced, and now we are doing it so that we can correct the piece here, and another accompanying project is already registered. What will happen if we organize the project during the summer? ”, – A. Širinskienė presented the proposal.

However, Aušrinė Armonaitė, the president of the Freedom Party, who also participated in the meeting, called this “peasant” proposal a manipulation, as the committees simply had no right to merge and discuss the two separate projects that had been merged. presented. .

“I urge you not to manipulate or juggle the rules. We are well aware that we cannot incorporate a new article in two other articles of the amendment to the law, but we can consider the amendment to article 199 together at a later stage.” said A. Armonaitė.

Finally, when voting on the break, 4 members of the commission supported A. Širinskien’s proposal, and 4 parliamentarians also voted against, so the final decision not to take a break was determined by the vote of the chairman of the commission. , which is decisive.

The committee proposes to introduce higher fines than the initiators of the project.

The committee members also decided to support the proposal to impose higher fines for possession of small amounts of drugs than in the original draft. Currently, the project foresees fines of between 20 and 100 euros for the first offense and a maximum fine of 200 euros for repeat offenses. The committee supported the proposal to increase the fines for the first offense from € 100 to € 200. And for recidivism of 300 to 400 euros.

Once the project has been considered by the Human Rights and Health Commissions, it will be possible to include it on the Plenary’s agenda. In early June, the elderly woman from the Freedom Faction Ieva Pakarklytė told Eltai that she hopes the parliamentarians can pass the decriminalization bill before the end of the spring session of the Seimas.