After two concerts of world-class artists took place in Vilnius in the summer, which received public indignation due to the poor conditions for the spectators, an initiative to regulate the organization of such large-scale events by law is being matured in the parliament.
Its author, Lithuanian Peasants and Greens Union MP Giedrius Surplys, says that he has not yet prepared the draft of the legal act, but has included it in the agenda of the autumn session of the Seimas. The parliamentarian intends to make a decision after receiving more information about legal practice in other European Union (EU) countries.
"My idea is to have a national law that, regardless of which municipality the mass takes place event, would simply set minimum requirements, such as the ability for people to drink water or use a toilet.
I don't think of any major restrictions, but the fact is that we need to negotiate," G. Surplys said to Eltai.
The parliamentarian assured that he would not yet be able to specify the specific points of the new legal act, that the initiative is still "at the level of ideas". However, according to him, the document would contain "key, essential requirements for mass events".
"So that the very basic needs of people can be met. And everything else would continue to be indicated as being the area of municipal regulation", G. Surplys mentioned.
The politician claims to have instructed the Seimas research department to investigate how massively events are regulated elsewhere in the EU - is their procedure regulated by a separate law in the Community countries, or, as in Lithuania, there is no such legal act and it is done by municipalities.
After receiving the results, G. Surplys plans to continue deciding whether to prepare the project and submit it to the Seimas.
"If it is the case that no EU country has a law on mass events, it is probably logical not to have such a law. And perhaps everything would be limited to talking with businessmen that, nevertheless, it is necessary to ensure the basic needs of the spectators during mass events.
If there are laws for such events, you need to look at what is regulated there and take the best practices and discuss them with our event organizers and users. Then that law has the right to exist in Lithuania as well", said the member of the Seimas.
"When I receive the conclusions of the investigation, it will be clearer where we can move with that bill," he emphasized.
At the same time, Mr. Surplys emphasized that the project should not be rushed, as the idea matures, it should be discussed with entrepreneurs and the public.
Prompted by an unpleasant experience at an Imagine Dragons concert
G. Surplys testified that he began to be interested in the possibility of establishing certain rules for the organization of mass events by law when he visited Vilnius in August In Vingo Park held JAV at the Imagine Dragons concert.
The organizers of the concert received public criticism for the ban on bringing in water, inadequate provision of water during the performance, etc. obstacles for the audience, named also by the parliamentarian.
“I was at the Imagine Dragons concert with three kids. First of all, it seemed strange that neither water nor any containers could be brought in," said G. Surplys.
"Then we just stood in line for half an hour at one of the dozens of kiosks selling alcoholic beverages, and at least there was water and juice on the price list. We learned from the representatives (…) that all the water was sold out an hour ago. (…) There was no juice either.
This is where my dissatisfaction came from, the reaction of the people around me was exactly the same," he continued.
The politician added that the organizers of the event in front of the audience a concert did not inform whether there will be an opportunity to use the water stations in Vingios Park during the performance. Difficulties also arose when leaving the concert area.
"Then after the event, we all stood in that hour-long traffic jam to get out of the concert venue. Then we saw that the others were going through the forest, and just like that, through the forest, through the nettles, we left by a faster way.
The people who really pay a lot for that concert could really be served better," G. Surplys emphasized.
Similar dissatisfaction with the restrictions on bringing water in the public arose after the concert of the German group "Rammstein" in Vingis Park at the end of May. In addition, the water stations were also turned off at this concert.
Lukas Juozapaitis (ELTA)
