THE HUNTING LAW SYSTEM IN LITHUANIA AND GERMANY: STRUCTURE, SUBJECTS AND GOVERNANCE PRINCIPLES

Abstract

This article analyses the hunting law regulatory systems of Lithuania and Germany, with the aim of identifying their structural and functional similarities and differences. The study examines the structure of the legal hierarchy, the status of hunting law subjects, the hunting licence system, as well as the regulation of game species, hunting seasons and harvest limits. The research is based on a combination of document analysis, comparative analysis, logical analysis and synthesis methods. The document analysis method is applied to examine national and European Union legal acts, allowing for the identification of the content and structure of legal regulation. Using the comparative analysis method and applying a functional approach, Lithuanian and German legal solutions are compared with regard to analogous hunting governance issues. The findings indicate that Lithuania’s centralised regulatory model is characterised by normative clarity, whereas Germany’s federal system provides greater regional flexibility, enabling a more responsive adaptation to ecological and administrative conditions.