VLC_PLUGIN_PATH is ignored if set from current process (windows)

[Lao]

As I understand setting the environment variable VLC_PLUGIN_PATH is now the only way to change the default plugin path ./plugins for libvlc, as the option --plugin-path has been removed (what was the reason, btw?). This works if I set the said variable system (or user) -wide, but has no effect if set by calling SetEnvironmentVariable within the process that uses libvlc, even if done before loading libvlc.dll. What am i doing wrong?
I'm using vlc 3.0.4, 64 bit, Windows 7, MSVC 2015

[mfkl]

What am i doing wrong?

I'm not sure whether there is another way than setting a variable user-wide.

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

I can only guess that your run-time is not exporting the variable to the system where the LibVLC C run-time can find it ?