Geneva, 10 June 2026
The undersigned organisations — representing public service media,journalists, and
press freedom organisations across Europe and globally — call on the Lithuanian
authorities, including the Seimas, the Government and the President, to complete the
legislative work begun this year and to ensure that all outstanding recommendations
of the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission on the Law on Lithuanian National
Radio and Television are fully addressed.
Our call follows the adoption of amendments to the Law on Lithuanian National Radio
and Television on 2 June 2026.
We acknowledge the progress made. The final text of the amended law represents a
meaningful improvement over earlier drafts. The removal of provisions restricting
media participation at LRT, the narrowing of grounds for dismissal of the Director
General to only exceptional cases, and the addition of requirements for Council
members to act independently are positive steps. We recognise that this progress was
achieved through the determination of the Lithuanian public, the courage of LRT
journalists, and the engagement of civil society and international organisations. We
also welcome the constructive role played by members of the Seimas who worked to
improve the text.
However, significant concerns remain. The Council of Europe’s Venice Commission
issued two opinions — in March and May 2026 — both critical of the process and
substance of the amendments. Several of its core recommendations have not yet been
addressed:
• Political composition of the LRT Council. The expansion of the Council from 12 to 15
members does not resolve the fundamental problem: a majority of members remain
politically appointed. Genuine editorial and institutional independence requires a
governance structure insulated from political influence.
• The retroactive application of the revised dismissal procedures to the sitting Director
General, without a transitional provision expressly limiting the application of the
revised dismissal grounds to Directors General appointed after the law’s entry into
force, is directly contrary to Venice Commission guidance and raises serious concerns
regarding legal certainty and the rule of law.
• Weakened safeguards. Leaving the decision on whether Council votes on the
Director General are open or secret to the Council itself removes an existing and
important transparency safeguard.
• Funding independence. LRT’s financial independence remains undermined by a
funding freeze introduced without impact assessment, contrary to the Venice
Commission’s recommendations and requirements of the European Media Freedom
Act (EMFA). This must be resolved.
We also note that the Government has been tasked with preparing a public service
contract proposal by September 2026. We wish to signal clearly that this process must
be conducted transparently, in genuine consultation with LRT and all relevant
stakeholders, and in full conformity with EMFA and European standards for public
service media governance. A public service contract must not become a mechanism
for political control over LRT’s remit, funding or editorial independence.
We will follow this process closely.
Lithuania has demonstrated to its citizens and to its European partners that it takes
media freedom seriously. We encourage the authorities to take the further steps
necessary to bring the law into full conformity with European standards.
This is particularly important as Lithuania prepares to assume the Presidency of
the Council of the European Union facilitating dialogue across the Union.
The independence of public service media is not a technical matter — it is a democratic
one. We remain committed to constructive engagement with Lithuania on this issue
and stand ready to support further dialogue.
Yours respectfully,
European Broadcasting Union (EBU)
International Press Institute — IPI
European Federation of Journalists — EFJ
International Federation of Journalists — IFJ
Reporters Without Borders — RSF (Reporters sans frontières)
European Centre for Press and Media Freedom — ECPMF
Association of European Journalists — AEJ
Index on Censorship
South East Europe Media Organisation — SEEMO