In order to create a corruption resistant environment in the public sector and in business, the Special Investigation Service (STT) is implementing a European Commission-funded technical assistance project "Effective Implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy". In submitted expert recommendations from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) suggesting the development of anti-corruption activities in municipalities, wider access to data registers for law enforcement agencies, and more effective sanctions for corruption offenses and corruption in the private sector.
The OECD experts collected and assessed information on the National Anti-Corruption Programme of the Republic of Lithuania for 2015-2025, the inter-institutional action plans for its implementation, other relevant legal regulations, and their practical implementation.
The report covers the areas of political financing and lobbying, judiciary and law enforcement, whistleblower protection, public procurement, healthcare, education, spatial planning, state supervision of construction, waste management, supervision of activities of economic operators, public administration, civil service, and asset management. The final report, presented on 4 April 2023, contains the OECD's recommendations for transparency in the above areas, strengthening the role of the STT as the institution implementing and coordinating the National Agenda on Corruption Prevention Issues (Agenda), as well as proposals for the improvement of the inter-institutional action plan for the implementation of the 2022-2033 national agenda on corruption prevention issues.
The OECD noted that Lithuania has taken important steps and made significant progress in strengthening the legal framework for transparency in the country. In developing and improving anti-corruption measures in key strategic sectors and planning documents, the OECD recommends:
- Expand the activities of municipal anti-corruption commissions and enhance the independence of local government and audit services control. Also, seek to involve the public in monitoring the implementation of accountability mechanisms.
- Give law enforcement authorities greater access to national data registers to improve the quality of investigations and the prevention of crime.
- It is proposed to conduct a study to identify the main challenges in prosecuting the private sector for corruption offenses and to assess the need for further reforms.
- Include specific measures to improve cooperation and information exchange between the STT and the Financial Crimes Investigation Service (FNTT) in the 2022-2033 Agenda and its subsequent action plans.
- Continue and strengthen successful initiatives such as the "Integrity Academy".
Following the presentation of this report and the recommendations, work will start on the establishment of a monitoring system for the Action Plan of the Agenda.
During the fact-finding missions, the experts visited Lithuania on several occasions and interacted with representatives of the country's institutions, whose contribution is crucial to the creation of a corruption-proof environment. They have met with representatives of the STT, the FNTT, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Economy and Innovation, the National Courts Administration, the General Prosecutor's Office, the Chief Official Ethics Commission, the Central Electoral Commission, the Public Procurement Office, the State Territorial Planning and Construction Inspectorate, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Association of Lithuanian Municipalities, the “Transparency International” Lithuanian Chapter, the Clear Wave and the National Association of Journalists.
The full OECD report can be found here.
