Lithuanian media watchdog urges culture ministry to assess LRT reforms after EU opinion
The Lithuanian Media Council has called on the Ministry of Culture to submit a formal assessment of proposed amendments to the law governing public broadcaster LRT only after receiving input from the European Commission and considering recommendations from the Venice Commission, BNS reports.
The council’s majority approved the position on March 12, urging the ministry to thoroughly evaluate the need for both the legislative changes and a proposed public service contract with LRT. Under the Law on the Provision of Information to the Public, the ministry is required to summarise the draft law and prepare a “properly substantiated conclusion” for lawmakers.
In its statement, the Media Council also recommended revisiting LRT’s funding model to avoid leaving budgetary decisions solely to the government. The assessment process, it argued, must include an analysis of all feedback on the draft law, the service contract, and financing proposals, as well as a request for the European Commission’s opinion in light of the Venice Commission’s recommendations.
“The legislative process should not proceed hastily without considering the views of all stakeholders,” the council stated, advising the culture minister to propose that parliament adhere to democratic lawmaking principles.
The current draft law fails to align with Venice Commission recommendations, the council noted, as it does not postpone changes to the procedure for dismissing LRT’s director-general. Legal experts and the Seimas Chancellery’s Law Department have criticised the proposed amendments for inconsistencies, unclear terminology, and potential conflicts with the European Media Freedom Act—particularly regarding the broad grounds for dismissing LRT’s leadership and the proposed dissolution of its governing board.
The Media Council also highlighted a legal assessment by Mykolas Romeris University professor Toma Birmontienė, which found that several proposed amendments violate constitutional doctrine and EU legal acts. “Quality lawmaking must account for arguments presented in expert evaluations,” the council said, adding that critical proposals appear unexamined in substance. The Lithuanian Journalists’ Union did not endorse this position.
The Media Council, established in 2017, serves as an advisory body assisting the Ministry of Culture in shaping and implementing public information policy. The latest LRT law draft, to be reviewed by the Seimas Culture Committee, proposes defining the broadcaster’s mission, creating a new governing board (expanding from 12 to 15 members), and setting requirements for board candidates. It also seeks to restrict involvement from other media representatives in LRT content creation and to alter the dismissal process for the director-general, maintaining a two-thirds vote threshold for no-confidence dismissals while removing the requirement for an open ballot.
Efforts to fast-track amendments easing the dismissal of LRT’s director-general have sparked mass protests in recent weeks over perceived threats to press freedom.