Lithuania moves to grant equal opportunities controller power to defend public interest in court

Lithuania’s parliament has taken the first step toward granting the equal opportunities controller the right to defend public interest in court, as part of a broader reform to expand anti-discrimination protections. The Seimas on Thursday gave initial approval to a revised Equal Opportunities Law, with 64 MPs voting in favor, 11 against, and 15 abstaining. The draft will now be reviewed by parliamentary committees.

Deputy Minister of Social Security and Labor Deimantė Bukeikaitė said most of the proposed changes aim to implement EU directive requirements. The new version would expand the controller’s powers, allowing them to represent public interests in equal opportunities cases and conduct reconciliation procedures.

“As I understand, the equal opportunities controller’s authority is being increased. People who experience discrimination will no longer need to go to court themselves—the Equal Opportunities Office will have the power to act,” said MP Birutė Vėsaitė.

The bill broadens the definition of discrimination to include restricting rights or granting privileges based on one or more protected grounds. It also introduces multiple forms of discrimination, such as multiple, intersectional, and associative discrimination. Protected grounds would include age, ethnic origin, language, nationality, sex, disability, skin color, views, citizenship, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, social status, and nationality.

Bukeikaitė noted that most complaints currently involve discrimination against people with disabilities. The revised law would also remove the requirement to submit written complaints, allowing verbal reports of potential discrimination.

The draft law would prohibit discrimination in public housing advertisements, as well as in internships, traineeships, and volunteer opportunities. Existing bans on discrimination in job, public service, and education advertisements would remain. Employers would also be required to prevent discrimination based on pregnancy, maternity or paternity leave, childcare leave, additional parental rest days, and unpaid leave for caring for sick family members.

The bill proposes eliminating an existing exemption that allows religious communities to apply their own values in education and upbringing institutions. It also introduces changes to the appointment process for the equal opportunities controller, allowing state and municipal institutions, NGOs, and academic bodies to nominate candidates. The controller would serve a five-year term, renewable once, and be appointed by the Seimas speaker.

The Equal Opportunities Office was established in 1999 to ensure equal opportunities and prevent discrimination, as well as to investigate public complaints.