Lithuanian municipalities to introduce one-time fee for columbarium niches

Lithuanian municipalities will be allowed to set a one-time fee for allocating niches in publicly funded columbariums, following amendments to the Law on Burial of Human Remains approved by the Seimas on Thursday, reports LRT.

The changes, backed by 59 lawmakers with 12 opposed and 23 abstaining, grant local councils the authority to determine the fee amount. The initiative, proposed by Tomas Tomilinas of the Democrats’ “For Lithuania” faction, aims to encourage municipalities to build new columbariums.

Previously, municipalities could collect funds for columbarium construction, but a 2022 amendment removed that option. Concerns arose that private operators, taking over the service, could make columbarium niches unaffordable due to high prices. The new regulation takes effect on July 1.

Under current law, niches in municipally funded columbariums are allocated indefinitely without charge.