International organizations urge Lithuania to follow Venice Commission recommendations on LRT

International organizations representing public broadcasters, journalists, and press freedom groups across Europe and globally have called on Lithuanian authorities to fully implement all recommendations by the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission regarding the LRT law, LRT.lt reports.

The organizations acknowledge that the adopted draft of the LRT law marks significant progress compared to previous versions. They highlight positive steps, such as the removal of restrictions on media participation in LRT’s activities and the narrowing of grounds for dismissing the director general to exceptional cases only. The law also requires LRT council members to act independently.

“We recognize that this progress was achieved thanks to the determination of Lithuanian society, the courage of LRT journalists, and the engagement of civil society and international organizations. We also commend the constructive role of the Seimas members who worked to improve the text,” the open letter states.

However, the organizations emphasize that the law still contains unresolved issues raised by the Venice Commission. The increase in the LRT council’s membership from 12 to 15 does not address the core problem, as most members are still appointed for political reasons, the letter notes. “True editorial and institutional independence requires a governance structure shielded from political influence.”

The organizations argue that applying dismissal procedures retroactively to the current director general without a transitional period directly contradicts the Venice Commission’s guidelines and raises serious concerns about legal certainty and the rule of law. They also note that leaving the decision on whether the vote for the director general should be public or secret removes an important transparency safeguard.

Financial independence remains compromised due to funding freezes imposed without impact assessments, violating both the Venice Commission’s recommendations and the European Media Freedom Act, the letter adds.

The organizations also warn against the public service contract between LRT and the government, stating: “The public service contract must not become a mechanism for political control over LRT’s activities, funding, or editorial independence. We will monitor this process closely.”

“Lithuania has shown its commitment to media freedom. We urge the authorities to take further steps to ensure the law fully complies with European standards. Public service media independence is not a technical issue—it is a matter of democracy,” the letter concludes.

The signatories include the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), International Press Institute (IPI), European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Reporters Without Borders, European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), Association of European Journalists (AEJ), Index on Censorship, and the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO).