Lithuanian government backs proposal to transfer classified information handling requirements to Seimas statute

The Lithuanian Cabinet of Ministers on Wednesday endorsed a proposal to transfer the requirements for parliamentarians to work with classified information into the Seimas statute, as well as to formalise a list of positions that require security clearance for handling such information, BNS reports.

A draft amendment prepared by the Ministry of National Defence (KAM), which the government supported, suggests several refinements. The ministry proposes setting a deadline—such as five working days from appointment or confirmation—for officials assuming Seimas positions requiring clearance to complete a questionnaire necessary to begin the vetting process.

Additionally, the ministry recommends establishing a timeframe for the Speaker of the Seimas or their authorised representative to propose the dismissal of a Seimas official who has been denied or had their clearance revoked. According to KAM, the dismissal or replacement of a Seimas official, committee, commission, or other parliamentary body member should be initiated not based on the State Security Department’s conclusion that clearance cannot be granted or must be revoked, but rather on the Speaker’s or their deputy’s decision to deny or revoke the clearance.

The draft also proposes removing a provision regarding Seimas members’ right to work with or access information classified as “Restricted Use.” The ministry argues this is redundant, as the Law on State and Official Secrets already stipulates that the Speaker of the Seimas may access and use classified information by virtue of their position, while Seimas members may access and use information marked “Restricted Use.”

In May, the Seimas began considering a proposal by then-Speaker Saulius Skvernelis to transfer the classified information handling requirements into the Seimas statute. The amendment would move the list of positions requiring clearance from the Speaker’s decree into the statute itself. It also specifies that if a parliamentarian appointed to such a position is denied clearance or has their existing clearance revoked, the Speaker or their authorised deputy must initiate the dismissal procedure or adjust the composition of the committee, commission, or other Seimas body to exclude the official in question.

Skvernelis introduced the initiative following a recommendation from intelligence services not to grant clearance to Remigijus Žemaitaitis, then leader of the “Nemuno aušra” party and a coalition partner. Later, Skvernelis also denied clearance to another “Nemuno aušra” member, Dainorius Bradauskas.