Key regional policy changes discussed in preparation for Lithuania’s National Progress Plan

As Lithuania prepares its 2028–2034 National Progress Plan, the Ministry of the Interior (VRM) held a strategic session to discuss major potential changes in regional policy, with a focus on transport and security challenges, LRT reports.

Participants agreed on the need to ensure that public transport systems allow access to workplaces within 40 minutes, while essential public services should be provided where people live. The session also highlighted the need to strengthen the role of regions in public safety and defence, both by improving crisis response and leveraging the growing potential of the defence industry.

Proposals were made to better align the education system with regional labour market needs and to retain and attract qualified workers. According to Interior Minister Vladislavas Kondratovičius, the session demonstrated that regional policy can and must evolve, including through legal reforms to clarify institutional responsibilities and empower regions.

Attendees also agreed that the National Progress Plan should commit to changes that accelerate investor establishment and give regions more authority over their economic development decisions. The session brought together 32 participants, representing regional development councils, municipalities, businesses, trade unions, and non-governmental organisations.

This session is a key step in preparing for the 2028 strategic planning period and the EU’s multiannual financial framework. Insights and proposals from the session will be integrated into the National Progress Plan, which the government plans to approve in spring 2027. Meanwhile, regional development councils are preparing investment priorities for each region, which will become part of the EU’s investment planning documents for 2028–2034.