Lithuania delays 93 audit recommendations, State Control says

Lithuania is behind schedule in implementing 93 recommendations issued in audits, including 34 considered highly important, the State Control institution said in a report published by LRT. It said 20 recommendations delivering tangible benefits had been implemented over the past six months, with the most significant progress recorded in social protection, higher education and justice.

The State Control’s autumn 2026 report reviews changes made after audit recommendations were implemented and identifies important changes that have yet to be achieved. Its priorities for the next six months include improving reserve management, strengthening firefighting forces and prevention, and deciding whether to continue the offshore wind farm project.

“Every implemented recommendation means a problem solved and people’s lives improved. However, we must state openly that decisions delayed by an average of 19 months are not merely statistics. They represent unmet state objectives and unrealised potential,” State Controller Irena Segalovičienė was quoted as saying.

She said the country could not justify delays solely by citing prolonged legislative or information technology processes when state resilience and people’s wellbeing were at stake. Each delay, she said, increased risks to the state and its people.

The State Control said the most significant progress over the past six months had been made in social protection. After support for foster families was strengthened and better conditions were created for children without parental care, the share of children cared for in family settings rose to 82.8 percent in 2025, compared with 77 percent in 2021.

The share of children over the age of 10 with disabilities or health problems who were cared for in families also increased, from 67.8 percent in 2021 to 72 percent in 2025.

Support for people affected by domestic violence became more accessible, the institution said. Specialised comprehensive assistance was provided to 82 percent of people who were the subject of police reports, compared with 22 percent in 2022. The share of victims receiving legal and psychological assistance in person also increased several times.

The State Control recorded positive changes in other areas as well. Stricter admission requirements for higher education institutions helped ensure better study quality, management of public-private partnership projects was strengthened, and the General Prosecutor’s Office shifted its focus towards completing pre-trial investigations more quickly.

However, 93 recommendations remained unimplemented on time by this autumn. The delays cover a wide range of areas, including decisions considered vital to state and public safety.

Auditors said the same challenges remained in fire safety. In 2025, only 25 percent of the State Fire and Rescue Service’s firefighter shifts met the requirements, up from 19 percent in 2020. The number of fires in inspected facilities did not decrease: 188 were recorded in 2020 and 189 in 2025.

In healthcare, the share of decisions on applications to reimburse medicines made on time increased from 8 percent in 2023 to 28 percent in 2026. However, almost three-quarters of decisions on adding medicines to the reimbursement lists were still delayed by more than six months, with delays ranging from 184 to 616 days. This prevented patients from receiving needed treatment more quickly.

The State Control also said that cybercrime prevention remained inadequate because of insufficient interinstitutional planning, coordination and impact measurement.

Other challenges include the country’s failure to reach its forest coverage target and stalled decisions on the size of bailiffs’ fees. The institution said consistent strategic planning and clearly defined responsibilities were needed to strengthen the country’s security, financial resilience and energy resilience.