The European Commission, in a staff working document published on 17 July 2026, assesses that Lithuania has made limited progress on legal aid reform and some progress on judicial appointment transparency, while concerns persist over judicial resources, lawyer-client confidentiality, and public broadcaster independence. The report, part of the annual Rule of Law cycle, affects Lithuanian judicial institutions, legal professionals, media outlets, and citizens.
The document, prepared by the Commission's Secretariat-General, is a country chapter accompanying the broader 2026 Rule of Law Communication. It evaluates developments in four pillars: justice system, anti-corruption framework, media pluralism, and other institutional checks and balances.
On the justice system, a working group proposed changes to improve transparency of judicial appointments, and amendments are being prepared. The European Court of Human Rights ruling on judicial review of presidential reappointment decisions was assessed as requiring no legislative changes. Parliament is discussing draft amendments to clarify professional experience requirements for Constitutional Court judges, following a January 2026 ruling that one appointee did not meet constitutional requirements. The Lithuanian Bar Association submitted draft amendments in December 2025 to remove the Minister of Justice's authority in lawyer disciplinary proceedings; discussions with the Ministry occurred on 15 April 2026. Human and financial resources for the justice system remain insufficient: the 2026 court budget increased from EUR 122.595 million to EUR 123.959 million, but 8.4% of judges' posts and 15.2% of court staff posts were vacant as of 31 December 2025. Legal aid reform saw limited progress; discussions on provider remuneration were suspended in 2026, with the hourly rate remaining at EUR 25, though proposals exist to increase it to EUR 30 in 2028 and EUR 35 in 2029.
Regarding anti-corruption, the second implementation plan 2026-2029 for the National Anti-Corruption Agenda was approved by the Government in April 2026. On media freedom, legislative initiatives on the governance of public broadcaster LRT raised independence concerns and generated public protests; changes to LRT's funding model will be assessed by the Constitutional Court. Amendments to combat SLAPPs were adopted in December 2025, and state-guaranteed legal aid was maintained. Changes to the law on the Parliamentary Ombudspersons increased the number to three, while amendments to the appointment procedure were rejected in Parliament.
The report does not propose specific follow-up measures but feeds into the Commission's overall assessment of rule of law challenges across member states. The European Parliament and the Council are expected to discuss the findings in upcoming sessions.