Almost 30 international organizations, including the European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ), raise serious concerns about proposed amendments to Lithuania’s public service media law, warning that the current draft risks undermining the independence and sustainability of the national broadcaster, LRT. The legislative process has lacked transparency and inclusiveness, and key proposals – such as funding freezes and restrictions, vague grounds for dismissing leadership, expanded political oversight, and governance changes – could expose LRT to political pressure and weaken its ability to fulfill its public service mission. We are urging Lithuanian authorities to reconsider the proposals, align reforms with European standards, and ensure any changes protect editorial and institutional independence.

The EFJ and IFJ have joined the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the undersigned international media organizations to send a letter to Lithuanian authorities to express their concern regarding proposed amendments to the Law on Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), currently under consideration by the Seimas.

Public service media are essential to democratic societies, ensuring access to independent, reliable and pluralistic information. Any reform of their governance, remit or funding must therefore safeguard editorial and institutional independence and be developed through transparent, inclusive and democratic legislative processes.

We are concerned that the process leading to the current draft has not met these standards. The parliamentary working group responsible for preparing the amendments did not include representatives of LRT administration, while representatives of commercial media were included. The withdrawal of journalists’ representatives and opposition members from the group further raises concerns about the inclusiveness and balance of the process.

The Council of Europe’s Venice Commission has already raised concerns about the legislative process and stressed that reforms to public service media laws should be based on broad consultation, thorough analysis and impact assessment, and alignment with European standards.

Against this background, several elements of the draft law are troubling:

The proposed funding changes are of particular concern. The draft maintains provisions that would freeze LRT funding for three years, reduce the share of tax-based allocations thereafter, and introduce new restrictions on the broadcaster’s ability to generate additional revenue. These measures are proposed without a comprehensive impact assessment or meaningful consultation with LRT. The Venice Commission has recommended amends based on an assessment of whether the funding model enables LRT to fulfill its public service remit. The Seimas Legal Department has similarly warned that limiting revenue sources may weaken LRT’s ability to deliver its mission, noting that the State Audit Office did not recommend eliminating paid content entirely but rather increasing socially relevant content provided free of charge.

The draft also introduces new grounds for the early dismissal of the Director General, including “improper performance” and “violation of the public interest”. These criteria appear vague and open to interpretation. The Venice Commission has recommended that dismissal should be limited to clearly defined, exceptional circumstances, with decisions subject to proper justification and effective judicial review. The Seimas Legal Department has also cautioned that such provisions may not comply with the European Media Freedom Act, which requires clear and narrowly defined grounds for dismissal.

Further concerns arise from proposals for the new dismissal rules to enter into force immediately, without transitional safeguards, creating the appearance of legislation directed at the current office-holder.

The draft also includes provisions that could enable intrusive oversight of editorial activities. These include granting supervisory bodies powers touching on programming and participation in LRT content. Such measures risk contradicting Council of Europe recommendations, which require supervisory bodies to exercise strategic oversight without interfering in editorial decision-making. The Seimas Legal Department has also highlighted a lack of legal clarity in these provisions.

In addition, the draft proposes a significantly expanded governance structure, including the creation of a new Board, a Council Office, and an increase in the number of LRT Council members. These changes risk blurring the line between oversight and day-to-day management and could introduce new avenues for influence over editorial and operational decisions.

Taken together, these measures risk increasing the vulnerability of the public broadcaster to political pressure rather than reinforcing its independence.

Beyond the current draft, we are also concerned by proposals discussed within the Seimas working group to explore a funding model based on a narrowly defined public service contract. Under such an approach, LRT would be funded only for services not provided by commercial media. Although not yet included in the draft law, this concept raises important concerns.

Public service and commercial media fulfill distinct but complementary roles in a healthy media ecosystem. The mission of public service media cannot be limited to filling market gaps. They are designed to serve society as a whole by offering a broad range of programming that informs, educates and entertains, while supporting cultural expression, social cohesion and democratic debate.

The EFJ-IFJ, the EBU and almost 30 media organizations are urging the Lithuanian authorities to carefully consider the implications of the proposed changes and the concerns raised by the Seimas Legal Department. The current proposals go against EU law and Council of Europe standards and risk weakening the independence of public service media in Lithuania, including its editorial and institutional autonomy as well as its long-term financial sustainability.

We call on the authorities to follow the recommendations of the Venice Commission and to ensure that any reform fully respects European standards for independent public service media.

We remain ready to engage constructively with Lithuanian stakeholders to support a framework that protects LRT’s independence while strengthening its ability to serve the public interest.

On behalf of the:

European Broadcasting Union (EBU)
European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO)
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
International Press Institute (IPI)
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
Association of European Journalists (AEJ)
Public Media Alliance (PMA)
Index of Censorship
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
International News Safety Institute (INSI)
Germany’s International Public Broadcaster (DW)
Public service broadcaster of Montenegro (RTCG)
Public service broadcaster of Ukraine (Suspilne)
Public service broadcaster of Kosovo (RTK)
Public service broadcaster or Poland (TVP)
Public service radio of Armenia (Armenian Public Radio)
Public service broadcaster of Slovenia (RTVSLO)
Public service Television of Czechia – Czech Television (CT)
Public service broadcaster of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT)
Public service broadcaster of Estonia (ERR)
Public service broadcaster of Latvia (LPSM)
Public service radio of Bulgaria (BNR)
Public service of Moldova (TRM)
Public service television of Armenia (AMPTV)
Public service radio of Czechia (CR)
Public service radio of Poland (PR)