Lithuania approves new rules to simplify business licensing

The Lithuanian government has approved new rules for drafting licensing legislation aimed at simplifying procedures for businesses. This initiative, led by the Ministry of Economy and Innovation, is part of the ‘3i’ economic transformation plan, which seeks to reduce administrative burdens on businesses by 35 percent and double the speed of service delivery.

Under the new regulations, licensing institutions must allow applications and documents to be submitted electronically through the Electronic Government Gateway or similar information systems. To reduce redundancy, if required data is already available in state or municipal information systems, the issuing institution must retrieve it directly rather than requiring the applicant to provide it.

Furthermore, any new licensing requirement must now be justified. Institutions are required to evaluate whether licensing is necessary and proportionate, consider less restrictive alternatives, and ensure compliance with non-discrimination principles. The changes also establish common requirements for submitting license data to the Licensing Information System to ensure better traceability of decisions, including the issuance, modification, suspension, or cancellation of licenses.