ESIS extension / Key Person Contacts and Organisations / Lithuania / Update Memo 4

Memo: Lithuania is starting EU accession negotiations. Changes in Government. Developments in public utilities with potential use for IS. New trends in the IT sector.

Lithuania started in 2000 negotiations for the EU accession. On 23 December 1999, the Government adopted a Resolution on the establishment of the Delegation for the EU Accession Negotiations. The main function of the Delegation is to conduct the EU membership negotiations and to facilitate the preparation of negotiating positions.

The Delegation is composed by the Head of Delegation (Minister of Foreign Affairs), the Chief Negotiator (Deputy Head of Delegation), the Director General of the European Committee from the Government (Deputy Chief Negotiator), the Head of the Lithuanian Permanent Mission to the European Communities (Deputy Chief Negotiator), the Director General of the European Law Department and the Director of the European Integration of the Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Secretary of the Delegation). This delegation also integrates different heads of working groups for drafting of negotiating positions. The Head of Delegation, Chief Negotiator, Deputy Chief Negotiators and the Secretary of the Delegation will constitute the co-ordination group that will deal with operational matters that pertain to the functioning of the Delegation.

On 20 January 2000, following the nomination by the Government, the President of Lithuania appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Vygaudas Ušackas to the position of Lithuania’s Chief Negotiator with the EU. Seven negotiating positions in the fields of education and training, research and technological developments, small and medium size enterprises, culture and audio-visual policy, common foreign and security policy, statistics as well as telecommunications and information technology will be discussed.

In 2000 Lithuania Government established the special Sunrise Committee for promotion of business. Mr.Gediminas Miskinis, Vice-Minister of Ministry of Economy, was appointed as head of this Committee. Over 130 experts in 10 working groups of the Committee have drafted proposals which implementation would improve the business environment. The results of this Committee work are expected to be released in the second half of year 2000. More details can be found at http://www.ekm.lt.

On the end of January 2000, Mr. Edmundas ZvirbIis was appointed as Vice-Minister and Head of Department of Information and Informatics at Ministry of Public Administration Reforms and Local Authorities. Mr.E.Zvirblis was before head of Public Company Statistikos Centras (Statistical Centre) at Lithuania Department of Statistics (http://www.std.lt). The Department of Information and Informatics is the main IS development co-ordinating body, responsible for development of Informatics and the Information Society in Lithuania. The main missions of the Department are the co-ordination of IT projects financed by the State, the development of IS strategies and various programs on IS. In 1999, the Ministry of Public Administration Reforms and Local Authorities drafted a Programme on Information Society for Lithuania in line with EC Directives. More details can be found at http://www.iid.lt.

The Lithuanian Government Programme for 1999-2000 foresees restructuring and partially privatising Lietuvos Energija (Lithuania Power), Lietuvos Dujos (Lithuania Gas) and the companies from the public transport sector (railways, airlines and shipping). The Lithuanian Government has established Commissions to take charge of the privatisation in each of referred sector. The reorganisation of the Lietuvos Energija is planned to be completed at the end of 2000. The regulations for reorganisation of Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways) are under preparation.

Mr. Arunas Kesarauskas has been appointed in February 2000 to the position of General Director of Lietuvos Energija. The new Council of Observers of Lietuvos Energija was formed too.

In March, Mr. Valdas Uzabavicius was appointed to the position of General Director (interim) of Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways).

ELSIS, Communications Systems company, is entering in the emergent banking business. ELSIS acquired from Lintel 25% shares of its company, MKS, which is dealing with payments cards. ELSIS has plans to establish a new service centre for payments cards. Only two banks, Vilniaus Bankas and Snoras run similar centres. The customers of this new centre would be four local banks and other foreign banks that will enter in the Lithuania financial market.

According press reports this year more funding organisations intend to invest in the rapidly developing sector of IT. In 2000 the number of Lithuanian IT companies with foreign capital component should increase, as more and more funding organisations have expressed their intention of buying shares in the IT companies. Leading companies in other Baltic countries are taking part in this activity.

Microlink, an Estonian company, (http://www.microlink.ee), bought two local companies, Taide and Skaitmenines Komunikacijos. Microlink has ambitious plans to invest some million Lt. for the establishment of a powerful Internet gateway, the Lithuanian version of Estonian Delfi. This will enhance the competition among the existing Internet service providers.

Please note that this report has been prepared under the sole responsibility of the ESIS II contractors.
It does not necessarily reflect the views of the Commission, nor does the Commission accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of information contained herein.
The ESIS Team of contractors welcomes any additional information or corrections.