RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/ACC/LTU/36
15 June 1999
(99-2409)
Working Party on the
Accession of LithuaniaOriginal:  English
ACCESSION OF LITHUANIA
Communication from Lithuania
The Permanent Mission of Lithuania has subm itted the following information showing the
progress in the adoption of legislation.
_______________WT/ACC/LTU/36
Page 2
Agreements;
other sectors
related toLegislation related to the regulation of the indicated sector Status of indicated legislation
Customs Duties
and Tariff Quotas1. The Customs Code of Lithuania of 18 April 1996; Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in February
1997;
2. Law on Customs Tariffs of 19 February 1998 (which replaced the Law of 27
April 1993);
3. Government Resolution No.1367 of 30 December 1994 On the Establishment
of the Structure of Customs Tariffs;
4. Government Resolution No.653 of 8 May 1995 On the General Order of the
Administration of Tariff Quotas for Implementation and Exportation of Goods;
5. Government Resolution No.806 of 24 July 1997 On the Tariff and Non-Tariff
Regulation of Export and Import of Goods and Improvement of Establishment
of Customs Tariffs and Procedure of Change;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in January 1995
and December 1998;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in April 1998;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in September
1995;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in April 1998;
6. Government Resolution No.268 of 24 March 1997 On the Procedure of Export
and Import Regulation in the Republic of Lithuania;
7. Government Resolution No.1245 of 20 October 1998 Amending Government
Resolution No.268 of 24 March 1997 On the Procedure of Export and Import
Regulation in the Republic of Lithuania;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in February
1998;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in May 1999;
National
Treatment;
Internal Taxation
and Trading
Rights1. Law on Taxes and Profits of Legal Persons of 31 July 1990;
2. Law on Taxes on State Natural Resources of 21 March 1991;
3. Law on Value-Added-Tax of 22 December 1993 with amendments;
4. Law on Excise Taxes of 12 April 1994 (as amended on 20 October 1998 and on
21 December 1998 abolishing through transitional period the preferential excise
tax treatment for small breweries);Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in January 1995;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in January 1995;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in January 1995
and March 1998;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in January 1995,
March 1998, February 1999 and May 1999;WT/ACC/LTU/36
Page 35. Draft Law on Amendment and Supplement to Law on Excise Taxes (for setting
up the precise date of abolishing special treatment for small breweries - from 1
January 2000);
6. Law on Stamp Duty of 23 June 1994;
7. Government Resolution No.1296 of 4 November 1998 On the Procedure for
Withholding and Refund of Excise Tax and Approval of the List of Products
which Contains Sugar;
8. Government Resolutions No.774 of 23 June 1998 and No.1169 of 29 September
1998 on the Amendment to Government Resolution No.1123 of 11 November
1994 On the Approval of Stamp Duty Rates and the Procedure for Payment and
Refund of Stamp Duty (with the amendments for equalizing the stamp tax for
the activity licencing in importation of tobacco products and
importation/wholesale and wholesale of alcohol and alcoholic beverages);Draft law is already approved by the Government;
the adoption in the Parliament is expected in July-
August 1999;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in June 1997;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in February
1999;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in May 1999;
9. Government Resolution No.601 of 18 May 1999 On the Amendment to
Government Resolution No.1123 of 11 November 1994 On the Approval ofStamp Duty Rates and the Procedure for Payment and Refund of Stamp Duty
(for setting up the precise date for equalization of stamp taxes for the activity
licencing - 1 January 2000) 
1In the process of translation, expected time forsubmission - July-August 1999;
10. Draft amendment of Government Resolution No.1123 of 11 November 1994
regarding equalization of stamp tax for the activity licence in
importation/wholesale and wholesale of oil and products thereof;Draft resolution submitted to the Government for
the approval which is expected in June-July 1999;
11. Information on consular fees levied in accordance with the Government
Resolution No.1135 of 16 November 1994;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in January 1998.
                                                     
1 For more comprehensive information on licensing activities see WT/ACC/LTU/19.WT/ACC/LTU/36
Page 4
Agreement on
Import LicensingProcedures;
Trading Rights1. Law on Enterprises of 8 May 1990 (including provisions on activity licensing)
with the appropriate amendments;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in January 1995
and March 1998;
2. The Customs Code of Lithuania of 18 April 1996; Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in February
1997;
3. Law on Tobacco Control of 20 December 1995;
4. Law on Alcohol Control of 18 April 1995 as amended on 10 December 1998 to
remove the import prohibition of alcoholic beverages with alcohol content ofmore than 50 per cent (inter alia “mead”);Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in July 1996;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in September
1995, March 1998 and May 1999;
5. Law concerning Control of Import, Transit and Export of Strategic Goods and
Technologies of 5 July 1995;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in November
1995;
6. Government Resolution No.718 of 19 May 1995 On the Restriction of Import
of Certain Things (Goods) to the Republic of Lithuania;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in September
1995;
7. Government Resolution No.1221 of 14 September 1995 On Licensing
Wholesale and Retail Trade in Import and Export of Oil Products and Retail
Trade in Liquid Gas;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in March 1996;
8. Government Resolution No.559 of 5 June 1997 On Licensing Import,
Wholesale and Retail Sale in Alcoholic Products which replaced  Government
Resolution No.1459 of 17 November 1995;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in March 1996
and April 1998;
9. Government Resolution No.1622 of 27 December 1995 On Licensing the
Production of Tobacco and its Products and their Import into the Republic ofLithuania;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in March 1996;WT/ACC/LTU/36
Page 5Agreement on
Implementation
of Article VII ofthe GATT 1994
(customs
valuation)1. The Customs Code of Lithuania of 18 April 1996;
2. Government Resolution No.449 of 16 June 1993 On the Approval of the Order
of Customs Valuation of Goods;
3. Government Resolution No.751 of 25 June 1996 On the Customs Assessment
of Prices for Imported Goods with the appropriate amendments;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in February
1997;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in July 1996;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in February 1997
and June 1998 (latest amendments are in the
process of translation, expected time for submission
June-July 1999);
4. Government Resolution No.748 of 9 June 1999 On the Approval of Order of
Customs Valuation of Goods (new order fully conforming with WTO
requirements);In the process of translation; submission expected
in July-August 1999;
Agreement onAgriculture1. Law on State Regulation of Economic Relations in Agriculture of 22 December
1994 with amendments;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in September
1995 and March 1998;
2. Law on Sugar of 27 April 1995; Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in September
1995;
3. Draft Law on the Amendment and Supplement to the Law on Sugar eliminating
appropriate provisions inconsistent with WTO rules;
4. Government Resolution No.788 of 30 June 1998 On the Approval of the
Programme for the Regulation of Agricu ltural and Food Products Market and
Export Promotion;Draft law is already approved by the Government
and submitted to the Parliament for the adoption;
expected time for adoption - July 1999;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in December
1998;
Agreement on the
Application of
Sanitary and
Phytosanitary
Measures (SPS)1. Law on Tobacco Control of 20 December 1995;
2. Draft Law on Food;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in July 1996;
Draft law currently is under the consideration by
the Government, the adoption in the Parliament is
expected before  October 1999;WT/ACC/LTU/36
Page 6
3. Law on Veterinary Activities of 17 December 1991;
4. Draft Law on the Amendment and Supplement to the Law on Veterinary
Activities (supplementing provisions on the risk assessment based on SPSAgreement);
5. Law on Products Safety of 1 June 1999;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in June 1999;
Draft law is already approved by the Government
and presented to the Parliament; adoption isexpected before September 1999;
In the process of translation, expected time for
submission - July-August 1999;
6. Law on Plant Protection  of 19 October 1995;
7. Draft Law on Phytosanitary;
8. Law on Health System of 19 July 1994;
9. Law on Health Care Institutions of 6 June 1996 as amended by the Law of 24
June 1997;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in July 1996;
Draft law is in the final stage of consideration by
the Government, the adoption in the Parliament is
expected before  September 1999;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in June 1999;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in June 1999;
10. Government Resolution No.1106 of 9 October 1997 On Approval of the
Procedure of the Importation of Foodstuffs into the Republic of Lithuania and
Control of their Quality and Non-Hazardness to Health;
11. Government Resolution No.284 of 27 April 1993 On Veterinary and Sanitary
Requirements on Livestock, their Products, Raw Materials and Fodder
Imported to the Republic of Lithuania and Transported as Transit through its
Territory ;
12. Government Resolution No.599 of 3 August 1993 On the Approval of
Vegetable Quarantine Regulations for Import and Export of Goods of
Vegetable Origin to and from the Republic of Lithuania and their Transit
through the Territory of the Republic of Lithuania;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in April 1998;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in January 1995;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in January 1995;
13. Government Resolution No. 384 of 25 March 1996 On the Approval of
Quarantine Regulations for the Production, Transportation, Conservation Sale
and Utilization of Plants and Plant Products on the Territory of the Republic of
Lithuania;
14. Veterinary requirements of the Republic of Lithuania for import, export and
transit of livestock, poultry, animal products, raw materials, feedstuffs;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in June 1997;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in June 1998;WT/ACC/LTU/36
Page 7Participation in international organizations:
Membership of the OIE (Office International des Epizooties) from 1992;
Membership of the Codex Alimentarius Commission from 1992;Membership of the Foot-and-Mouth Di sease Commission at the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) from 1993;
Membership of the EPPO (European and Mediterranean Plant Protection
Organization) from 1998;
Preparation to ratify the IPPC (International Plant Protection Convention);
for more comprehensive information see WT/ACC/LTU/22 Add.1 of 17 March 1999Expected time for ratification August-September
1999;
Agreement onTechnical
Barriers to Trade
(TBT)1. Draft Law on Standardization;
2. Law on Products Safety of 1 June 1999;
3. Law on Metrology of 9 July 1996;
4. Law on Conformity Assessment of 6 October 1998;Draft law is submitted to the Government, the
adoption in Parliament is expected in  September-
October 1999;
In the process of translation; expected time for
submission - July-August 1999;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in February
1997;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in February
1999;
5. Government Resolution No.617 of 20 May 1999 On Rules Governing the
Exchange of Information between Ministries Involved in Standards Issues and
the Enquiry Point, including the Notification Requirements;
6. Code of Good Practice accepted by National Standardization Board on 2 April
1999;In the process of translation, expected time for
submission - July-August 1999;
In the process of translation, expected time for
submission - September 1999;WT/ACC/LTU/36
Page 8
Participation in international organizations:
An affiliate membership of the European Committee for Electrotechnical
Standardization (CENELEC) from 1997;An affiliate membership of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN)
from 1994;
Membership in the European Telecommunication Standards Institute (ETSI) from
1996;
Correspondent membership in the International Organization for Standardization(ISO) from 1992;
An associated membership in the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
from 1996;
Correspondent membership in the Organi zation of Legal Metrology (OIML) from
1994.
Agreement on
Rules of Origin1. The Customs Code of Lithuania of 18 April 1996;
2. Government Resolution No.1077 of 1 October 1997 On the Order of
Determination of Non-Preferential Origin of Goods;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in February
1997;
In the process of translation, submission is expectedin July-August 1999;
Agreement on
Subsidies and
Countervailing
Measures;1. Law on Anti-dumping of 23 June 1998; Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in December
1998;
Agreement onSafeguards;2. Draft Law on Safeguards; Submitted to the Government for the approval, the
adoption in the Parliament is expected in
September-October 1999;
Agreement onImplementation
of Article VI of
the GATT 94 (on
antidumping
measures)3. Draft Law on Countervailing Measures; Submitted to the Government for the approval, the
adoption in the Parliament is expected in
September-October 1999;WT/ACC/LTU/36
Page 9Agreement on
Government
Procurement1. Law on Public Procurement of 13 August 1996;
2. Draft of new Law on Public Procurement;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in February
1997;
Submitted to the Government for the approval, theadoption in the Parliament is expected in  October-
November 1999;
GeneralAgreement on
Trade in Services
(GATS)1. Law on Foreign Capital Investment in the Republic of Lithuania of 13 June
1995;
2. Law on Insurance of 10 July 1996 which replaced the Law of 20 September
1990;
3. Draft Law on the Amendment and Supplement to the Law on Insurance
(eliminates reciprocity requirement for WTO members) ;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in September
1995;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in July 1996 and
February 1997;
Draft law submitted to the Government for theapproval, the adoption in the Parliament is expected
in September-October 1999;
4. Law on Telecommunications of 9 June 1998;
5. Law on Public Trading of Securities of 16 January 1996;
6. Law on Commercial Banks of 21 December 1994;
7. Law on Foreigners Legal Basis of 17 December 1998;
8. Draft Law on Audit;
9. Law on Health System of 19 July 1994;
10. Law on Health Care Institutions of 6 Ju ne 1996; as amended by the Law of 24
June 1997;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in December
1998;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in June 1999;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in September
1995;In the process of translation, expected time for of
submission - September 1999;
Submitted to the Government for the approval, the
adoption in the Parliament is expected in
September-October 1999;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in June 1999;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in June 1999;
11. Law on Tourism of 19 March 1998;
12. Law on Public Procurement of 13 August 1996;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in June 1999;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in February
1997;WT/ACC/LTU/36
Page 10
13. Draft of new Law on Public Procurement; Draft law submitted to the Government for the
approval, the adoption in the Parliament is expected
in September-October 1999;
Agreement on
TRIPS1. Law on Competition of 23 March 1999;
2. Law on Copyright and Related Rights of 18 May 1999;
3. Law on Trademarks and Service Marks of 3 June 1993;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in May 1999;
In the process of translation, submission is expected
in June-July 1999;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in January 1995;
4. Draft Law on the Amendment and Supplement to the Law on Trade Marks and
Service Marks (amendments include measures which are prohibited to use in
connection with geographical indications (terms as “kind”, “style”, “like”, etc.);
5. Law on Industrial Design of 4 July 1995;Draft law is submitted to the Government for the
approval, the adoption in the Parliament is expected
in October-November 1999;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in February
1996;
6. Draft Law on the Amendment and Suppleme nt to the Law on Industrial Design
(amendment is not essential: the term “accumulate for market”, which was used
in the Law should be changed into term “selling” used in the TRIPS
Agreement);
7. Patent Law of 18 January 1994;Draft law is submitted to the Government for the
approval, the adoption in the Parliament is expected
in October-November 1999
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in January 1995
8. Draft Law on the Amendment and Supplement to the Patent Law (amendment
to allow patent owner to prohibit the sale of a patented products; amendment to
provide specific occasions when a non-exclusive compulsory license may be
granted; amendment to allow invalidation of a compulsory license);
9. Law on Protection of Plant Varieties and Seed Cultivation of 17 September
1996;Draft law is submitted to the Government for the
approval; the adoption in the Parliament is expected
in October-November 1999;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in June 1997;
10. Law on the Legal Protection of Topographies and Semiconductor Products of
16 June 1998;
11. Law on the Legal Protection of Comput er Programs and Databases  of 30
January 1996;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in February
1999;
Submitted to the WTO in  February 1997;WT/ACC/LTU/36
Page 1112. Draft Law on the Protection of Intellectual Property for Imported and Exported
Goods;
13. Civil Code of Lithuania of 7 July 1964 as amended by 17 May 1994;
14. Code of Civil Process of Lithuania of 7 July 1964;Draft is submitted to the Government for the
approval, the expected time for adoption in
September-October 1999;General provisions on legal matters affected;
Covers the courts subject to the jurisdiction of
related cases;
15. Code of Administrative Infringements of 13 December 1984;
16. Criminal Code of Lithuania 26 June 1961;
17. Draft Law on Amendment and Supplement to the Criminal Code
(improvements);Covers the liability executed illegal actions;
Covers the liability executed illegal actions;
Draft is submitted to the Government for the
approval, the adoption is expected in September-
October 1999;
18. Code of Criminal Process of Lithuania of 26 June 1961;
19. Draft Law on Amendment and Supplement to the Code of Criminal Process
(improvements);Covers the courts subject to the jurisdiction of
related cases;
Draft is submitted to the Government for the
approval, the adoption is expected in  September-
October 1999;
Participation in international fora:
Membership in the Berne Convention from 1994;
Membership in the Patent Cooperation Treaty from 1994;
Membership in the Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Depositof Micro-organism for the Purposes of the Patent Procedure from 1998;
Membership in the Trademark Law Treaty from 1998;
2
CompetitionPolicy1. Law on Price of 26 July 1990;
2. Law on Competition of 23 March 1999;Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in January 1995;
Submitted to the WTO Secretariat in May 1999;
__________
                                                     
2 For more comprehensive information see WT/ACC/SPEC/LTU/8/Rev.4.