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Over €40 Million Invested in Strengthening Lithuania’s Justice System Through International Programme
The European Economic Area (EEA) and Norwegian Financial Mechanisms programme "Justice and Home Affairs" has wrapped up after four years. This programme has funded 5 important projects that significantly improved Lithuania’s justice system. The achievements were shared at a closing event in Kaunas on November 19.
Norwegian Ambassador to Lithuania, Atle Konta Midttun, expressed his satisfaction with the programme’s impact, highlighting its focus on human rights, public needs, domestic violence prevention, and alternative sanctions aimed at helping offenders reintegrate into society.
Lithuanian Minister of Justice Ewelina Dobrowolska echoed his thoughts, noting that despite challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and other unexpected events, the programme successfully achieved major changes in Lithuania’s justice sector.
“We are proud to mark the end of this difficult but rewarding programme. We have learned from Norway’s experience and adapted it to our own needs,” the Minister said. She added that justice and home affairs will continue to be priorities in the next funding period.
Sandra Remeikienė, Deputy Director of the Central Project Management Agency (CPVA), emphasized that the focus was on improving law enforcement effectiveness and transparency, as well as strengthening the skills of its personnel. "I believe the programme's positive results will last and inspire future improvements," said S. Remeikienė.
The conference was organized by CPVA, the programme operator responsible for the proper implementation of the programme and reporting to donors. The programme, which received over €40 million in funding, has been running since 2020.
Implemented Projects:
- Improving the Lithuanian Penitentiary System:
This project focused on improving the skills of prison and probation staff. A new model was created to ensure that offenders receive the services they need for successful reintegration into society. This included behavior-changing programs and electronic monitoring for offenders. The project also helped expand Lithuania’s halfway house network with new centers opening in Šiauliai, Tauragė, Kaunas, and soon in Plungė. - Combating Domestic Violence:
This project aimed to improve the quality of work in the justice system to better protect victims of domestic violence. Police officers were trained to recognize and handle domestic violence cases more effectively. New tools were developed, such as a guide for law enforcement officials and a system for identifying high-risk individuals. The project also included the purchase of body cameras for officers. - Combating Organized Crime:
This initiative aimed to strengthen cooperation between Lithuanian and Norwegian police forces and share best practices in the fight against crime. Police officers received training, and new equipment was acquired to help fight serious crime and improve the collection and analysis of important data. This included software to enhance fingerprint analysis and modern forensic laboratory equipment. - Improving Lithuanian Courts:
The project helped modernize two Lithuanian courts (Kaunas District Court and Vilnius City District Court), making court spaces more accessible to the public and improving security. It included updates to courtrooms, waiting areas, and other public spaces. The project also ensured that the courts were accessible to people with disabilities. In addition, the court system was equipped with better security measures, and a new IT system for selecting judges was introduced to make the court process faster. Training was also provided for staff. - Modernizing the Prosecution Service:
This project focused on creating a more modern and efficient prosecution service. It involved analyzing current laws, improving the quality of the prosecution process, and creating new tools for investigating criminal cases. The project also provided training to prosecutors to help improve their skills and communication abilities.
About the Justice and Home Affairs programme
The Justice and Home Affairs programme is strengthening the rule of law in Lithuania. Various measures of the programme increase the efficiency of the Lithuanian judiciary and prosecution service, improve the penal enforcement system, strengthen the competences of the judiciary and law enforcement authorities and inter-institutional cooperation in the field of domestic and gender-based violence, and improve the capacity of the police in fighting crime. In total, more than €40 million has been allocated to the programme for the period 2014-2021. The programme is operated by the CPVA and implemented in partnership with partners.