R. Tamašunienė: Digitalisation of Justice Systems and Reduced Regulatory Burden Are Shared Priorities of the Baltic States
Lithuanian Minister of Justice Rita Tamašunienė met in Tallinn with Latvian Minister of Justice Edvards Smiltēns and Estonian Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa-Ly Pakosta to align regional priorities. Their discussions centered on digitizing justice systems, cutting regulatory burdens, advancing the EU e-Justice agenda, and expanding Baltic legal cooperation.
“Close cooperation among the Baltic States is not only a tradition but also a necessity. We face many common challenges and have very similar priorities, which is why regular exchanges of experience help us learn from one another, coordinate our positions and achieve better results together,” said Minister of Justice Rita Tamašunienė.
A major focus of the meeting was preventing "gold-plating," which occurs when national governments introduce regulations stricter than those required by EU legislation. The Minister of Justice Rita Tamašunienė noted that sticking to minimum EU requirements helps minimize administrative costs for both businesses and supervisory authorities, supporting a more efficient internal market.
“When implementing EU law, we must strike the right balance - ensuring high standards in the areas of safety, health, environmental protection and other fields, while at the same time avoiding the creation of unjustified additional requirements. Every national decision that goes beyond the minimum requirements established by EU law must be clearly justified,” she stated.
In Lithuania, legislative proposals undergo a strict assessment of alternatives, and the Ministry of Justice actively reviews explanatory documents to ensure any extra regulatory burden is fully warranted.
The ministers also evaluated progress in court technology, pointing to the 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard, which ranks the Baltic States among the top EU performers in judicial digitalization. Lithuania has systematically adopted digital tools since 2013, resulting in about 93% of civil and administrative cases being handled entirely online through its electronic court portal in 2025.
Remote court hearings in Lithuania also grew 1.7 times between 2022 and 2025, supported by legal frameworks that allow public viewing. Tamašunienė stressed that these digital tools build national resilience by allowing courts to operate without interruption during crises.
“Today, a digital justice system is also part of our resilience. Remote technologies, electronic services and video conferencing enable courts to maintain uninterrupted operations even in times of crisis. Therefore, together with the court community, we must continue to invest consistently in a secure, reliable and accessible digital justice system,” The Minister emphasized.
Looking toward broader European policies, Lithuania urged that implementing the Digitalization Package remain a top priority on the EU e-Justice agenda. Lithuania also proposed a new initiative to streamline the cross-border enforcement of civil judgments, citing requests from local businesses and bailiffs for better tools to track physical and digital assets across Member States.
Lithuania invited its Baltic partners to support creating a unified EU platform for exchanging debtor asset information. The meeting concluded with all three ministers agreeing to continue sharing best practices to strengthen regional resilience, uphold the rule of law, and ensure the effective functioning of justice systems.
Last updated: 25-08-2026