Official Translation
REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA
September 21, 1999, No. VIII-1328 Vilnius
(As amended by 9 January 2006, No. X-484)
Preamble
The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania,
cognisant of the fact that ethnic culture constitutes the essence of national existence, survival and strength;
stating that the various forms of Lithuanian ethnic culture and particularly its living traditions are in obvious danger of extinction;
acknowledging that only a nation which relies upon its culture can support the civic maturity of the members of its society, participate in universal civilisation as an equal partner and maintain dignity, self-sufficiency and originality necessary for such partnership and co-operation,
approves this Law on the Principles of State Protection of Ethnic Culture.
CHAPTER I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
This Law shall establish the general principles of State protection of Lithuanian ethnic culture, and means and conditions Council for the Protection of Ethnic Culture and continuity and enrichment insofar as this shall not be regulated by other laws.
ARTICLE 2. The Basic Definitions of this Law
ARTICLE 3. Legal Principles of State Protection of Ethnic Culture
State protection of ethnic culture shall be implemented according to the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, this and other laws and legal acts and international agreements.
ARTICLE 4. Tasks of State Protection of Ethnic Culture
The tasks of State protection of ethnic culture shall be as follows:
1) to guarantee the preservation and of cultural heritage and continuity of living tradition;
2) to guarantee the preservation, recognition, fixing and rendering of ethnographic, regional traditions of Lithuania;
3) to form and legalise institutions consolidating State protection of ethnic culture and a system of ethnic culture institutions or branches thereof subordinate to them;
4) to ensure an opportunity for all members of society to become acquainted more thoroughly with ethnic culture and the diversity of its expression and to guarantee the accessibility of archival ethnic culture;
5) to develop scientific research of all branches of ethnic culture;
6) to educate a personality of mature national awareness through integrating ethnic culture with the education system;
7) to nurture the expression of ethnic culture which exists in natural surroundings;
8) to develop ethnic uniqueness of language, ensure the survival of dialects and ethnic place names;
9) to support events popularising ethnic culture;
10) to create conditions for improvement of the skill of entities (creators and performers);
11) to ensure protection of the rights of ethnic culture entities;
12) to guarantee propagation of ethnic culture through public media and computer networks, support spreading Lithuanian ethnic culture universally and promote acquaintance with the culture of other nations of the world;
13) create conditions, diminishing the influence of mass culture, which is harmful to national culture;
14) to support the ethnic culture of Lithuanians residing abroad, take care to preserve their national identity and cultural co-operation with fellow countrymen in Lithuania;
15) to provide State support for Lithuanian ethnic culture heritage, remaining in Lithuanian ethnic lands and to protect it.
CHAPTER II
REGULATION OF STATE PROTECTION OF ETHNIC CULTURE
1. The following institutions shall ensure state protection of ethnic culture:
1) The Council for the Protection of Ethnic Culture which is an expert and adviser to the Seimas and the Government on the issues of the state protection and policy of ethnic culture. The Council shall be a legal person. It shall be financed with the funds of the state budget of the Republic of Lithuania. The Council for the Protection of Ethnic Culture shall be accountable to the Seimas. It shall be set up and function pursuant to the regulations approved by the Seimas. The composition of the Council shall be formed on the basis of the proposals of public organisations and state institutions related to the protection of ethnic culture;
2) the Government, ministries and institutions of State protection of ethnic culture allocated to their administrative sphere and their subdivisions;
3) regional Councils for the protection of ethnic culture namely, regional subdivisions of the Council for the Protection of Ethnic Culture, to which according to the procedure established the Council for the Protection of Ethnic Culture, representatives shall be delegated by public and State institutions active in the ethnographic region and linked with ethnic culture protection;
4) county governors; 5) municipal institutions.
2. Competence of state institutions of the Council for the Protection of Ethnic Culture shall be as follows:
1) the Council for the Protection of Ethnic Culture shall assist in the formation and implementation of an ethnic culture policy, supervise and co-ordinate activities of institutions carrying out the state protection of ethnic culture, submit conclusions and proposals to state institutions regarding ethnic culture issues;
2) The State shall guarantee necessary State support of ethnic culture; ministries shall according to their competence ensure implementation of the ethnic culture policy, and create conditions for ethnic culture activities in institutions belonging to their sphere of administration;
3) regional councils for the protection of ethnic culture shall assist county governors and local government institutions in resolving issues Council for the Protection of Ethnic Culture within the ethnographic region;
4) the county governors shall be involved in decisions involving all ethnic culture issues occurring in the ethnographic regions within county territory, support the existing and found new institutions necessary for protection of ethnic culture and divisions thereof, and staff positions;
5) municipalities shall be involved in the protection and strengthening of local ethnic culture institutions, support the existing and (or) found new institutions necessary for the protection of ethnic culture or divisions thereof, staff positions, organise collection of ethnic culture properties, defining and research, in co-operation with the country’s institutions of scientific research and methodical institutions and organisations.
5. Science and study institutions shall prepare specialists for work in institutions of ethnic culture accumulation, protection and research, conduct research of the processes of ethnic culture inheritance and living tradition.
5. Persons accumulating material ethnic culture properties, shall
compensate the presenter for such according to the agreement and legalise acquisition of said properties according to the procedure established by legal acts.
6. Each person shall have the right to acquaint himself with archival
material on ethnic culture kept at the municipal institution and public organisation depositories.
7. Archives of ethnic culture properties, depositories, and scientific and
study institutions shall have the right to obtain copies of archival material on ethnic culture of other archives, depositories and other institutions and also, those accumulated by natural persons, the procedure of acquisition and use whereof shall be established by agreements with the owner of the archival original.
8. Use of archival ethnic culture material shall be permitted free of charge for science and education purposes.
9. Use of archival ethnic culture material for commercial purposes shall
only be permitted upon receipt of concurrence by owner of the archival original, presenter and compiler of the collection. They shall be compensated according to the procedure established by agreements.
1) accumulate information on the existence of the living tradition of ethnic culture and manifestation thereof in Lithuania and Lithuanian communities abroad;
2) Provide methodical and organisational support in the ethnic culture area to county and municipality institutions;
3) publish informational and methodical publication popularising ethnic culture;
4) organise events popularising ethnic culture;
5) support authentic forms of ethnic culture expression existing in natural surroundings;
6) hold courses for improvement of workers who are engaged in ethnic culture work
1. The Ministry of Education and Science and institutions assigned to its area of administration, seeking to ensure transfer of ethnic culture and nurturing thereof within the formal and informal education system shall:
1) integrate ethnic culture into all types and levels of educational institution training programmes;
2) create the conditions for introduction of an ethnic culture course in general education schools;
3) promote versatile ethnic culture activities within the area of supplementary education;
4) develop the uniqueness of ethnic language in educational institutions, ensure the knowledge of ethnographic region uniqueness and local traditions ;
5) legalise those already in existence and if necessary, found new, specialised ethnic education institutions or subdivisions thereof.
6) ensure training of ethnic culture teachers and specialists and provide for the raising of their qualifications to work as such;
7) support publication of ethnic culture instruction means;
8) integrate ethnic culture with training programmes in universities, colleges
and vocational schools for specialists of various areas linked with ethnic culture development (cultural workers, teachers, architects, dress designers, textile workers, craftsmen, food industry workers, agricultural specialists, environmentalists, sportsmen etc.).
CHAPTER III
FUNDING
CHAPTER IV Repealed
I promulgate this Law passed by the Republic of Lithuania Seimas.
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC VALDAS ADAMKUS