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Lithuania's Timeline

I. Overview
GATT application received	18/01/1994	L/7398
GATT Accession Working Party established	22/02/1994	C/M/270
GATT terms of reference & accession Working Party membership	14/03/1994	L/7427
	14/12/1994	L/7551
WTO application received & WTO accession Working Party established	02/02/1995	WT/L/41 (Request to transform the Working Party on the Accession of Lithuania to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1947 into a WTO accession Working Party. As per document WT/L/41 of 16 February 1995, the Working Party on the Accession of Lithuania to the GATT 1947 was transformed into a WTO Accession Working Party, in accordance with the decision adopted by the General Council on 31 January 1995. Document WT/L/41 also reproduced the name of the Chairperson and the terms of reference of the Working Party.)
WTO terms of reference & accession Working Party membership	11/04/1995	WT/ACC/LTU/1  + ( revisions)
Chairperson of the Accession Working Party
1st	04/1995 - 05/2001	Mr. Peter WITT (Germany)
Formal Meetings of the Working Party		Convening notice/fax	Statement(s) by the Head of the Delegation	Statement(s) by Working Party members	Delegation list	Other documents for the meeting	News item
1st	10/11/1995		—	—	—	—	—
2nd	25/03/1996		WT/ACC/LTU/9	—	WT/ACC/LTU/8	—	—
3rd	07/10/1996		WT/ACC/SPEC/LTU/5	—	—	—	—
4th	26/03/1997		—	—	WT/ACC/LTU/14	—	—
5th	02/10/2000	—	—	—	—	—	—
Informal Meetings of the Working Party	Date of the meeting	Convening fax	Statement(s) by the Head of the Delegation
	—	—	—
Plurilateral Meetings	Date of the meeting	Convening fax	Statement(s) by the Head of the Delegation
	—	—	—
II. Multilateral Negotiations
Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime (MFTR)	14/12/1994	L/7551
Initial cycle(s) of Questions and Replies, following the circulation of the MFTR	12/09/1995	WT/ACC/LTU/2
	30/07/1996	WT/ACC/LTU/10
	13/06/2000	WT/ACC/LTU/48
	01/11/1995	WT/ACC/LTU/4
	27/02/1996	WT/ACC/LTU/7   (+ addendum)
Factual Summary of Points Raised	—	—
Additional Questions & Replies	24/02/1997	WT/ACC/LTU/12
	13/06/1997	WT/ACC/LTU/15
	26/10/2000	WT/ACC/LTU/51
Elements of a Draft Report of the Working Party	07/02/1997	WT/ACC/SPEC/LTU/6
Draft Report of the Working Party	23/06/1997	WT/ACC/SPEC/LTU/8  (+ revisions & corrigenda)
Agriculture (WT/ACC/22/Add.1), including Questions and Replies	30/07/1996	WT/ACC/SPEC/LTU/2
	12/06/1997	WT/ACC/SPEC/LTU/7  (+ revisions & addendum)
SPS Checklist (WT/ACC/22/Add.2)	29/09/1999	WT/ACC/LTU/43
TBT Checklist (WT/ACC/22/Add.2)	29/09/1999	WT/ACC/LTU/41
TRIPS Questionnaire (WT/ACC/22/Add.2)	29/09/1999	WT/ACC/LTU/42
Import Licensing Procedures Questionnaire (WT/ACC/22 +revisions)	—	—
Customs Valuation Checklist (WT/ACC/22 +revisions)	—	—
State-Trading Questionnaire (WT/ACC/22 +revisions)	—	—
Draft Subsidies Notification (WT/ACC/22/Add.2)	—	—
Comprehensive Legislative Action Plan (LAP)	12/04/1999	WT/ACC/LTU/32
	26/05/1999	WT/ACC/LTU/33
	15/06/1999	WT/ACC/LTU/36
	02/08/1999	WT/ACC/LTU/36/Rev.1
	13/10/1999	WT/ACC/LTU/36/Rev.2
	13/04/2000	WT/ACC/LTU/36/Rev.3
Rule-specific Action Plans	—	—
Legislation and implementing regulations	Click for details Hide details	Legislation notice		Notified legislation
	12/09/1995	WT/ACC/LTU/2/Add.2		Government Resolution No. 281 "On Partial Amendments to Resolution No. 985 "On Procedure of Export and Import Regulation in the Republic of Lithuania adopted by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on 14 October 1994", 28 February 1995  Law on Commercial Banks No. I-720 of 21 December 1994  Law on State Regulation of Economic Relations in Agriculture No. I-734 of 22 December 1994  Law on Trade No. I-747 of 12 January 1995  Law on Alcohol Control No. I-857 of 18 April 1995 (as amended by 3 July 1995)  Law on Sugar No. I-867 of 27 April 1995  Law on Foreign Capital Investment in the Republic of Lithuania No. I-938 of 13 June 1995  Government Resolution No. 35 "On the Approval of the Order of Foodstuffs Imported into the Republic of Lithuania and their Quality Control" of 9 January 1995  Government Resolution No. 510 "On Approving Provisional Regulations of Government Procurement" of 12 April 1995  Government Resolution No. 511 "On Approving Regulations of Rendering Services" of 12 April 1995  Government Resolution No. 635 "On the General Order of the Administration of Tariff Quotas for Implementation and Exportation of Goods" of 8 May 1995  Government Resolution No. 718 "On the Restriction of Import of Certain Things (Goods) to the Republic of Lithuania, their Export and Transit" of 19 May 1995
	29/02/1996	WT/ACC/LTU/2/Add.3		Law on Industrial Design, NO.I-1006, July 4, 1995  Government Resolution NO.205 on Enactment of the Free Trade Agreement betweenthe Republic of Lithuania and the European Community, the European Atomic Energy Commuity, and the European coal and Steel Community, NO.205, February 8, 1995
	28/03/1996	WT/ACC/LTU/2/Add.4		Government Resolution No.1221 "On Licensing Wholesale and Retail Trade in Import and Export of Oil Products and Retail Trade in Liquid Gas" (14 September 1995)  Government Resolution No.1459 "On Licensing Import, Wholesale and Retail Trade in Alcoholic Products" (17 November 1995)  Government Resolution No. 1622 "On Licensing the Production of Tobacco and its Products and their Import into the Republic if Lithuania" (27 December 1995)
	25/07/1996	WT/ACC/LTU/2/Add.5		Law on Insurance, No.I 590, 20 September 1990  Law on Plant Protection, No.I 1069, 19 October 1995  Law on Communications, No.I 1109, 30 November 1995  Law on Tobacco Control, No.I 1143, 20 December 1995  Government Resolution No.449 on the Approval of the Order of Customs Valuation of Goods, 16 June 1993
	24/02/1997	WT/ACC/LTU/11		Law on the Legal Protection of Computer Programs and Databases, No. I-1188, 30 January 1996  The Customs Code of the Republic of Lithuania, 6 June 1996  Law on Metrology, No. I-1452, 9 July 1996  Law on Insurance, No.I 1456, 10 July 1996  Law on Public Procurement, No. I 1491, 13 August 1996  Government Resolution No.751 on the Customs Assessment of Prices for Imported Goods, 25 June 1996
	13/06/1997	WT/ACC/LTU/15/Add.1		Law on the Protection of Plant Varieties and Seed Cultivation No. I-1518 of 17 September 1996  Law on Stamp Duty No. I-508 of 23 June 1994  Draft Law on the Conformity Assessment System  Government Resolution No. 384 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 of 25 March 1996
	13/03/1998	WT/ACC/LTU/20		Law No. I-857 of 18 April 1995 On Alcohol Control  Law No. I-734 of 22 December 1994 On State Regulation of Economic Relations in Agriculture  Law No. I-345 of 22 December 1993 On Value-Added Tax  Law No. I-429 of 12 April 1994 On Excise DutiesLaw No. I-196 of 8 May 1990 On Enterprises
	06/04/1998	WT/ACC/LTU/21		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  Resolution No. 559 of 5 June 1997 On Licensing the Importation, Wholesale and Retail Trade in Alcoholic Products  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  Resolution No. 1367 of 30 December 1994 On the Establishment of the Structure of Customs Tariffs  Summary of the Free Trade Agreement Between the Republic of Lithuania and Ukraine
	14/12/1998	WT/ACC/LTU/28		Law No. VIII-807 of 23 June 1998 on Anti-Dumping  Law No. VIII-633 of 19 February 1998 on Customs Tariffs  Law No. VIII-744 of 9 June 1998 on Telecommunications  Decree of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania No. 788 On the Approval of the Programme for the Regulation of Agricultural and Food Products Market and Export Promotion
	16/02/1999	WT/ACC/LTU/30		Law No. VIII-870 of 6 October 1998 on the Conformity of Assessment  Law No. VIII-791 of 16 June 1998 on the Legal Protection of Topographies of Semi-conductor Products  Law No. I-429 of 12 April 1994 on Excise Duties (as amended by Law No. VIII-901 of 20 October 1998)  Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania No. 1296 of 4 November 1998 on the Procedure for Withholding and Refund of Excise Tax and Approval of the List of Products which Contain Sugar
	31/05/1999	WT/ACC/LTU/34		Law on Competition, 23 March 1999, No. VIII-1099  Law on Alcohol Control, 18 April 1995 No. I-857 as amended by 10 December 1998, No. VIII-961  Law on Excise Duties, 12 April 1994, No. I-429 as amended by 21 December 1998, No. VIII-982  Government Resolution No. 176 of 19 February 1999 Concerning the Amendment of Government Resolution of 30 December 1998 No. 1524 Regarding the Implementation of the Europe Agreement Establishing an Association Between the European Communities and Their Member States, of the One Part, and the Republic of Lithuania, of the Other Part  Government Resolution No. 1524 of 30 December 1998 Regarding the Implementation of the Europe Agreement Establishing an Association Between the European Communities and Their Member States, of the One Part, and the Republic of Lithuania, of the Other Part  Government Resolution No. 774 of 23 June 1998 on the Amendment of 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  Government Resolution No. 1169 of 29 September 1998 on the Amendment of 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  Government Resolution No. 1297 of 4 November 1998 Supplementing the Government Resolution No. 302 of 25 April 1994 on Excise Taxes  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
	26/06/1999	WT/ACC/LTU/37		Law on Mental Health Care, 6 June 1996, No. I-924  Law on Tourism, 19 March 1998, No. VIII-667  Law on the Amendment of the Law on Health Care Institutions, 24 June 1997, No. VIII-288  Law on Health System 19 July 1994, No. I-552  Law on Public Trading in Securities, 16 January 1996, No. I-1169  Law on Veterinary Activities, 17 December 1991, No. I-2110  Government of the Republic of Lithuania, Resolution No. 559, 5 June 1997, On Licensing the Importation of Wholesale and Retail Trade in Alcoholic Products
	01/07/1999	WT/ACC/LTU/38		Government Resolution No. 504 of 24 April 1998 amending Government Resolution No. 751 of 25 June 1996 "On the Prices of Import for their Customs Valuation"  Law on the Legal Status of Aliens, No VIII-978, 17 December 1998  Government Resolution No 617 of 20 May 1999 "On Information Exchange in the Field of Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures"  Lithuanian Standards Board Order No 13 of 22 February 1999. This document, which contains a part of the Code of Good Practice disciplines, established procedure of drafting, approval, publication and revision of standards
	26/07/1999	WT/ACC/LTU/39		Government Resolution No. 1077 of 1 October 1977 on the Determination of Origin of Goods and on the Certificates of Origin of the General Form  Government Resolution No. 641 of 24 May 1999 on Partial Amendments to Resolution No. 268 of 24 March 1997 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the Procedure for Export and Import Regulation in the Republic of Lithuania  Government Resolution No. 748 of 9 June 1999 on the Approval of the Procedure of the Customs Valuation of Goods  Law No. I-119 of 6 April 1993 on Procedure of Publication and Coming into Force of Laws and other Legal Acts of the Republic of Lithuania  Law No. VIII-1185 of 18 May 1999 on Copyright and Related Rights  Law No. I-425 of 30 July 1990 on Stock Corporations
	14/09/1999	WT/ACC/LTU/40		Law on Administrative Proceedings, No. VIII-1029 of 14 January 1999  Law on Product Safety, No. VIII-1206 of 1 June 1999  Resolution on Temporary Economic Measures to Facilitate the Export of Lithuanian Goods, Protect the Internal Market and Strengthen Lithuania's Position Therein, No. 1122 of 17 September 1998  Resolution on Partial Amendments to Resolution No. 1123 "On the Approval of Stamp Tax Tariffs and Procedure of Stamp Tax Payment and Refunding" No. 601 of 11 November 1994  Draft Law amending the Law on Insurance (Articles 2, 7, 11, 17, 22, 27, 28, 29, 31, 37, 39, 42, 43, 45, 46, 47, 60, 63, 66)  Draft Law on Phytosanitary  Draft Law on Standardisation
	12/10/1999	WT/ACC/LTU/44		Draft Law on the Amendment of Article 71 of the Law on Copyright and Related Rights  Draft Law on Countervailing Duties dated 1999  Law on Excise Duties dated 12 April 1994 No.I-429, as amended on 8 July 1999 No. VIII-1321  Draft Law on the Protection of Intellectual Property in the Field of Import and Export of Goods  Order No. 240, 9 November 1998 of Lithuania's Minister of Agriculture, regarding the Procedure for Automatic Issuing of Import Permits (Licenses) for Agricultural and Food Products  Law on the Amendment of the Law on Sugar, No.VIII-1328, 8 July 1999  Draft Law on Food  Draft Law on Safeguard Measures
	10/02/2000	WT/ACC/LTU/45		Draft Law on Amending and Supplementing Article 5 of the Law on Industrial Design  Law on Excise Duties, 12 April 1994 No.I-429 (as amended by 23 December 1999 No. VIII-1494)  Law on Investment, 7 July 1999 No. VIII-1312  Draft Law on the Amendment of Articles 26, 39 and 40 and on the Invalidation of Article 38 of the Patent Law of the Republic of Lithuania  Law on the Amendment of the Law on Public Procurement, 3 June 1999 No. VIII-1210  Draft Law Amending the Law on Trademarks and Service Marks
	11/04/2000	WT/ACC/LTU/46		Law on Excise Duties of 12 April 1994 No. I-429  Law on Audit of 15 June 1999 No. VIII-1227  Law on Veterinary Activities of 17 December 1999 No. I-2110  Law on Phytosanitary of 16 December 1999 No. VIII-1481  Draft Law Supplementing the Criminal Code with Articles 1421, 142, 143 and Amending and Supplementing Articles 35, 142, 308, 321 thereof, Draft Law Amending Articles 37, 126 and 143 of the Code of Criminal Procedures. (Draft Changes related to the TRIPS)
	08/06/2000	WT/ACC/LTU/47		Law on Insurance No. I-1456 of 10 July 1996 as amended by 23 March 2000 No. VII-1587  Resolution regarding the Amendment of the Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania of 11 November 1994 No. 1123 "Regarding the Revision of the Rates of Stamp Duty as well as the Approval of the Stamp Duty Payment and Refund Procedure  Secondary Legal Acts of the Law on Antidumping  Legal Acts subject to calculation of total AMS for Lithuania's producers
	20/06/2000	WT/ACC/LTU/49		Law on Amending Articles 35, 142, 308, 321-2 of the Criminal Code and Supplementing the Code with Articles 142-1, 142-2, 142-3 (related to the protection of the intellectual property)  Law Amending Articles 37, 126 and 143 of the Code of Criminal Procedures (related to the protection of the intellectual property).  Law on Food No. VIII-1608, 4 April 2000  Law on Standardization No. VIII-1618, 11 April 2000
	11/08/2000	WT/ACC/LTU/50		Resolution of the Government No. 529 On the Approval of the Procedure for the Application of Excise Tax Relief on Beer Made by the Small Breweries of 10 May 2000  Law on Safeguard Measures of 23 May 2000, No. VIII-1703
	29/09/2000	WT/ACC/LTU/50/Add.1		Draft Resolution on Amendment of Government Resolution No. 617 of 20 May 1999 on Information Exchange in the Field of Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures
	04/10/2000	WT/ACC/LTU/50/Add.2		Draft Methodology of Application of Certain Provisions of Procedure on Customs Valuation, approved by the Order of Customs Department No. 395 on 25 September 2000  Draft Methodology of Control of Customs Valuation of Imported Goods, approved by the Order of the Customs Department No. 51 of 1 March 2000
Consultation documents	Click for details Hide details	Consultation notice		Notified consultation document
	12/09/1995	WT/ACC/LTU/2/Add.1		Introductory Note to Questions and Replies to the Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Régime
	13/10/1995	WT/ACC/LTU/3		Checklist of Documents
	02/11/1995	WT/ACC/LTU/3/Rev.1		Checklist of Documents
	27/11/1995	WT/ACC/LTU/5   (+ corrigendum)		Memorandum on the Services Régime
	07/03/1996	WT/ACC/LTU/6		Checklist of Documents
	01/10/1996	WT/ACC/LTU/6/Rev.1		Checklist of Documents
	24/02/1997	WT/ACC/LTU/11		Free Trade Agreement between the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Lithuania on Trade in Agricultural Products, 16 June 1996
	14/03/1997	WT/ACC/LTU/13		Checklist of Documents
	09/10/1997	WT/ACC/LTU/16		Free Trade Agreements between the Republic of Lithuania and the Czech Republic, between the Republic of Lithuania and the Slovak Republic and between the Republic of Lithuania and the Republic of Slovenia
	01/10/1997	WT/ACC/LTU/17 (+ addendum)		The Privatization Process in Lithuania
	23/01/1998	WT/ACC/LTU/18		Information on consular fees levied in accordance with the Law of 16 November 1994
	10/02/1998	WT/ACC/LTU/19		Information on licensing criteria for imported goods
	14/05/1998	WT/ACC/LTU/22		Lithuania’s progress in implementing the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
	17/03/1999	WT/ACC/LTU/22/Rev.1		Lithuania’s progress in implementing the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
	14/05/1998	WT/ACC/LTU/23		Information on Lithuania’s agriculture sector
	25/06/1998	WT/ACC/LTU/25		Veterinary Requirements of the Republic of Lithuania for import, export and transit
	04/09/1998	WT/ACC/LTU/26		The Sugar Industry in Lithuania: Situation and Perspectives
	07/09/1998	WT/ACC/LTU/27		Information on the textile, clothing, fur dressing and dyeing in Lithuania
	12/11/1998	WT/ACC/LTU/29		Information on National Enquiry Points of Lithuania
	17/03/1999	WT/ACC/LTU/31		Information on State-trading in Lithuania
	04/06/1999	WT/ACC/LTU/35		Notification on the operation of the special purpose state enterprises
	15/06/1999	WT/ACC/LTU/36 (+ revisions)		Information showing the progress in the adoption of legislation to WTO legal framework
	14/10/1996	WT/ACC/SPEC/LTU/4  (+ addendum)		Import/export regime of Lithuania
	30/09/1997	WT/ACC/SPEC/LTU/9		Request for Transition Period to Implement Specific Provisions of the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
	16/10/1997	WT/ACC/SPEC/LTU/10		Progress in Implementing the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
	06/01/1998	WT/ACC/SPEC/LTU/11		Progress in Privatization of Up and Downstream Industries in Lithuanian Agriculture
	14/05/1998	WT/ACC/LTU/24		Offer for insurance services
	03/02/2000	WT/ACC/SPEC/LTU/12		Agriculture and Related Issues
	28/07/2000	WT/ACC/SPEC/LTU/13		Consolidated List of Specific Commitments on Trade in Services
	11/08/2000	WT/ACC/SPEC/LTU/14		Consolidated List of Specific Concessions and Commitments on Trade in Goods
III. Bilateral Market Access Negotiations
Goods Offer(s)	14/10/1996	WT/ACC/SPEC/LTU/3  (+ revision)
Services Offer(s)	30/07/1996	WT/ACC/SPEC/LTU/1  (+ revisions & addendum)
Register of Bilateral Market Access Agreements
Draft Goods Schedule	29/09/2000	WT/ACC/SPEC/LTU/15  (+ addendum & corrigendum)
Draft Services Schedule	28/09/2000	WT/ACC/SPEC/LTU/16
Goods and Services Technical Verification Meetings	—	—
IV. Summary of Final Meeting of the Working Party
—		—
V. Accession Package (“Terms of Accession”, de-restricted)
Ministerial Conference/General Council Decision on the Accession	08/12/2000	WT/ACC/LTU/53		News item
Protocol of Accession	08/12/2000	WT/ACC/LTU/54
Report of the Working Party	07/11/2000	WT/ACC/LTU/52
Goods Schedule (Schedule of Concessions and Commitments Annexed to the GATT 1994)	17/11/2000	WT/ACC/LTU/52/Add.1 (+ corrigendum)
Services Schedule (Schedule of Specific Commitments Annexed to the GATS)	17/11/2000	WT/ACC/LTU/52/Add.2
VI. Accessions Commitments Database (ACDB)
Specific Accession Commitments	http://acdb.wto.org/ click on “Report by Member”, select “Lithuania” in drop down list then click on “View Report”
VII. Instrument of Acceptance
Notification of Acceptance and Entry Into Force of the Protocol of Accession	01/05/2001	WT/LET/393
VIII. Date of Membership
	31/05/2001	141st Member
IX. Since 1995, this is the…
13th economy that joined the WTO pursuant to Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement.

Note:
The de-restriction of documents is a key component of the transparency obligations of the Multilateral Trading System.  Paragraphs 1 and 2(e) of the Ministerial Council DecisionWT/L/452 of 14 May 2002 provide that “documents relating to working parties on accession shall be restricted and shall be automatically de-restricted upon the adoption of the report of the working party” by the Ministerial Conference/General Council.  The time of completion of the de-restriction process depends on the amount and complexities of the documents involved.  Prior to 2002, the de-restriction of accession-related documents was governed by a different set of rules (i.e. General Council DecisionWT/L/160/Rev.1 of 26 July 1996), which only affect documents circulated prior to 2002.