OFFICIAL TRANSLATION REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA LAW ON CIVIL PROTECTION 15 December 1998 No. VIII-971 Vilnius (As amended by 5 February 2004 No. IX-2001) CHAPTER I GENERAL PROVISIONS Article 1. Purpose of

item 3 applicable until 1 April 2004: 3) the Civil Protection Department under the Ministry of National Defence (hereinafter - Civil Protection Department);

item 3 applicable from 1 April 2004: 3) the Civil Protection Department under the Ministry of the Interior (hereinafter – Civil Protection Department); 4) the State Fire Prevention and Rescue Service; 5) ministries, State and municipal institutions, fire prevention and other civil protection services of municipalities, economic entities and agencies; 6) environment monitoring and laboratory control network. Article

1. Goals of the Civil Protection and Rescue System The goals of the civil protection and rescue system shall be: 1) to provide conditions for State institutions, economic entities and the population for the transfer from ordinary living (working) conditions to an emergency with the smallest possible losses, for the keeping of order, preservation of human lives, health, property and protection of the environment against the effects of the emergency; 2) to guarantee optimum use of State resources in order to ensure public security, maintain the viability of the national economy, localise emergency areas and respond to the emergency; 3) to prepare the public for practical actions in the event of an emergency, foster the initiative of the public in the areas and strengthen the confidence in the activity of the civil protection and rescue system. Article
2. Tasks of the Civil Protection and Rescue System Taking into account the causes, character and hazard of an emergency, the civil protection and rescue system shall implement the following tasks: 1) warn the population of the imminent emergency, inform of its possible effects and measures to respond thereto; 2) undertake emergency prevention; 3) organise the supply of the population with individual protection kits and collective protection equipment; 4) carry out the reconnaissance and marking of the hazard area; 5) extinguish fires; 6) carry out rescue and other emergency operations; 7) maintain public order in the disaster area; 8) provide medical aid and carry out public health care in the event of an emergency; 9) evacuate the people and property from the territories at risk; 10) carry out sanitary treatment and other decontamination measures; 11) organise provision of the victims with temporary accommodation and supplies; 12) make arrangements for the burial of the dead; 13) organise the restoration of disrupted provision of essential municipal services; 14) provide assistance to preserve vital establishments; 15) stockpile vital supplies; 16) train chief officers, personnel, civil protection and rescue system forces and the population in actions in the event of an emergency; 17) investigate and analyse the causes of disasters. Article
3. Principles of Organisation and Functioning of the Civil Protection and Rescue System When implementing the goals and tasks set to them, the institutions of the civil protection and rescue system shall be guided by the following principles of organisation and functioning: 1) territoriality – civil protection shall be organised on the national scale according to the administrative division of the State and shall embrace the entire population as well as foreign nationals located in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania; 2) differentiation – civil protection measures and preparedness for rescue operations shall be performed in individual administrative units taking into account the hazard and extent of an emergency anticipated in the territories of said units, also possible effect thereof on the national economy, the population, industrial and social activities; 3) universal obligatoriness – civil protection measures shall be obligatory to all State and municipal institutions, all economic entities, agencies and residents; 4) transparency – the activities of State and municipal institutions, economic entities and agencies in the sphere of civil protection shall be transparent to the public and the media; 5) state of constant readiness – the institutions and forces of the civil protection and rescue system must be in the state of constant readiness to act under the likely emergency conditions; 6) interoperability – the effectiveness of civil protection measures and actions under emergency conditions shall be ensured by co-ordinating the interoperability plans and management system of State and municipal institutions, economic entities, forces of the civil protection and rescue system, the Lithuanian Armed Forces, medical institutions and other services.

Article 7until 1 April 2004: Article 7.

Basic Legal Principles of the Civil Protection and Rescue System Institutions of the civil protection and rescue system shall be guided in their activities by the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, laws and other legal acts enacted by the Seimas, decrees of the President of the Republic, resolutions of the Government, ordinances of the Prime Minister, orders of the Minister of National Defence and international treaties to which the Republic of Lithuania is a party.

Article 7from 1 April 2004: Article 7.

Basic Legal Principles of the Civil Protection and Rescue System Institutions of the civil protection and rescue system shall be guided in their activities by the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, laws and other legal acts enacted by the Seimas, decrees of the President of the Republic, resolutions of the Government, ordinances of the Prime Minister, orders of the Minister of the Interior and international treaties to which the Republic of Lithuania is a party. CHAPTER II DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF STATE AND MUNICIPAL INSTITUTIONS AND ECONOMIC ENTITIES IN THE SPHERE OF CIVIL PROTECTION Article 8. The Government Implementing the State policy in the sphere of civil protection, the Government shall: 1) draw up programmes for the development of the civil protection and rescue system and submit them to the Seimas for approval; 2) lay down the procedure for implementing the priority directions and programmes for the development of the civil protection and rescue system; 3) establish the emergency prevention procedure; 4) approve the levels of civil protection preparedness and emergency criteria; 5) approve national level plans of civil protection preparedness for an emergency, lists of establishments of national significance and potentially hazardous establishments and of basic public services provided to the population free of charge in the event of an emergency; 6) establish the procedure for using material resources in the event of an emergency; 7) establish the composition of the State reserve of civil protection technical means, food and clothing, the size of the reserve, the procedure for stockpiling, storage, renewal and delivery thereof to the site of use; 8) lay down the procedure for civil protection training; 9) fix budget appropriations for the maintenance and development of the civil protection and rescue system and submit them to the Seimas for approval; 10) notify the President of the Republic and the Seimas of emergencies and consequences and causes thereof and mediate in the declaration, when appropriate, of an emergency; 11) specify the procedure for applying to other states or international organisations for assistance.

Article 9until 1 April 2004: Article 9.

Ministry of National Defence

1. In time of peace, the Ministry of National Defence shall implement, in conjunction with other institutions, the Government’s policy in the area of civil protection, co-ordinate the activities of institutions of the civil protection and rescue system in accomplishing the tasks assigned to their competence.
2. The Minister of National Defence shall: 1) specify the procedure for notifying the Emergency Management Centre of emergencies; 2) approve the needs for shelters and other collective protection structures, the norms and procedure for providing the population with individual means of protection; 3) approve the plans of the national level civil protection exercise; 4) approve the annual plan for the enrolment of students in the civil protection training centre; 5) submit to the Government drafts of laws on civil protection and other legal acts on related issues; 6) issue orders on civil protection matters the implementation whereof shall be mandatory to civil protection and rescue system management institutions; 7) approve the annual plan of activities of the Civil Protection Department; 8) present to the Government generalised information on the state of the civil protection and rescue system.

Article 9from 1 April 2004: Article 9.

Ministry of the Interior

1. The Ministry of the Interior shall implement, in conjunction with other institutions, the Government’s policy in the area of civil protection, co-ordinate the activities of institutions of the civil protection and rescue system in accomplishing the tasks assigned to their competence.
2. The Minister of the Interior shall: 1) specify the procedure for notifying the Emergency Management Centre of emergencies; 2) approve the needs for shelters and other collective protection structures, the norms and procedure for provision of the population with individual means of protection; 3) approve the plans of the national level civil protection exercise; 4) approve the annual plan for the enrolment of students in the civil protection training centre; 5) submit to the Government drafts of laws on civil protection and other legal acts on related issues; 6) issue orders on civil protection matters, the implementation whereof shall be mandatory to civil protection and rescue system management institutions; 7) approve the annual plan of activities of the Civil Protection Department; 8) present to the Government generalised information on the state of the civil protection and rescue system. Article
3. Civil Protection Department
4. The Civil Protection Department shall be a constituent part of the civil protection and rescue system directing the activities of the civil protection and rescue system, organising the prevention of emergencies, co-ordinating the activities of State institutions and economic entities in the sphere of civil protection and planning the national preparedness for the implementation of civil protection tasks in the event of an emergency in time of peace and in wartime. The Civil Protection Department shall be established by the Government.
5. When implementing the tasks assigned to it, the Civil Protection Department shall: 1) warn and inform State institutions, economic entities and the population in the event of an emergency of a national-scale hazard presenting a threat to human life, health, property and the environment; 2) plan measures in order to ensure the transfer of State institutions, economic entities and the population from ordinary working (living) conditions to an emergency with the smallest possible losses, maintenance of order, preservation of human life, health and property and protection of the environment against the effects of the emergency; 3) plan measures in order to ensure the optimum use of State resources for the maintenance of the viability of the national economy, localisation of emergency areas and response to the emergency; 4) compile the register of establishments of national significance and hazardous establishments; 5) control the activities of the civil protection and rescue system; 6) organise the preparedness of State institutions and the community for practical actions in case of an emergency; 7) organise and direct the national level civil protection exercise; 8) co-ordinate the preparation of plans of civil protection preparedness for an emergency in counties and municipalities; 9) agree county plans of civil protection preparedness for an emergency. Article
6. State Fire Prevention and Rescue Service
7. The State Fire Prevention and Rescue Service shall be a constituent part of the Civil Protection and Rescue System which shall be in the state of constant readiness, organise the extinguishment of fires, extinguish fires and carry out rescue operations as well as State fire prevention supervision.
8. The State Fire Prevention and Rescue Service, municipal fire prevention services, departmental fire prevention forces and voluntary firemen units taking part in an emergency response operation shall be subordinate, irrespective of their institutional dependence, to the commander of rescue operations appointed, in the prescribed manner, by Director of the Fire Prevention and Rescue Department under the Ministry of the Interior (hereinafter – the Fire Prevention and Rescue Department). Article
9. Ministries and Other State Institutions
10. The activities of ministries and other State institutions in the sphere of civil protection shall be directed by heads thereof or the persons authorised by them.
11. Ministries and other State institutions shall: 1) be responsible for the organisation of civil protection according to the type of activity and competence assigned to them; 2) approve the regulations of the emergency management centre of a ministry or other State institution, upon prior co-ordination thereof with the Civil Protection Department; 3) build departmental reserves of supplies and funds in order to increase the stability of functioning and security under emergency conditions of the enterprises assigned to their sphere of regulation; 4) organise training in civil protection of the chief officers and specialists; 5) project emergencies, plan and implement preventive measures; 6) draw up and approve plans of civil protection preparedness for an emergency; 7) co-ordinate, taking into account the character of tasks within their competence, the planning of civil protection measures of entities assigned to their sphere of regulation as well as the preparedness of the entities to work under emergency conditions; 8) furnish State institutions with information necessary for the implementation of civil protection tasks; 9) perform an annual analysis of the state of civil protection preparedness for an emergency and submit it to the Civil Protection Department. Article
12. County Governor
13. Civil protection of a county shall be directed by the county governor.
14. The county governor shall: 1) be responsible for civil protection preparedness in the county; 2) organise the drawing up of the plan of civil protection preparedness for an emergency in the county, agree it with the Civil Protection Department and approve it, agree the plan of civil protection preparedness for an emergency in a municipality, warn State and municipal institutions, economic entities, agencies and the population of the imminent emergency, notify of its character and the likelihood of spread; 3) obtain from all municipalities of the county information necessary for the implementation of civil protection tasks; 4) in the event of a likely emergency, organise and implement in the territory of an administrative unit preventive measures of civil protection; 5) notify the Civil Protection Department of the disasters which occurred in the administrative unit; 6) make arrangements to respond to an emergency and organise supply of search and rescue operations; 7) provide aid to victims of a disaster; 8) control the preparedness of municipal institutions to avert the likely consequences of emergencies or to mitigate the effects thereof; 9) apply to the Government for aid in the event of an emergency when own forces and resources prove insufficient; 10) perform an annual analysis of the state of civil protection preparedness for an emergency and submit it to the Civil Protection Department. Article
15. Municipal Administrator
16. Civil protection shall be a function delegated by the State to a municipality, and discharge thereof shall be the responsibility of the municipal administrator.
17. The municipal administrator, in carrying out the civil protection functions delegated by the State to a municipality, shall: 1) be responsible for civil protection preparedness within the territory of the municipality; 2) project imminent emergencies within the territory of the municipality; 3) organise development of a plan of civil protection preparedness in the event of emergencies in the municipality and agreement thereof with the county governor and submit it to the municipal council; 4) warn State institutions, economic entities, agencies and the population of an imminent emergency, inform about its nature, the likelihood of spreading and the necessary actions required of the population; 5) prescribe civil protection tasks and functions for structural territorial subdivisions of the municipal administration (wards) and approve plans of civil protection preparedness thereof for an emergency; 6) organise the formation and training of civil protection forces; 7) organise and implement preventive measures of civil protection, rescue and other emergency operations, respond to an emergency, evacuate the population and provide them with necessary accommodation and organise civil protection training of the population; 8) collect information from all economic entities within the territory of the municipality necessary for carrying out the tasks of civil protection; 9) control the implementation of the civil protection tasks and compliance of the economic entities with the provisions of the Civil Protection Law and other legal acts; 10) provide information to the county governor, the economic entities and the population within the territory of the municipality necessary for carrying out the tasks of civil protection; 11) stockpile, keep and renew a State reserve of civil protection supplies and make arrangements necessary for its distribution in the manner prescribed by the Law on State Reserve; 12) notify the county governor of emergencies which occurred within the territory of the municipality; 13) mobilise all civil protection forces within the territory of the municipality for emergency response and rescue operations; 14) organise the provision of aid to victims in the event of an emergency and (or) disaster; 15) apply to the county governor for assistance in evacuation and rescue operations and in emergency response when own forces and resources prove insufficient; 16) issue orders and legal acts on civil protection within his own competence binding on all natural and legal persons within the territory of the municipality; 17) control the state of civil protection of the economic entities of the municipality and provide to them methodological assistance; 18) analyse the state of civil protection and submit an annual report thereon to the county governor in the manner prescribed by him; 19) provide annual information to the Civil Protection Department on the state and activities in the area of civil protection. Article
18. Head of an Economic Entity or an Institution The head of an economic entity or an institution shall: 1) be responsible for civil protection preparedness of the entity he is in charge of; 2) warn and inform the personnel of the imminent threat; 3) project emergencies and plan preventive measures; 4) develop and approve plans of civil protection preparedness for an emergency; 5) provide the personnel with individual and collective means of protection; 6) in the manner prescribed by the Government, stockpile material resources and technical means to increase the viability and safety of activities of the entity in the event of an imminent emergency; 7) seek to ensure provision of services in the event of an emergency according to the character of activities of the entity (institution); 8) organise, when appropriate, evacuation of the employees, first-response rescue operations and be in charge of them; 9) co-operate with State and municipal institutions on the development of plans of civil protection preparedness thereof for an emergency and implementation of the tasks provided for therein. Article
19. Public Organisations Public organisations may be called to take part in organising State civil protection measures for disaster response and to provide aid to victims thereof in co-operation with municipal civil protection services. CHAPTER III RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF THE POPULATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA IN THE SPHERE OF CIVIL PROTECTION Article
20. Rights of the Population of the Republic of Lithuania in the Sphere of Civil Protection In the event of an emergency or threat thereof, the population of the Republic of Lithuania shall be entitled to life and health care, material and financial assistance and shall also have the right to be duly informed of the imminent threat. Article
21. Duties of the Population of the Republic of Lithuania in the Sphere of Civil Protection The population of the Republic of Lithuania must: 1) comply with the requirements of laws and other legal acts governing civil protection; 2) be familiar with the warning signals of civil protection and know how to behave upon hearing them; 3) report to services of the civil protection and rescue system about an emergency or the imminent threat thereof; 4) carry out instructions of civil protection officers and take an active part in disaster response. CHAPTER IV COMMAND OF CIVIL PROTECTION AND RESCUE OPERATIONS

Article 19until 1 April 2004: Article 19.

Command of Civil Protection

1. Command of civil protection shall be of three levels – national, county and municipal.
2. On the national level, the Government, the Government Emergency Commission, the Emergency Management Centre, the Ministry of National Defence, the Civil Protection Department, the State Fire Prevention and Rescue Service, ministries, and other State administration institutions shall make strategic decisions on the implementation of civil protection measures.
3. On the county level, administrations of county governors, county civil protection departments and county emergency management centres shall organise preparedness for emergencies and assist, where necessary, in response thereto.
4. On the municipal level, mayors (boards) of municipalities, civil protection departments (divisions, services), civil protection personnel, municipal emergency management centres, fire prevention, humans search and rescue, warning and information, evacuation and civil protection services and economic entities shall organise preparedness for emergencies and, where necessary, respond thereto.
5. On the national level, the chain of the management of civil protection operations shall start with the Prime Minister and proceed through the commander of a civil protection operation appointed by him down to heads of ministries, departments and other State administration institutions and county governors, and in exceptional circumstances – directly to mayors of municipalities.
6. On the national level, the Prime Minister shall usually appoint in advance, in accordance with prepared and agreed civil protection operation plans and taking into account the character of an operation, a member of the Cabinet or other official to be in command of civil protection operations (operational command). In discharging the functions of operational command, the appointed commander of the civil protection operation shall be assisted by the operation headquarters made up of the specialists from the Civil Protection Department and the Emergency Management Centre usually under direction of the Director of the Civil Protection Department.
7. During the first response to an emergency, the commander of rescue operations shall direct civil protection actions on the site of the disaster. Depending on the extent of the emergency and the level of the civil protection actions, operational command from the commander of civil protection operations shall be respectively taken over either by head of the municipal emergency management centre or head of the county emergency management centre or the commander of civil protection operations of the national level appointed by the Prime Minister.

Article 19from 1 April 2004: Article 19s.

Command of Civil Protection

1. Command of civil protection shall be of three levels – national, county and municipal.
2. On the national level, the Government, the Government Emergency Commission, the Ministry of the Interior, the Civil Protection Department, ministries, the State Fire Prevention and Rescue Service and other State institutions shall make strategic decisions on the implementation of civil protection measures.
3. On the county level, county governors, county civil protection departments and county emergency management centres shall organise preparedness for emergencies and assist, where necessary, in response thereto.
4. On the municipal level, municipal administrators, civil protection departments (divisions, services), civil protection personnel, municipal emergency management centres, fire prevention and other civil protection services, economic entities and agencies shall organise preparedness for emergencies and, where necessary, respond thereto. Article
5. Government Emergency Commission
6. The Government Emergency Commission (hereinafter – the Emergency Commission) shall be a standing Government commission which shall organise emergency prevention and management and direct emergency response actions where an emergency covers the territory of one or more counties or where the assistance of State institutions is necessary for mobilising without delay available forces and material resources of the Republic of Lithuania required to respond to the emergency. In the event of an emergency, decisions made by the Emergency Commission shall be binding on State and municipal institutions.
7. The composition and regulations of the Emergency Commission shall be approved by the Government. Article
8. Emergency Management Centre
9. The Emergency Management Centre shall be an institution of the civil protection and rescue system made up of the specialists of the Civil Protection Department, the Fire Prevention and Rescue Department and State institutions and organising at the national level the localisation of large-scale emergencies, rescue of people and property and response to emergencies. Where necessary, the Emergency Management Centre shall mobilise the services and equipment under the control of other State institutions to assist to civil protection and rescue services and shall co-ordinate actions thereof. The regulations of the Emergency Management Centre shall be approved by the Government or an institution authorised by it.
10. The Emergency Management Centre shall commence its activities from the day of appointment of the commander of a civil protection operation and operate until the end of a civil protection operation.
11. The commander of a civil protection operation appointed by the Prime Minister shall be head of the Emergency Management Centre. Article
12. Other Civil Protection Management Institutions
13. Departmental emergency management centres shall be established at ministries and other State institutions.
14. Structural civil protection subdivisions of administrations of county governors and municipalities or individual public servants shall organise the implementation of the tasks within the competence of the county and municipal civil protection and rescue system. The structure of the subdivisions and number of personnel shall be provided for on the basis of recommendations of the Civil Protection Department.
15. Emergency management centres shall be established at the office of a county governor and municipal administrator. The regulations, heads and structure of these centres shall be approved by their founders.
16. Permanent civil protection personnel shall be employed at all hazardous establishments. CHAPTER V FORCES OF THE CIVIL PROTECTION AND RESCUE SYSTEM AND COMMAND OF RESCUE OPERATIONS Article
17. Forces of the Civil Protection and Rescue System
18. Forces of the civil protection and rescue system shall be formed for carrying out rescue, search of people and other emergency operations.
19. Forces of the civil protection and rescue system, according to their purpose, shall be accordingly: 1) the Fire Prevention and Rescue Service forces; 2) general and special professional and voluntary units. Article
20. Fire Prevention and Rescue Service Forces and Their Purpose
21. Fire Prevention and Rescue Service forces shall comprise the State Fire Prevention and Rescue Service, municipal fire prevention services, departmental fire prevention forces and voluntary firemen units.
22. The State Fire Prevention and Rescue Service shall comprise the Fire Prevention and Rescue Department and agencies subordinate to it. The purpose of the service shall be to organise the extinguishment of fires, extinguish fires, carry out rescue operations, respond to natural disasters, chemical and radiation incidents and to provide first medical aid to the victims.
23. A municipal fire prevention service shall be a constituent part of the civil protection and rescue system in the state of constant readiness used for extinguishing fires, carrying out people and property rescue operations and financed from the municipal budget.
24. Departmental fire prevention forces shall be the subdivisions formed at individual establishments hazardous in respect of a fire, also at other enterprises, agencies and organisations for the extinguishment of fires and carrying out of first-response people and property rescue operations during fires.
25. A voluntary firemen unit shall be a public organisation whose purpose shall be the extinguishment of fires and rescue of people and property during fires. Article
26. General and Special Units and Their Purpose
27. General units shall be used for rescue and other emergency operations and for search of people. They shall be established by counties, municipalities and economic entities.
28. Special units shall be used for carrying out special tasks during rescue and other emergency operations to reinforce and ensure adequate logistical support for general units. Special units shall be established by ministries, other State institutions, municipalities, economic entities and agencies.
29. The composition and manner of formation and logistical support of general and special units shall be prescribed by the Government. Article
30. Repealed as of 23 July
31. Article
32. Repealed as of 21 February
33. Article
34. Civil Protection Services Civil protection services of ministries and other State institutions shall be formed to carry out civil protection measures and to provide support for the actions of the forces of the civil protection and rescue system carrying out rescue operations according to the sphere of activities, competence and functions assigned to a respective ministry or State institution. The functions of the above services shall be prescribed by the Government or an institution authorised by it. Article
35. Monitoring and Laboratory Control Network
36. Pollution of the environment with biological, chemical and radioactive substances shall be monitored by laboratories, research centres or other agencies performing laboratory research of biological, chemical and radioactive substances at the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Food and Veterinary Service and other State institutions. These agencies shall make up the national network of monitoring and laboratory control.
37. Heads of the agencies belonging to the network of monitoring and laboratory control shall be responsible for activities thereof.
38. In the event of disasters or imminent threat thereof, the activities of the network of monitoring and laboratory control shall be co-ordinated by the Department of Civil Protection. It shall establish the procedure for submitting monitoring reports and findings of laboratory analysis to emergency management centres of State institutions and municipalities. Article
39. Command of Rescue and Other Emergency Operations
40. Extinguishment of fires, search for and rescue of people and their speedy evacuation from a disaster area shall be organised by the commander of rescue operations who shall also be in charge of the civil protection operation at an initial emergency stage.
41. In emergency cases, when responding to emergencies and taking into account causes thereof, officers of a fire prevention and rescue service and the police or health care specialists shall perform the functions of the commander of rescue operations without a special order.
42. All civil protection and rescue system forces, irrespective of their subordination, upon arrival to the disaster area shall become subordinate to the commander of rescue operations. No officer shall have the right to interfere in the activities of the commander of rescue operations or cancel his orders and instructions to the forces of the civil protection and rescue system.
43. The police shall co-ordinate its actions with the commander of rescue operations or an officer performing his functions. In carrying out his instructions, it shall protect the disaster area, control the ingress of the forces of the civil protection and rescue system and other services to the disaster area, maintain public order, process information about the victims, identify the dead and organise their removal from the site of the disaster.
44. The emergency medical aid service shall administer immediate medical aid on the site of the disaster, notify the nearest personal health care institutions of the victims and transport them.
45. Personal and public health care institutions must be prepared to organise their activities in the event of an emergency in accordance with a plan of civil protection preparedness of the agency for an emergency which has been prepared in advance. The plan shall be developed according to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health.
46. Upon starting to mobilise available material resources within the territory of a municipality or obtaining them from other municipalities, the command of a civil protection operation shall be taken over by the head of the municipal emergency management centre. He shall co-ordinate all assistance provided to the commander or commanders of rescue operations.
47. Where an emergency spreads over the territory of several municipalities and affects a large number of the population, the functions of the commander of a civil protection operation shall be carried out by head of the county emergency management centre in conjunction with heads of municipal emergency management centres.
48. Where an emergency spreads over the territory of one or more counties or where institutions of the civil protection and rescue system of the national level need to assist in emergency response, the functions of the commander of a civil protection operation shall be carried out by a member of the Government appointed by the Prime Minister or head of an institution responsible for the emergency management taking into account the character of the emergency and in accordance with the plans of civil protection preparedness for an emergency co-ordinated in advance. The appointed commander of the civil protection operation shall be assisted by the Emergency Management Centre.
49. In the event of an emergency when the extent of the disaster grows rapidly, at the request of heads of administrative units and in the manner prescribed by law, units of the Lithuanian Armed Forces may be used for individual operations in the disaster area in accordance with the plans drawn up in advance on the interaction with heads of military districts. Article 30

Article 34until 1 April 2004: Article 34.

The Civil Protection Training Centre The Civil Protection Training Centre (hereinafter – the Training Centre) shall be the principal training institution of the civil protection and rescue system established at the Civil Protection Department. The Training Centre shall be founded and regulations thereof shall be approved by the Minister of National Defence.

Article 34from 1 April 2004: Article 34.

The Civil Protection Training Centre The Civil Protection Training Centre (hereinafter – the Training Centre) shall be the principal training institution of the civil protection and rescue system established at the Civil Protection Department. The Training Centre shall be founded and regulations thereof shall be approved by the Minister of the Interior. Article

1. Civil Protection Exercise and Training Sessions To test the preparedness of State and municipal institutions and economic entities for an emergency and to improve their practical skills of emergency management, civil protection exercise and training sessions shall be held in the manner prescribed by the Government and financed from the State budget. Article
2. International Co-operation in Civil Protection International co-operation of the Republic of Lithuania in civil protection shall be based on the universally recognised international principles of civil protection, protection of human rights and the environment and securing people’s welfare in accordance with international treaties and other legal acts. Article
3. Notification In the event of an emergency capable of posing a hazard to the population and environment of the neighbouring states, the Civil Protection Department shall without delay and in the prescribed manner notify the neighbouring states of the disaster and the anticipated consequences thereof. CHAPTER VII FINANCING OF THE CIVIL PROTECTION AND RESCUE SYSTEM, LOGISTICAL SUPPORT AND SOCIAL GUARANTEES Article
4. Financing of Management Institutions of the Civil Protection and Rescue System
5. Management institutions of the civil protection and rescue system, the Training Centre, other civil protection training institutions and the forces of the civil protection and rescue system shall be financed from the State budget, and economic entities – from their own accumulated resources.
6. (Repealed as of 21 February 2004) Article
7. Logistical Support of the Civil Protection and Rescue System
8. A national reserve of supplies shall be stockpiled in advance for use in organising protection of the population, rescue and other emergency operations in the event of a disaster. The composition and size of the national reserve of supplies, replenishment, renewal and the procedure for using thereof shall be prescribed by the Government.
9. The institutions and forces of the civil protection and rescue system shall be provided with supplies in accordance with tables of equipment. The tables shall be approved by the founders in co-ordination with appropriate institutions of the civil protection and rescue system.
10. The Government and other State and municipal institutions shall provide premises to the institutions of the civil protection and rescue system, emergency management centres, the forces of the civil protection and rescue system and agencies of the network of monitoring and laboratory control. Article
11. Social Guarantees of Persons Participating in Disaster Response Operations Social guarantees shall be provided in the manner prescribed by law to the persons belonging to general and special units of the civil protection and rescue system and taking part in disaster response operations. CHAPTER VIII LIABILITY FOR BREACHES OF LAW ON CIVIL PROTECTION, COMPENSATION AND PROVISION OF STATE SUPPORT Article
12. Liability for Breaches of Provisions of This Law Persons in breach of the provisions of this Law shall be held liable under the law. Article
13. Compensation for Mobilisation of Material Resources and General and Special Units and Provision of State Support
14. The expenses of economic entities related to the mobilisation of material resources and general and special units to carry out rescue and emergency response operations shall be reimbursed.
15. State support shall be provided to the legal and natural persons who sustained damage and losses for the reason of an emergency.
16. Compensation for the mobilisation of material resources and general and special units shall be paid and State support for the incurred damage and losses shall be provided from the State budget in the manner prescribed by the Government.
17. Where natural and legal persons sustained losses through the damage or losses caused by a nuclear establishment the cause of the origin whereof may not be clearly distinguished from the damage caused by the nuclear establishment, these losses shall be reimbursed in the manner prescribed by the Law on Nuclear Energy. I promulgate this Law passed by the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania. PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC VALDAS ADAMKUS