LIETUVOS RESPUBLIKOS

LIETUVOS RESPUBLIKOS REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA LAW ON STATISTICS 12 October 1993 – No I-270 (As last amended on 4 November 2010 – No XI-1085) Vilnius CHAPTER ONE GENERAL PROVISIONS Article

1. Purpose of the Law This Law shall establish the general principles of organisation of official statistics, the rights and duties of natural and legal persons as well as enterprises having no legal personality in providing data for statistical purposes, the rights and duties of state and municipal institutions in managing and using statistical data and protection thereof, as well as liability for violations of this Law. Article
2. Definitions
3. “Official statistics” means a system of state and municipal institutions and agencies for the collection and management of statistical data on economic and demographic processes, social factors and social and environmental changes intended for state needs and the publication of statistical information in accordance with the Work Programme of Official Statistics.
4. “Statistical data” means data provided by respondents and data obtained from regulatory and organisational documents, registers and information systems for compiling statistical summaries.
5. “Processing of statistical data” means the verification, addition, grouping and classification of statistical data, preparation of statistical tables and graphs.
6. “Statistical information” means information obtained after the processing of statistical data.
7. “Statistical survey” means the collection, accumulation, processing and analysis of statistical data and preparation and provision of statistical information.
8. “Management of statistical data” means the development of statistical survey reports and questionnaires and instructions for the completion thereof, provision of these reports and questionnaires to respondents, their collection and preparation for processing.
9. “Statistical register” means a list of natural and legal persons and enterprises having no legal personality (respondents) drawn up by the bodies managing statistics, which is updated and filled with statistical data and used for statistical surveys and preparing, storing and using summary information.
10. “Confidentiality of statistical data” means the use of the obtained data exclusively for statistical purposes in a manner that would make it impossible to identify specific respondents and results of their activity.
11. “Respondent” means a natural or legal person and an enterprise having no legal personality providing or obliged to provide data about themselves to the institutions and agencies managing statistics.
12. “Work Programme of Official Statistics” means a list of pieces of statistical work (surveys) necessary for state governance and public needs, assigned to the Lithuanian Department of Statistics (hereinafter referred to as “Statistics Lithuania”), its regional agencies, and other state and municipal institutions and agencies, which specifies the body responsible for the execution of a piece of work, the name of the piece of work, periodicity and mode of execution, and the deadline for submission of results. Version of paragraph 10 as of 1 July 2011:
13. “Work Programme of Official Statistics” means a list of pieces of statistical work (surveys) necessary for state governance and public needs, assigned to the Lithuanian Department of Statistics (hereinafter referred to as “Statistics Lithuania”) and other state and municipal institutions and agencies, which specifies the body responsible for the execution of a piece of work, the name of the piece of work, periodicity and mode of execution and the deadline for submission of results. Article
14. Scope of the Law This Law shall apply to: 1) state and municipal institutions and agencies; 2) institutions and agencies managing statistics; 3) respondents. Article
15. General Principles of Organisation of Official Statistics The organisation of official statistics shall be based on the following principles: 1) objectivity and professional independence from political and other interest groups; 2) necessity and appropriateness of statistical indicators for the evaluation of economic and social situation and dynamics; 3) use of statistical data exclusively for statistical purposes; 4) confidentiality of statistical data; 5) transparency of methods and methodologies applied in statistical observations; 6) comparability of statistical data; 7) compliance with international classifications and standards based on which statistical data are managed; 8) compatibility of statistical methodologies. Article
16. Tasks of Institutions and Agencies Managing Official Statistics The key tasks of institutions and agencies managing official statistics shall be as follows: 1) to establish a uniform system for the collection and management of statistical information on the state’s economic and demographic processes, social factors and social and environmental changes in accordance with national needs and the methodology applied by international organisations; 2) to process, summarise and analyse statistical data and to prepare statistical information; 3) to publish information prepared in accordance with the Work Programme of Official Statistics and to ensure that such information and methods of preparation thereof are available to the public; 4) to provide statistical information to state and municipal institutions and agencies, research establishments, the Statistical Office of the European Communities (EUROSTAT) and other international organisations under international agreements; 5) to implement measures intended for the reduction of the costs of work and other costs relating to the collection and provision of statistical data incurred by the respondents. CHAPTER TWO MANAGEMENT OF STATISTICS Article
17. Bodies Managing Official Statistics Official statistics in the Republic of Lithuania shall be managed by: 1) Statistics Lithuania; 2) regional agencies of Statistics Lithuania; Paragraph 2 repealed as of 1 July
18. 3) ministries, other state and municipal institutions and agencies, as well as the Bank of Lithuania, where this is provided for in the Work Programme of Official Statistics. Article
19. Statistics Lithuania
20. Statistics Lithuania shall be a government agency participating in the shaping of state policy in the field of management of statistics, assigned to the Minister of Finance, and implementing it. Statistics Lithuania shall be a public legal entity having its bank account and a seal bearing the coat of arms of the State of Lithuania and the inscription Statistics Lithuania. Statistics Lithuania shall be a budgetary body financed from the state budget. The regulations of Statistics Lithuania shall be approved by the Government. The structure of administration of Statistics Lithuania shall be approved by the Government or the approval thereof shall be delegated by the Government to the Minister of Finance.
21. Being an official statistical body, Statistics Lithuania shall implement the general state policy in the fields of statistical methodology and organisation. Statistics Lithuania shall prepare the Work Programme of Official Statistics and a report on the implementation thereof which shall be approved by the Government or an institution authorised by it.
22. Statistics Lithuania shall be headed by the Director General – a state official who, on the recommendation of the Minister of Finance, shall be appointed to office for a period of four years and dismissed from office by the Government. A person who has acquired university education (holds a Master’s degree) or university education involving integrated studies held equivalent thereto and has employment record of at least five years in the field of statistics and five years of managerial work in the field of public administration may be appointed to the post of Director General of Statistics Lithuania. The Director General of Statistics Lithuania may be appointed to hold office for no more than two successive terms of office. The implementation of powers of the Director General of Statistics Lithuania may not be linked with the activities of any political party. The Director General of Statistics Lithuania shall be held responsible and accountable to the Government and the Minister of Finance. Article
23. Rights of Statistics Lithuania in Carrying Out Statistical Surveys In carrying out statistical surveys, Statistics Lithuania shall have the right: 1) to obtain information from state and municipal institutions and agencies about the envisaged statistical surveys to prepare the Work Programme of Official Statistics; 2) to obtain statistical data necessary for the implementation of the Work Programme of Official Statistics free of charge from respondents, state registers and information systems; 3) to organise statistical observation of households, to carry out statistical surveys of respondents on a voluntary basis; 4) to organise and carry out general censuses in accordance with the procedure set forth by laws or the Government, where necessary, to engage the population thereto; 5) to organise the publication of statistical information; 6) to check whether the submitted data have been calculated according to the presented methodologies; 7) where necessary, to invite experts for the assessment of reliability of statistical data. Article
24. Regional Statistical Agencies of Statistics Lithuania
25. Statistics Lithuania shall establish regional statistical agencies and approve regulations thereof. The regional statistical agencies shall be legal persons financed from the state budget.
26. Regional statistical agencies of Statistics Lithuania shall: 1) carry out pieces of statistical work provided for in the Work Programme of Official Statistics, and may also carry out other pieces of statistical work commissioned and financed by a municipal institution; 2) prepare the statistical information of the administrative unit of the territory on the number and composition of its residents, its administrative division, the productive capacity of undertakings and results of their activity, its economy, environment and memorial objects, and for that purpose use information and statistical data accumulated by them and by other institutions and agencies of official statistics; 3) provide statistical information to municipal institutions and agencies; 4) inform the public about the economic and social situation of the administrative unit of the territory, its demographic and environmental processes.
27. In implementing the Work Programme of Official Statistics, regional statistical agencies shall have the right to obtain from the respondents of their administrative units of the territory reports, questionnaires and data approved by the Director General of Statistics Lithuania from the administrative regulatory documents, to manage and publish statistical information. Article 9 shall be repealed as of 1 July
28. Article
29. Other Bodies and Organisations Managing Statistics
30. Other bodies managing official statistics shall: 1) upon coordination with Statistics Lithuania, approve statistical forms, instructions for the completion thereof, establish the procedure and time limit for the submission of data, verify whether the submitted data have been calculated according to the presented methodologies; 2) independently collect data, process, summarise, analyse and publish statistical information.
31. Political parties, political and public organisations, trade unions, religious organisations, enterprises, agencies and other organisations shall: 1) independently collect data and manage statistical information; 2) carry out pieces of statistical work (surveys), where the institutions and agencies managing official statistics conclude agreements with them. Article
32. Statistical Council
33. The Statistical Council shall be an advisory body to Statistics Lithuania which shall consider the key issues pertaining to the organisation and methodology of statistics. It shall consider the principles of censuses, statistical registers and methodologies of major surveys as well as the Work Programme of Official Statistics, the main results of statistical surveys, the issues pertaining to data protection, submission of statistical information to state bodies and research establishments and publication thereof, prepare conclusions and submit proposals on these issues to Statistics Lithuania.
34. The Statistical Council shall consist of representatives of state and municipal institutions and agencies managing statistics, research establishments, public organisations, enterprises, other respondents and the media. The composition and regulations of the Statistical Council shall be approved by the Government or the approval thereof shall be delegated by the Government to the Minister of Finance. Article
35. Sources of Data of Official Statistics
36. Sources of data of official statistics shall be as follows: 1) accounting data of natural and legal persons as well as enterprises having no legal personality, statistical observations and censuses; 2) tax, customs, education, health, labour exchange, social security and public utilities registers, registers of the information system of the Bank of Lithuania and state registers, as well as data from the administrative regulatory and personal documents accumulated by municipal institutions and agencies.
37. Statistical data shall be submitted in reports and questionnaires in the form established by Statistics Lithuania and other institutions and agencies managing official statistics or on computer storage media. The institutions and agencies managing statistics may, with the consent of the respondent, collect data by telephone. CHAPTER THREE RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF RESPONDENTS IN PROVIDING STATISTICAL DATA AND USING THEREOF Article
38. Respondents’ Rights
39. Respondents shall have the right to receive from institutions, agencies and organisations managing statistics information about the legal basis for the statistical survey, the purpose of data collection, the compulsory or voluntary nature of provision thereof and consequences of failure to provide them, the protection of the submitted data.
40. Each respondent shall have the right to get access to the data provided by him to institutions, agencies and organisations managing statistics, which are stored in information systems or registers.
41. Upon noticing that he has provided false data to the institution, agency or organisation managing statistics, a respondent shall have the right to revise the data in writing. Where the respondent does not have the necessary data for completing the statistical reports, he may provide the most accurate information possible together with an explanatory note. Article
42. Respondents’ Duty to Provide Statistical Data
43. Respondents must provide accurate data in accordance with the procedure laid down by laws and other legal acts to institutions and agencies managing statistics.
44. Legal persons and enterprises, agencies and organisations having no legal personality must provide statistical data free of charge for the implementation of the Work Programme of Official Statistics.
45. Natural persons must provide data where this is provided for by laws or the Work Programme of Official Statistics.
46. The authenticity of data presented in reports and questionnaire surveys shall be verified by the signatures of persons who have completed them. CHAPTER FOUR USE OF OFFICIAL STATISTICAL INFORMATION Article
47. Use and Protection of Official Statistical Information
48. Statistical data collected for official statistics purposes may be used exclusively for the preparation of statistical information.
49. Where the respondent about whom or whose activity results the primary statistical data have been collected may be directly or indirectly identified on the basis of official statistical data, such official statistical data shall be confidential and protected in the manner prescribed by laws.
50. Confidentiality of data as established by this Law shall not apply to information about: 1) the kinds of activities of enterprises, agencies and organisations according to the national version (EVRK) of the Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE); 2) the manufactured goods according to the PRODCOM list, income from the goods sold or services provided; 3) the number of persons employed by a natural person, legal person or an enterprise having no legal personality; 4) the data characterising environmental pollution; 5) the data for the publication whereof the respondent gives his written consent.
51. Confidential statistical data may be provided for scientific purposes to be used in a manner that would make it impossible to directly identify the respondents based on the data, where the research establishments ensure the protection of these data.
52. Statistics Lithuania or another institution or agency managing statistics shall take organisational and technical measures ensuring the security of the data provided by the respondent, introduce computer technologies preventing the illegal use, dissemination and destruction thereof. Article
53. Dissemination of Statistical Information
54. Statistics Lithuania and other institutions and agencies managing statistics shall, within the remit of their competence, publish and provide, on a regular basis, in the media statistical information on economic, social and demographic changes and environmental processes.
55. Data published in the publications of Statistics Lithuania and other institutions and agencies managing statistics or submitted to state and municipal institutions may not be published without a reference to the institution or agency managing statistics which provided the data.
56. Statistical data may be forwarded to the Statistical Office of the European Communities, other international organisations in compliance with the provisions of this Law and other legal acts. CHAPTER FIVE LIABILITY OF RESPONDENTS AND OFFICIALS OF INSTITUTIONS AND AGENCIES MANAGING OFFICIAL STATISTICS Article
57. Liability of Respondents Natural persons, heads of enterprises, agencies or organisations and other persons responsible for the preparation and provision of official statistical data who have violated the requirements of this Law and other legal acts relating to statistics shall be held liable in accordance with the procedure set forth by laws of the Republic of Lithuania. Article
58. Liability of Civil Servants of Institutions and Agencies Managing Official Statistics
59. Civil servants of Statistics Lithuania, its regional statistical agencies and other institutions and agencies managing official statistics must ensure the confidentiality of data used at work submitted by respondents during the entire period for classification of the data. Version of paragraph 1 as of 1 July 2011:
60. Civil servants of Statistics Lithuania and other institutions and agencies managing official statistics must ensure the confidentiality of data used at work submitted by respondents during the entire period for classification of the data.
61. Civil servants of institutions and agencies managing official statistics who have been authorised to handle confidential information shall undertake to use the data obtained from respondents only for statistical purposes and to protect the data. Termination of employment relations shall not relieve a person from an obligation to protect the confidential information entrusted to him and from liability for disclosure thereof.
62. Civil servants of Statistics Lithuania, its regional statistical agencies and other institutions and agencies managing official statistics that have violated the requirements of this Law and other legal acts relating to statistics shall be held liable in accordance with the procedure set forth by laws of the Republic of Lithuania. Version of paragraph 3 as of 1 July 2011:
63. Civil servants of Statistics Lithuania and other institutions and agencies managing official statistics who have violated the requirements of this Law and other legal acts relating to statistics shall be held liable in accordance with the procedure set forth by laws of the Republic of Lithuania. Article
64. Proposal to the Government By 10 March 2000, the Government shall submit to the Seimas draft amendments related to the provisions of this Law. I promulgate this Law passed by the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania. president of the republic ______________