Lithuania plans to create an open platform with statistics on family links in state and municipal organisations by the end of the first half of 2027.
Andrius Valuta, a representative of the Special Investigation Service, said the initiative should help public institutions assess the risks of nepotism and monitor conflicts of interest, Delfi reports.
The platform will show what share of each organisation’s staff are related to other employees. At the same time, the agency stressed that family ties in themselves are not a breach of the law or an existing conflict of interest.
The Chief Official Ethics Commission expressed concern that publishing such information could trigger unfounded suspicions. In response, the Special Investigation Service said the data-collection methodology is still being developed. In particular, it is considering whether to include not only close relatives but also uncles, aunts, and cousins.
Arvydas Anušauskas, chair of the Seimas Anti-Corruption Commission, proposed additionally flagging cases where related individuals are in a direct reporting line.
The platform will be created against the backdrop of an investigation by the Seimas Anti-Corruption Commission into systemic nepotism in the public sector. In particular, law enforcement is examining the circumstances surrounding the employment of people linked to the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania at one of the municipal institutions in the Kaunas District.