About us

The Office of the Chief Archivist of Lithuania is a government agency, which participates in the shaping of national policy in the field of management and use of documents and archives, as well as implements this policy, supports the Chief Archivist of Lithuania in the carrying-out of state administration of the field of documents and archives.

Strategic objectives

Accumulate, preserve and promote the documentary heritage of Lithuania, stimulating public interest in it, increase the effectiveness of the documents management and accessibility as well as ensure legitimate interests of the persons concerned.

Functions

• ensure enforcement in Lithuania of legal acts in the field of management and use of European Union documents;
• present co-ordination findings with respect to draft legal acts, other documents related to the policy of management of archives and documents and drawn up by other state institutions and agencies;
• form a uniform practice of documents management in state and municipal institutions, agencies and enterprises;
• solve issues concerning the transfer of activity documents of state and municipal institutions, agencies and enterprises;  
• issue licences to provide the documents arrangement and (or) storage services in accordance with the procedure laid down by legal acts;
• issue permissions to export documents from the Republic of Lithuania in accordance with the procedure laid down by legal acts;
• within the limits of its competence prepare the position of the Republic of Lithuania concerning matters discussed at the institutions and their work bodies of the European Union, also participate, when positions are prepared by other state institutions and agencies; 
• within the limits of its competence transfer into national law and implement the European Union law (acquis communautaire), fulfil other obligations related to membership in the European Union and provide related information to the European Union institutions in accordance with the procedure laid down by the European Union legal acts;
• within the limits of its competence represent the interests of the Republic of Lithuania at the institutions and their work bodies of the European Union;
• within the limits of its competence maintain communication and collaborate with respective institutions and international organisations of foreign countries, participate in the creation of draft international agreements, implement international projects;
• prepare indexes of retention periods of internal administration documents of state and municipal institutions, agencies and enterprises, activity documents of non-governmental organisations and private legal persons, the creation of which is established by regulations, prepare and co-ordinate with interested central entities of state administration indexes of retention periods of documents accumulated in the sphere assigned to such entities;
• prepare draft legal acts in compliance with the requirements established by legal acts and participate in the preparation of draft legal acts related to state administration in the field of management of documents and archives;
• consider applications and complaints of natural and legal persons;
• submit the information to state and municipal institutions, agencies and enterprises, private legal and natural persons concerning the competence of the Office of the Chief Archivist of Lithuania;