About RRT

Organization chart of RRT

The Communications Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter – RRT) is an independent national institution regulating communications sector in Lithuania. It was established under the Law on Telecommunications and the provisions of the European Union Directives. One of the main purposes of RRT establishment is competition promotion in electronic communications and postal sectors. In all European Union countries, the role of the national regulator of communications is crucial in regulating relationship amongst communications market participants, in creating effective competition conditions for undertakings, in defending interests of service users as well as in promoting the advent of new and modern technologies and use of services at the national level.

RRT mission is to ensure a variety of technologically progressive, top quality, safe and affordable information and communications technologies (ICT) and postal services/products to every citizen of Lithuania as well as to create favourable conditions for ICT and postal business development, in this way promoting information and knowledge society progress.

RRT objective is to ensure a variety of technologically progressive, top quality, safe and affordable   information and communications technologies and postal services/products to each and every citizen of Lithuania as well as to create favourable conditions for ICT and postal business development, influencing the supply of these services to the market on the grounds of flexible and harmonised framework of the single EU market.

RRT management. RRT is headed by the Director Feliksas Dobrovolskis, appointed by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Lithuania. RRT Council is a collegial RRT management body whose members are appointed by the President of the Republic of Lithuania on the nomination of the Prime Minister for a 5-year term. The Council is composed of 7 members.

RRT role in the process of decision adoption. RRT Council’s members are representatives of public administration and higher education institutions. The Council considers and coordinates the most important draft legal acts prepared by RRT, coordinates RRT revenue and expenditure estimate, RRT rules of procedure, hears RRT activity reports presented by the Director, considers radio communication development plans and draft strategic plans of RRT activity as well as economic sanction imposition on undertakings that fail to comply with the requirements of the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on the Electronic Communications and submits proposals to the Director.

Legal basis of RRT activities. In 2003 the EU electronic communications regulatory framework substantially changed. Lithuania was obliged to start implementing the new regulatory framework1 from the day of accession to the EU and after the appropriate implementation of the former regulatory framework provisions. The legal framework of the Lithuanian postal services sector was also harmonized with the EU postal services framework2. On the grounds of the regulatory provisions of the EU communications sector, the Law on Electronic Communications and the new wording of the Postal Law were adopted and came into force in May 2004. 

The main fields of RRT activities:

  - promotion of competition in electronic communications and postal markets;
  - regulation of electronic communications and postal sectors;
  - management and supervision of radio  spectrum;
  - surveillance of telecommunication and radio communication terminal equipment;
  - management and supervision of telephone numbers and other identifiers of networks;
  - protection of consumers‘ rights.

When performing its functions, RRT follows the principles of technological neutrality, transparency and publicity. RRT seeks equal opportunities for the development of different electronic communications technologies. It arranges public dialogues with market participants on draft decisions and topical market regulation issues. Draft decisions are announced for public consultation on RRT website.

RRT accountability. RRT is an independent state institution, operating in accordance with the Law on Electronic Communications and the Postal Law, other laws and RRT regulations. Each year, by May 1, RRT submits to the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania and releases its annual activity and financial reports.

Organisation of RRT activity. RRT organization structure includes departments and divisions. RRT staff is composed of the Director, civil servants and employees working under the employment contracts. RRT operates under the Rules of Procedure approved by the Director.

RRT administrative competence. RRT employs high quality employees whose competence and experience in management of radio communication as well as in regulation of information and communication technologies and electronic communications markets are highly valued in Lithuania, foreign countries, and international organisations. Ninety percent of RRT employees have higher education degree and 7 employees have Ph.D. 

Provision and publication of information

According to the procedure set out in legal acts, RRT may request undertakings to provide information that is proportionate and objectively justified for the purposes set out in the Law on Electronic Communications and only after RRT had informed undertakings about the purpose for which thisinformation would be used. 
RRT may request information from undertakings that are engaged in electronic communications activities, use electronic communications resources or have obligations as undertakings having a significant market power or which are designated to provide universal services. Information is submitted to RRT in reasonable terms set by RRT and taking into consideration the particularity level of the requested information.
RRT publishes information necessary to develop an open and competitive market. The publication rules of such information (publicity conditions), including the scope and procedure of obtaining this information, are set out by RRT following legal rules of protection of confidential information including state, service and commercial secrets or information about private life of a natural person. The Authority also publishes information related to the implementation of the Law on Electronic Communications and Postal Law.

Public consultations

Pursuing the consultation rules RRT publishes and sets a reasonable term for submitting comments to the drafts of:

-  legal acts that will have a significant impact on a relevant market;
- RRT decisions on issues related to the rights of end users and consumers concerning public electronic communications services, especially when solution of such issues has a  significant impact on the market.

When making decisions on obligation of international, EU and other regional standardization organizations’ standards as well as national standards, RRT consults with the intereseted persons. Information on consultations in process and the results of consultations are published on RRT website www.rrt.lt

 The order of appeal against the RRT Director’s decisions

The legal acts of RRT or their non-adoption may be appealed against in court within the established time limit:

• Procedural decisions, issued in the course of considerations of disputes between undertakings, after the submission of such a decision to an interested undertaking or person in 7 days may be appealed against to Vilnius District Court;
• Decisions whereby disputes between undertakings are resolved in substance or  considerations of the disputes are discontinued may be appealed against to Vilnius District Court within 30 days from the day of their adoption;
• Decisions on disputes according to the complaints of end users may be appealed against within 30 days from the day of their adoption to a court of general jurisdiction;
• Decisions on disputes according to the complaints of providers or users of postal and courier services may be appealed against to the court according to the procedure set out in the Law on Administrative Proceedings;
• Decisions of the Director or authorized persons on the imposition of economic sanctions may be appealed against according to the procedure and conditions set out in the Law on Administrative Proceedings;
• Undertakings have the right to appeal against unlawful decisions of RRT officials to the RRT Director.  The appeal is submitted not later than within 10 days after learning about the actions appealed against. If a person does not agree with the Director’s decision or the Director has not adopted any decision within 10 days, the person has the right to appeal against to the court. 
  
  

  Title	Communications Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Lithuania
  RRT address	Algirdo Str. 27A, LT-03219 Vilnius
  Telephone for general information	+370 5 210 5633
  Fax	(8 5) 216 1564
  E-mail	rrt@rrt.lt
  Legal status Stored and registered in	State budgetary institution State Enterprise Registrų centras
  Code	1214 42211
  VAT payer code	LT214422113
  Bank account	LT82 73000 100 0241 0679 LT25 73000 100 0246 0690
  Bank	„Swedbank”,AB
  Bank code	73000
  SWIFT code	HABALT22
  RRT opening hours:	Mondays to Thursdays 8.00 - 17.00  On Fridays  8.00 - 15.45 On Tuesdays and Thursdays requests and applications are accepted until 18.00

1  The new communications regulatory framework or the so-called 2002 regulatory package is comprised of 5 directives:
Directive 2002/21/EC of the European Parliament and Council of 7 March 2002 on a common regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services (Framework Directive),
Directive 2002/20/EC of the European Parliament and Council of 7 March 2002 on the authorisation of electronic communications networks and services (Authorisation Directive),
Directive 2002/19/EC of the European Parliament and Council of 7 March 2002 on access to, and interconnection of, electronic communications networks and associated facilities (Access Directive),
Directive 2002/22/EC of the European Parliament and Council of 7 March 2002 on universal services and users' rights relating to electronic communications networks and services (Universal Service Directive),
Directive 2002/58/EC of the European Parliament and Council of 12 July 2002 concerning the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector.

2  EU postal services regulatory system is comprised of 2 directives:
Directive 97/67/EC of the European Parliament and Council of 15 December 1997 on common rules for the development of the internal market of Community postal services and the improvement of quality of service
Directive 2002/39/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 June 2002 amending Directive 97/67/EC with regard to the further opening to competition of Community postal services.