Lithuania

ENThis chapter examines the implementation of EU cohesion policy in Lithuania. Lithuania is one of the poorest EU member states, with a GDP per capita only 56 per cent of the EU average in 2006. As a single Nomenclature of Statistical Territorial Units (NUTS) 2 region, Lithuania was eligible to receive cohesion policy funding under Objective 1 in the 2004-06 programming period, and under the Convergence objective in 2007-13. Support from the structural funds is considered one of the major benefits of Lithuania's membership in the EU. In 2004-06, Lithuania received about €1.38 billion (at 2004 prices) from the structural and cohesion funds. Annual receipts from the EU in this period were almost double the size of the Lithuanian State Investment Programme, and thus Were highly significant in fiscal terms. In 2007-13, Lithuania should receive €6.08 billion in cohesion policy spending from the EU (at 2004 Prices), about double the amount per year of the previous period. This chapter is divided into two main parts. The first part assesses tile pre-acccssion period, when Lithuania began its preparations for EU cohesion policy. The second assesses the implementation of cohesion Policy in 2004-06, the initial programming period after accession, and Litluiania's preparations for 2007-13. Finally, the main conclusions of this chapter will be presented.