EIMIN Will Submit a Draft Concerning Improvement of the Issuance of Declarations of Assurance
Today, the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation will submit a draft Law on the Grounds for Issuance of Declarations of Assurance to Legal Entities Wishing to Participate in the Tenders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) to the Seimas for consideration.
It is aimed at clarifying the grounds for issuing declarations of assurance and the criteria to be met by a legal person and natural persons associated with a legal person, so that these criteria were clearly and unambiguously stated. It is also sought to introduce mandatory provisions on the protection of personal data.
’NATO tenders are an opportunity for the country’s defence industry to grow. The grounds for issuing declarations of assurance and the criteria for participation in these tenders must be defined without ambiguity, thus, ensuring that as many businesses as possible were able to participate, but only those that do not pose a threat to national security or the NATO security. This is a questonof Lithuania’s reputation. Reliable and efficient - that is how all processes in the defence sector should be run’, said Aušrinė Armonaitė, the Minister of the Economy and Innovation.
The Declaration of Assurance, as a document confirming the reliability of the security of a legal entity to participate in the NATO tenders, cannot be issued to legal entities that have cooperated or had relations with foreign intelligence and security services. It may also not be issued to legal persons whose current or past relations with foreign authorities or natural or legal persons of foreign States, at the time of application, constitute a threat to national security.
The draft also proposes to clarify the criterion relating to violations of international sanctions. It is proposed to establish that a declaration of assurance is issued if the legal person and/or natural persons associated with the legal person have not been convicted by a final court judgment of a violation of international sanctions or if the conviction for such violation has already expired or been quashed. It is also proposed to establish an additional assessment of whether the legal person and natural persons associated with the legal person have not been convicted of a violation under the criminal law of a foreign State by a final judgment of a court when issuing declarations of assurance.
The implementation of the draft law should have a positive impact on companies operating in the defence sector and their development, as state and municipal authorities and bodies will no longer have any doubts about the sampling of data and information to be provided and, therefore, declarations of assurance will be issued within the set deadlines.