Parliament endorsed the first EU rules to trace crypto-asset transfers, prevent money laundering, as well as common rules on supervision and customer protection.

Find out about different work permits for workers from outside the EU and how the EU is revising them to bolster legal labour migration.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications has announced a EUR 1 million competitive call for start-ups in an effort to promote the creation, testing and development of digital technological solutions in Lithuania. This call is part of the Sandbox innovation promotion programme, so the main condition is that the start-ups applying for support create, test and develop solutions that are based on 5G next-generation connectivity.

In March, the number of passengers at Lithuanian airports grew by more than a third compared to the previous year, and two airports - Kaunas and Palanga - improved their record results for 2019. The first quarter of this year was also a successful one for Lithuanian aviation.

Lithuania commits to provide EUR 10 million through the World Bank (WB) Facility to finance Ukraine’s reconstruction process and to strengthen Moldova’s resilience.

Taking into account the proposals received, the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Lithuania revised the draft Law on Temporary Solidarity Contribution, which proposes to channel part of the unexpected net interest income of banks to finance military mobility and military transport infrastructure projects. One of the most important changes in the draft law is the inclusion of a clause on new credit agreements, with the aim of completely excluding new credit activities from the temporary solidarity contribution.

Lithuanian Airports announces that a formal agreement has been signed to extend direct scheduled flights between Vilnius and London City Airports, which are important for Lithuanian business. The contract with LOT Polish Airlines is extended from 1 May to 30 September this year.

Last week saw the start of work of the two new Commercial Attachés of the Republic of Lithuania in the Scandinavian countries, Darius Budrys in the Kingdom of Sweden and Audrius Masiulionis in the Kingdom of Denmark.

Territorial planning procedures at the Kaunas railway hub are entering the next stage – coordination and approval. It is expected that the special plan of one of the most important infrastructural hubs required for the new international track will be approved by the Government in the third quarter of this year. Next on the agenda is the start of the land acquisition procedures.

The Bank of Lithuania and the State Data Agency published the provisional data on direct investment (DI) for Q4 2022. According to the latest data release: