Author: Živilė Gedminaitė-Raudonė (LCSS)
Editor: Miranda García (AEIDL)
As part of the second round of Tools4CAP Focus Groups, the Institute of Economics and Rural Development of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences (LCSS) organised a national Focus Group in Vilnius on 4 March 2026. Entitled “Creating the vision of National and Regional Partnership Plans: shaping a shared and integrated vision in Lithuania”, the meeting explored how a more integrated approach to future National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs) could be developed in the Lithuanian context.
The second round of Tools4CAP Focus Groups aims to gather stakeholder insights on the methods and tools used for CAP Strategic Plans and future NRPPs.
The Lithuanian meeting brought together representatives of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania, the Ministry of Agriculture, the National Paying Agency, the Chamber of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Rural Communities Union, the Association of Local Authorities in Lithuania, and the Institute of Economics and Rural Development of LCSS.
Exploring a more integrated approach to future NRPPs
The Focus Group provided an opportunity for experts from different institutions and stakeholder groups to discuss what a more integrated approach to future NRPPs could mean in practice for Lithuania.
The discussion addressed the main challenges and opportunities related to the future NRPP, including its possible structure, governance and coordination arrangements, the role of regions, and the tools needed to support effective planning and monitoring. Particular attention was given to strategic directions, potential trade-offs, and ways to strengthen shared responsibility across policy areas.
Defining strategic priorities
One of the key conclusions of the discussion was the need for clear strategic priorities. Participants stressed that the NRPP should be based on a limited number of strategic directions capable of linking agricultural competitiveness, regional vitality, environmental sustainability and broader economic resilience.
Participants also highlighted the importance of stronger cross-ministerial coordination, shared monitoring systems, and the early involvement of regional actors and social partners.
Supporting more coherent policy planning
Overall, the discussion showed that the NRPP could provide an important opportunity to strengthen policy coherence, improve the strategic prioritisation of public expenditure, and address cross-sectoral challenges through a more integrated governance framework.
Project team in Lithuania:
Dr. Živilė Gedminaitė-Raudonė – zivile.gedminaite@ekvi.lt
Dr. Rita Lankauskienė – rita.lankauskiene@ekvi.lt
Dr. Rasa Melnikienė – rasa.melnikiene@ekvi.lt