Press release, 24 May 2018
With a total of 63 Members of the Seimas voting in favour, 8 against and 28 abstentions, the Seimas adopted the Law on Sponsorship (draft law No XIIIP-1480(2)).
The Law defines the concepts of a national patron, patronage, and a project eligible for patronage, as well as identifies the criteria and essential conditions for projects to qualify as eligible for patronage.
The title of a National or Municipal Patron will be granted to any individual of an impeccable reputation, whose sponsored project is qualified as eligible for patronage. An individual with an unspent or non-expunged conviction for a serious or very serious crime or a crime causing material damage to the state will not be considered as having an impeccable reputation and will not be granted the title of a National or Municipal Patron.
The title of a National or Municipal Patron will be bestowed upon the decision of the Patronage Council. The title may be granted to natural entities posthumously.
A token of a National Patron will be solemnly presented by the Prime Minister or any other authorised minister on 25 January of the relevant year, which is the day of the first mention of the city of Vilnius. A token of a Municipal Patron will be solemnly presented by a mayor of a relevant municipality on any memorable day chosen by a municipal council.
The Law establishes that only high-value donation will be recognised as an act of patronage. The title of a National Patron will be granted to an individual who will donate at least EUR 1 million for implementing a project eligible for patronage at the national level or the level of at least two municipalities. The title of a Municipal Patron in a municipality with up to 25,000 of permanent residents will be conferred on an individual who will donate at least EUR 150,000 in support for a project (projects) eligible for patronage at the municipal level. The title of a Municipal Patron in a municipality with over 25,000 of permanent residents or a municipality which holds the status of a resort of the Republic of Lithuania will be bestowed on an individual who will donate at least EUR 250,000 in support for a project (projects) eligible for patronage at the municipal level.
The Law does not provide for any new incentive measures, i.e. tax exemptions, apart from those tax reliefs, which are applied to charity donors and sponsors.
The Law also establishes fields for the implementation of projects eligible for patronage, namely, personal and public health care, culture and cultural heritage, arts, science, public well-being, sports, physical training and education.
The Law will enter into force on 1 September 2018.
Saulė Eglė Trembo, Chief Specialist, Press Office, Information and Communication Department,
tel. +370 5 239 6203, e-mail: egle.trembo@lrs.lt