Law on standardization (No. VIII-1618)

official translation LAW ON STANDARDIZATION 11 April 2000 No. VIII-1618 CHAPTER ONE GENERAL PROVISIONS Article 1. The Scope and the Purpose of the Law 1. The Law shall establish the basic objectives and principles of national standardization, the procedure for the drafting and application of Lithuanian standards, the relation between the standards and technical regulations, basic provisions for the establishment of the Lithuanian Standards Association and its activities, and financing sources of national standardization. 2. The purpose of the Law is to create the conditions for the implementation of the objectives of national standardization and to adhere to the basic principles of standardization. 3. The Law shall not apply to company standardization and the standardization in the military field. Article 2. Main Definitions For the purposes of this Law: 1. “Standardization” - activity of establishing, with regard to actual or potential problems, provisions for common and repeated use, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a certain field (industry, transport, agriculture, etc.). 2. “National standardization” - standardization that takes place at the level of one specific country. 3. “Standard” - document established by consensus and approved by a recognized standards body, that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities of their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context: 1) international standard is a standard adopted by an international standards organization and made available to the public; 2) regional standard is a standard adopted by a regional (European) standards organization and made available to the public; 3) national standard is a standard adopted by a National Standards Body and made 2 available to the public. 4. “Standards body” - an institution recognized on the national, European or other regional, as well as international level, the main function of which is the preparation, approval or adoption of standards that are made available to the public. 5. “National Standards Body” - the only institution recognized on the national level, that is eligible to be the national member of the corresponding international and regional (European) standards organization. 6. “Standards programme” - working schedule of a standards body, that lists its current items of standardization work. 7. “Technical regulation” - legal act that provides technical requirements, either directly or by referring to or incorporating the content of a standard, technical specification or code of practice. 8. “Technical specification” - document that prescribes technical requirements to be fulfilled by a product, process or service. 9. “Product” - result of activities or processes. 10. “Process” - a set of interrelated activities which transform (reprocess) inputs into outputs. 11. “Service” - result of supplier’s internal activities to meet the needs of a customer. 12. “Code of practice” - document that recommends practices or procedures for the design, manufacture, installation, maintenance or utilization of equipment, structures or products. 13. “Reference to standards (in legal acts)” - reference to one or more standards in place of detailed provisions within a legal acts. 14. “Indicative reference to standards” - reference to standards that states that one way to meet the relevant requirements of a technical regulation is to comply with the standards referred to. 15. “Exclusive reference to standards” - reference to standards that states that the only way to meet the relevant requirements of a technical regulation is to comply with the standards referred to. CHAPTER TWO OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES OF THE LITHUANIAN NATIONAL STANDARDIZATION Article 3. Objectives of the Lithuanian National Standardization 3 The objectives of the Lithuanian national standardization are: 1) protecting the health and life of human beings and animals, also the environment, goods, consumers’ interests and ensuring their safety; 2) creating conditions for free movement of goods and services; 3) improving the quality of products and services with the aim of achieving the competitiveness thereof on the domestic and foreign markets; 4) representing the interests of the national economy in the international and European standardization; 5) ensuring efficient and economical use of state resources. Article 4. Basic Principles of the Lithuanian National Standardization The basic principles of the Lithuanian national standardization are as follows: 1) participation of all interested entities, i.e. producers and service providers, state and municipal institutions, research and study institutions, consumer, public, professional and other organizations (hereinafter referred to as the interested parties) in the process of standardization on a voluntary and equal rights basis; 2) drafting and adoption of standards by consensus; 3) voluntary application of standards; 4) transparency of standards and their availability to the public; 5) application of the principle of priority to the international and European standardization; 6) meeting the needs of the national economy and of community; 7) application of advanced science and a state of the art technology; 8) establishment of the coherent national standards’ collection. CHAPTER THREE LITHUANIAN STANDARDS, DRAFTING, APPLICATION, ACCUMULATION AND DISTRIBUTION THEREOF Article 5. Lithuanian Standard 1. A Lithuanian standard shall be a standard adopted by the Lithuanian National Standards Body (hereinafter referred to as the National Standards Body) and meant for the public. A harmonized Lithuanian standard shall be a harmonized European standard developed by a European Standards Organization under a mandate given by the European Commission and adopted as a Lithuanian standard. 4 2. Lithuanian standards must be in conformity with the legislation of the Republic of Lithuania. 3. A Lithuanian standard shall be identified by the abbreviation “LST” followed by a number. An international or European standard adopted as a Lithuanian standard may be identified by the abbreviation which bears the following elements: the abbreviation “LST” followed by the abbreviation of the international or European standard adopted as a Lithuanian standard and a relevant number. 4. The abbreviation “LST” of a Lithuanian standard and a number may not be used for the identification of any other publication. 5. Publications of the National Standards Body and their collections may be marked by the copyright notice in the manner prescribed by laws. The making of copies, reproduction, reprinting and distribution of the aforementioned publications or the parts thereof in any means or form (electronic, mechanical, including photocopying, microfilming, Internet, etc.) without the written permission of the National Standards Body shall be prohibited. 6. Lithuanian standards shall be drafted in the state language. Standards and other publications of international and European standards organizations adopted as Lithuanian standards may be in one of the official languages of those organizations until the official translation into the Lithuanian language is made. 7. Standards of international and European standards organizations shall be adopted as Lithuanian standards in the manner prescribed by the National Standards Body. Article 6. Drafting of the Standards and Publishing of the Information Related thereto 1. Lithuanian standards shall be drafted according to the standards programme which shall be prepared and approved in the manner prescribed by the National Standards Body. Information about the standards programme shall be published in the periodical of the National Standards Body. 2. Proposals regarding the standards programme may be submitted by all interested parties. In preparing the standards programme, priority shall be given to the adoption of the harmonized and other European standards as well as international standards. 3. In the absence of the relevant European or international standards, the Lithuanian standards shall be drafted in accordance with the provisions of the legal acts regulating the procedure for the provision of information about the standards. 4. The National Standards Body shall give priority to the preparation of the Lithuanian 5 draft standards ordered by the state institutions. 5. The procedure for drafting and adoption of the Lithuanian standards shall be established by the National Standards Body. The Lithuanian draft standards shall be drawn up and approved by consensus by the technical committees of the National Standards Body (hereinafter referred to as the technical committees), in which representatives of all interested parties shall participate on a voluntary and equal rights basis in the manner prescribed by the National Standards Body. In the absence of the technical committee in any sphere, the National Standards Body may grant authorisation to prepare the Lithuanian draft standard to the provisional working group formed in the manner prescribed by the National Standards Body. The provisional working group shall draft and approve the Lithuanian draft standards according to the procedure adhered to by the technical committees. 6. The drafting of the Lithuanian draft standards shall be considered comparable to creative activities. The Lithuanian draft standards may be drafted under copyright licencing contracts. 7. The authors of the Lithuanian draft standards shall pass the author’s economic rights to the draft standards to the National Standards Body in the manner prescribed by laws, other legislation and the contracts concluded with the authors. 8. The Lithuanian standards shall be published and revised in the manner prescribed by the National Standards Body. 9. The National Standards Body shall publish the information about the Lithuanian draft standards presented for the public enquiry and issued Lithuanian standards in its periodical. Article 7. Application of Standards 1. The Lithuanian standards shall be applied on a voluntary basis, except when the legislation contains an exclusive reference to the standards. 2. The technical requirements of the declared standards shall become mandatory to the subjects, who have chosen the standards on a voluntary basis and have declared in the manner prescribed by laws their products or services to be in conformity with the Lithuanian standards. 3. The National Standards Body shall establish the procedure for the application in the Republic of Lithuania of the standards and other publications of international, European and other regional standards organizations as well as standards of the foreign states. The standards applied in the Republic of Lithuania must be in conformity with the legal acts of the Republic of Lithuania. 6 4. The National Standards Body shall declare void the withdrawn standards previously in force in the Republic of Lithuania. Article 8. Compilation of the Stock of Publications and Distribution of Publications 1. The National Standards Body shall develop and upgrade the standardization information system, compile the stock of public standards, their collections, catalogues and other publications (hereinafter referred to as the publications). The stock shall comprise: 1) publications of the National Standards Body; 2) publications of the international and European standards organizations of which the National Standards Body is a member; 3) publications of the foreign national standards bodies and other standards organizations with which relevant contracts have been signed. 2. The National Standards Body shall have the exclusive right to publish and distribute the Lithuanian standards, also to distribute the standards and other publications of the international and European standards organizations of which it is a member and of those international, regional standards organizations and foreign state national standards bodies with which contracts have been signed. 3. The National Standards Body shall publish and distribute periodical publications. Article 9. Participation of State Institutions and Agencies in the Drafting and Application of Standards Recognising the importance, necessity and benefit of the Lithuanian standards applied on a voluntary basis for the administration of the state and for meeting the needs of the public, state and municipal institutions: 1) may allocate funds from the State Budget to the activities of the National Standards Body in the manner prescribed by laws and other legislation; 2) shall appoint, in the manner prescribed by the National Standards Body, their respective representatives to technical committees corresponding to the type of activities they are engage in; 3) shall submit proposals to the National Standards Body with regard to the Lithuanian standards programmes being prepared and the opinion of the respective institution on the Lithuanian, international and European draft standards being drafted; 4) shall inform the National Standards Body about the international agreements related to standardization and all technical regulations draft being drafted; 7 5) while dealing with the standardization-related issues important for the type of activities they engage in, shall maintain contacts with the National Standards Body. CHAPTER FOUR RELATION BETWEEN STANDARDS AND TECHNICAL REGULATIONS Article 10. Standards and Technical Regulations 1. Technical regulations shall be drafted by public authorities according to their competence in the manner prescribed by laws and other legislation. 2. If the technical requirements for a product or service are provided in a Lithuanian standard (standards), the technical regulation may contain only a reference to the Lithuanian standard (standards). 3. Indicative or exclusive references contained in the technical regulation shall be made only to the Lithuanian standards. 4. The purpose of technical regulations and relevant Lithuanian standards shall be the creation of conditions which would guarantee that the products placed on the market, when used and maintained in accordance with the producer’s requirements, as well as the services provided would be safe, not harmful to person’s and animals’ health and life, to the consumers, the environment and goods. The aforementioned conditions are considered to have been created in the following cases: 1) where it is declared in the manner prescribed by legislation that a product or service meets the requirements of a technical regulation and the product is marked in the manner prescribed by legislation; or, where a technical regulation provides for the mandatory product conformity assessment procedures – upon the presentation of the documents confirming conformity assessment; 2) where it is declared in the manner prescribed by legislation that a product or service conforms to the Lithuanian standard related to the technical regulation. A Lithuanian standard shall be considered to be related to a technical regulation if it is a harmonised Lithuanian standard or a Lithuanian standard to which the technical regulation contains a reference; 3) in the absence of a relevant technical regulation, it shall be declared in the manner prescribed by legislation that the product or service conforms to the Lithuanian standard. 4) if the producer of his own free will chooses a case other than the one specified in subparagraph 2 or 3 of paragraph 4 of this Article, corresponding to the contemporary level of science and technology, it will be proved in the manner prescribed by legislation that a product produced or a service provided in accordance with the said decision conforms to a 8 technical regulation, or, in the absence of such, if the product or a service is safe and not harmful to the health and life of persons and animals, the environment, goods and consumers. 5. Where it is declared in the manner prescribed by legislation that a product or service conforms to the harmonized Lithuanian standard (standards), it shall be considered that the product or service conforms to the technical regulation to which the harmonized Lithuanian standard (standards) is (are) related. CHAPTER FIVE NATIONAL STANDARDS BODY Article 11. The Status of the National Standards Body 1. The National Standards Body is an association established according to the procedure set forth by this Law and other laws. The association is a non-profit organization and its name is the Lithuanian Standards Association. It shall be prohibited from engaging in commercial activities. 2. The Lithuanian Standards Association shall be a voluntary union of the subjects referred to in subparagraph 1 of Article 4 of this Law performing the function of public administration – implementing this Law and upgrading and developing national standardization in the Republic of Lithuania. 3. The purpose of activities, basic functions and objectives of the Lithuanian Standards Association must be related to the sphere of activities or needs of the Association members and must be specified in the statute of the Association. 4. The Lithuanian Standards Association shall enjoy freedom of action, initiative and decision-making granted to it by and have duties imposed on it under the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, this and other laws of the Republic of Lithuania and resolutions of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, whereas in its activities it shall abide by the Statute of the Lithuanian Standards Association (hereinafter referred to as the Association Statute) registered in accordance with the procedure established by laws. 5. The Law on Associations shall apply to the Lithuanian Standards Association to the extent it is not provided for otherwise under this Law. 6. The Lithuanian Standards Association shall have the right to use a seal, document forms, covers of publications and title pages bearing the state emblem of Lithuania. 7. The Lithuanian Standards Association is a legal person who shall be liable for its obligations by way of all its property and shall not be liable for the obligations assumed by the Association members, whereas its members shall not be liable for the obligations of the 9 Lithuanian Standards Association. Article 12. Main Objectives and Functions of the Lithuanian Standards Association 1. The main objective of the Lithuanian Standards Association shall be the implementation and development of national standardization in the Republic of Lithuania. 2. The Lithuanian Standards Association shall perform the following functions of the National Standards Body: 1) draft the Lithuanian standards; 2) participate in the activities of international and European standards organizations represent the interests of the national economy; 3) provide information about the technical regulations, standards and conformity assessment procedures of the Republic of Lithuania in the manner prescribed by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, also information on the issues of standardization to the public as well as state and municipal institutions; 4) co-ordinate the standardization work in all spheres of activities, upgrade and develop national standardization; 5) establish technical committees and provide conditions for all interested parties to participate in their work; 6) create the terms used in the Lithuanian standards, carry out expert examination of the terms and their management; 7) organize and conduct courses of in-service training on the issues of standardization for the specialists, provide services for payment in the manner prescribed by the Association Statute, establish media facilities, enterprises and organizations which function in accordance with the laws applicable to enterprises and organizations of the appropriate type, perform other functions prescribed by the Association Statute. Article 13. Members of the National Standards Association 1. State and municipal institutions of the Republic of Lithuania, legal persons of the Republic of Lithuania and other states, and enterprises without the rights of a legal person may become members of the Lithuanian Standards Association upon making a decision to become Association members and acting as representatives of the interested parties referred to in subparagraph 1 of Article 4 of this Law. The Association Statute may restrict Association membership for foreign state legal persons and enterprises without the rights of a legal person. 10 2. The procedure for the admission of members of the Lithuanian Standards Association and for the termination of membership shall be established by the Association Statute. 3. Members of the Lithuanian Standards Association (hereinafter referred to as members) must abide by the Association Statute and shall have equal rights in participating in the activities of the Lithuanian Standards Association and recommending its representatives to managing bodies. 4. Members of the Lithuanian Standards Association shall have the right to: 1) make use of the services provided and information accumulated by the Lithuanian Standards Association; 2) receive information on the activities of the Lithuanian Standards Association; 3) contest in court the resolutions and decisions adopted by the managing bodies of the Lithuanian Standards Association; 4) withdraw from the Lithuanian Standards Association. 5. The Lithuanian Standards Association shall have the right to expel its members. The rights to a share of property of the Lithuanian Standards Association of the members who have withdrawn or have been expelled shall be exercised according to the procedure laid down in the Association Statute. 6. Members of the Lithuanian Standards Association shall pay when due membership fees of the established amount at a fixed date. 7. Other rights and duties of the members shall be defined in the Association Statute. Article 14. Establishment of the Lithuanian Standards Association 1. The Lithuanian Standards Association shall be established on the initiative of the Lithuanian Standards Board and the subjects reffered to in paragraph 1 of Article 13 of this Law. 2. The initiators of establishment of the Lithuanian Standards Association must convene the constituent assembly at which the persons listed in paragraph 1 of Article 13 of this Law or their authorised representatives, who have declared in writing their desire to become members of the Lithuanian Standards Association which is being established, shall have the right to vote. The constituent assembly shall adopt a resolution on the establishment of the Lithuanian Standards Association, its Statute and shall elect a collegiate managing body – the Standardization Council. 3. The constituent assembly shall have all the rights of the general meeting of members. 11 Article 15. Managing Structure of the Lithuanian Standards Association The managing bodies of the Lithuanian Standards Association shall be: 1) the General Assembly; 2) the Standardization Council; 3) the Management. Article 16. General Assembly of the Lithuanian Standards Association 1. The supreme managing body of the Lithuanian Standards Association shall be the General Assembly. It is the general meeting of the representatives of the Lithuanian Standards Association members. The procedure for convening the General Assembly and for adopting decisions as well as the procedure of their coming into force shall be set out in the Association Statute. Every member of the Lithuanian Standards Association shall have one decisive vote at the General Assembly . 2. The General Assembly shall fulfil the following functions: 1) adopt, amend and supplement the Association Statute; 2) elect and recall the president, vice-presidents and the auditing commission of the Lithuanian Standards Association; 3) elect from its members the Standardization Council and make decisions on the formation and activities of the commissions by the Lithuanian Standards Association; 4) approve the reports of the Standardization Council, commissions, the Management, auditing commission as well as other reports prescribed by the Association Statute; 5) determine the strategy and trends of activities of the Lithuanian Standards Association; 6) approve the budget of the Lithuanian Standards Association; 7) fix the amount of initial contributions and membership fee and set forth the payment procedure; 8) establish media facilities, enterprises and organizations, liquidate the Lithuanian Standards Association; 9) fulfil other functions prescribed by the Association Statute. Article 17. Standardization Council of the Lithuanian Standards Association 1. The Standardization Council shall be the managing body directing the activities of the Lithuanian Standards Association during the period between the General Assemblies. The procedure for convening the Standardization Council, for adopting decisions as well as the 12 procedure of their coming into force shall be laid down the Association Statute. The president of the Lithuanian Standards Association shall preside over the General Assembly and meetings of the Standardization Council. 2. The number of the Standardization Council members shall be fixed in the Association Statute. The Standardization Council shall consist of the Lithuanian Standards Association president, vice-presidents, director general and not less than 12 - 15 members. One-third of the members shall be representatives of state and municipal institutions having an interest in standardization, delegated by state and municipal institutions. Other members of the Standardization Council shall be elected in the manner and for the term prescribed by the Association Statute. 3. The Standardization Council shall perform the following functions: 1) submit draft amendments and supplements to the Association Statute for the General Assembly ; 2) implement the policy of activities of the Lithuanian Standards Association pursuant to the resolutions of the General Assembly ; 3) approve the standards programmes of the Lithuanian Standards Association; approve the general reguirements for the establishment and activity of the technical committees; 5) approve the established technical committees and their statute and abolish the same; 6) fulfil other functions prescribed by the Association Statute. Article 18. Management of the Lithuanian Standards Association 1. Operative activities of the Lithuanian Standards Association shall be organised and carried out by the Management which operates in compliance with laws, the Association Statute, its own working regulations, division regulations and job descriptions, resolutions adopted by the managing bodies of the Lithuanian Standards Association and the orders issued by the director general. 2. The Management shall be directed by the director general whose competence and functions shall be specified in the Association Statute. The director general and the chief financier (accountant) shall be appointed on the basis of employment contracts and dismissed by the Standardization Council which shall also fix their official salaries. The director general shall attend the General Assembly and meetings of the Standardization Council with the right of deliberative vote. 3. The director general shall: 13 1) head the directorate; 2) be responsible for the work of the Management, budget performance and implementation of the General Assembly resolutions and decisions of the Standardization Council; 3) conclude transactions in the name of the Lithuanian Standards Association within the scope of powers granted to him by the Standardization Council; 4) be accountable for his activities to the Standardization Council; 5) recruit and dismiss the Management staff, draw up the staff list and fix the official salaries of the staff; 6) fulfil other functions specified in the Association Statute. 4. The president and the director general of the Lithuanian Standards Association shall represent the Lithuanian Standards Association in various institutions and shall conclude contracts. 5. The president, vice-president and Management staff shall be remunerated for their work from the funds of the Lithuanian Standards Association. Article 19. Technical Committees of the Lithuanian Standards Association 1. The Lithuanian Standards Association shall establish technical committees in which all interested parties referred to in subparagraph 1 of Article 4 of this Law shall participate on a voluntary basis and with equal rights. A technical committee may have separate headquarters for secretariat. A technical committee shall not have the status of a legal person and in its activities shall use the name of the Lithuanian Standards Association as a legal person. 2. The main function of the technical committees shall be the elaboration of the Lithuanian draft standards and the adoption thereof by consensus as well as participation in the elaboration of the international and European draft standards. 3. The procedure for the establishment of the technical committees shall be prescribed by the Association Statute. 4. Natural persons, also legal persons, enterprises without the rights of a legal person, state and municipal institutions may participate in the work of the technical committees in the manner prescribed by the Association Statute, even if they are not members of the Lithuanian Standards Association. Article 20. Commissions of the Lithuanian Standards Association 1. The commissions of the Lithuanian Standards Association representing the 14 interested parties referred to in subparagraph 1 of Article 4 of this Law shall be established for the purpose of co-ordinating and developing the activities of the Lithuanian Standards Association. 2. The Standardization Council shall establish permanent Electrical Engineering and Consumers Commissions. The Standardization Council may also appoint other permanent and ad hoc commissions. 3. The procedure for the establishment of the commissions and their working procedure shall be prescribed by the Association Statute. Article 21. Property of the Lithuanian Standards Association 1. The Lithuanian Standards Association may own buildings, means of transportation and other fixed and short-term tangible assets required in their activities provided for in the Association Statute, which may have been: 1) transferred to it as the initial contribution; 2) acquired from the sources of funds provided for in Article 22 of this Law. 2. State and municipal institutions may transfer fixed assets, except for real property, and short-term tangible property to the Lithuanian Standards Association as the initial contribution. 3. Upon the liquidation of the Lithuanian Standards Association and after a settlement with creditors has been effected, the property transferred to the Lithuanian Standards Association as the initial contribution shall be returned to the legal persons who were the transferors. 4. The state-owned real property may be transferred to the Lithuanian Standards Association under a loan for use agreement. The Lithuanian Standards Association may transfer in the manner prescribed by law the real property used by it under a loan for use agreement for the use of the legal persons founded by it. Article 22. Sources of Funds of the Lithuanian Standards Association 1. The sources of funds of the Lithuanian Standards Association shall be as follows: 1) initial contributions of the members, membership fees and special-purpose contributions for carrying out works related to standardization; 2) target allocations from the State Budget to finance the programmes supported by the State, which are referred to in Article 23 of this Law and state funds transferred by other assignment owner’s for the performance of the work connected with the programmes implemented by them; 15 3) funds of clients for the drafting of the Lithuanian standards and performance of other works related to standardization; 4) funds and property transferred without consideration by natural and legal persons; 5) profit of the enterprises founded by the Association; 6) income from the distributed standards and other publications; 7) funds received through sponsorship or as a donation or inherited by will; 8) other legally acquired funds. 2. An estimate of expenditure shall be drawn up for the use of the funds received from the State Budget, and these funds shall be kept in a separate account. 3. Funds received through sponsorship or inherited by will shall be used for carrying out activities provided for in the Association Statute on the instruction of the sponsor or the testator and shall be kept in a separate account. Article 23. Target Allocations from the State Budget Target allocations from the State Budget shall be made for the following purposes provided for in the programmes supported by the State: 1) drafting of the Lithuanian standards if this type of work is related to the implementation of legislation, or when international and European standards are to be adopted as the Lithuanian standards; 2) payment of membership fees in international and European standards organizations and participation in the activities of the said organizations; 3) provision of information on Lithuania’s technical regulations, standards and conformity assessment procedures in the manner prescribed by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania; 4) co-ordination of the standardization work in all spheres of activities, upgrading and development of national standardization; 5) creation, examination and management of the terms used in the Lithuanian standards; 6) performance of other activities related to standardization provided for in the programmes supported by the State. Article 24. Control of Financial Activities of the Lithuanian Standards Association 1. Financial activities of the Lithuanian Standards Association shall be audited at least once a year by the auditing commission. 16 2. Members of the Standardization Council and Management staff may not be on the auditing commission. 3. The procedure for controlling the financial activities of the Lithuanian Standards Association shall be set out in the Association Statute. 4. The right to inspect the use of funds received from the State shall be vested on the institution of State Control. Article 25. Supervision of Legality of the Activities of the Lithuanian Standards Association 1. The legality of activities of the Lithuanian Standards Association shall be supervised by the institution authorised by the Government (hereinafter referred to as the authorised institution). 2. The Lithuanian Standards Association must submit to the authorised institution the annual report in the form established by the Standardization Council. 3. The authorised institution shall have the right to have its own representative in the Standardization Council. 4. The authorised institution shall represent the Government of the Republic of Lithuania in international and regional institutions dealing with standardization issues at government level. 5. The authorised institution shall submit to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania drafts of the legal acts prepared in the field of standardization, the drafting of which shall be initiated by the Lithuanian Standards Association. Article 26. Liquidation of the Lithuanian Standards Association The Lithuanian Standards Association shall be liquidated according to the association liquidation procedure prescribed by the laws of the Republic of Lithuania and the Association Statute. CHAPTER SIX FINAL PROVISIONS Article 27. Liability for Violations of the Law on Standardization Natural and legal persons shall be liable for the violation of this Law in the manner prescribed by the laws of the Republic of Lithuania. 17 Article 28. Succession to the Rights of the Lithuanian Standards Board 1. Before the establishment and registration of the Lithuanian Standards Association in the manner prescribed by law, the functions of the National Standards Body shall be performed by the Lithuanian Standards Board. 2. Upon the establishment and registration of the Lithuanian Standards Association in the manner prescribed by law, the Lithuanian Standards Board shall be liquidated according to the procedure prescribed by the Law on the Institutions Maintained from the State Budget. 3. Following the liquidation of the Lithuanian Standards Board: 1) the Government of the Republic of Lithuania shall transfer to the Lithuanian Standards Association as the initial contribution of the state the fixed and short-term tangible property held by the Lithuanian Standards Board, except for the real property which shall be transferred according to the procedure specified in subparagraph 2 of paragraph 3 hereof, and shall appoint institutions to represent the interests of the state in the Lithuanian Standards Association; 2) the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, seeking to ensure public interests in the field of standardization and having regard to public administration functions being fulfilled by the Lithuanian Standards Association, shall transfer non-residential premises held and used by the Lithuanian Standards Board to be held in trust by the authorised institution specified in Article 25 of this Law and, after the authorised institution takes over the premises, transfer them to the Lithuanian Standards Association to be used without consideration under a loan for use agreement. The loan for use agreement shall terminate when the loanee terminates the activity for which the loan for use agreement was concluded and in the performance whereof he used state-owned property; 3) the Lithuanian Standards Association shall commence fulfilling the functions of the National Standards Body upon taking over the property specified in subparagraphs 1 and 2 of paragraph 3 hereof. I promulgate this Law passed by the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania. PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC VALDAS ADAMKUS