About the Sector

Transport and logistics. Transport networks are the arteries of the European single market and the driving force behind market competitiveness. Lithuania, located in the center of the Baltic Sea region between Western Europe and Eastern markets, has long been known as a country of transport and logistics services. Two international transport corridors and their branches cross our territory: in the East–West direction — branches IXB and IXD of Corridor IX, and in the North–South direction — Corridor I and its branch IA. All of this enables Lithuania to become an important link in the global transport and logistics chain, serving East–West and North–South trade flows while maximizing the advantages of different modes of transport and ensuring their efficient interaction.

The transport and logistics sector generates a significant share of the gross domestic product; therefore, the state pays great attention to this field, encouraging its continuous development, reducing environmental pollution, and investing in road and rail infrastructure, seaports and airports, border crossing points, urban logistics, and advanced infrastructure.

Public logistic centres

Public Logistics Centres

In the transport policy of the European Union, it is foreseen that by 2040 at least 50% of freight transported over distances greater than 300 km must be moved by rail or water transport. Lithuania is consistently and responsibly implementing this policy and, as outlined in the Lithuanian Transport System Development Strategy up to 2025, is carrying out the establishment procedures for public logistics centres.

Public logistics centres have been established in Lithuania’s major cities — Vilnius and Kaunas — in strategically suitable locations to ensure sustainable interaction between land, air, and water transport modes. The Vilnius Intermodal Terminal (VIT)  and the Kaunas Intermodal Terminal (KIT) have already been built within the Vilnius and Kaunas public logistics centres. Each public logistics centre is being developed within a 50–300 ha area, containing intermodal terminals, warehouses, storage yards, administrative buildings, and services provided by customs, veterinary, and phytosanitary control institutions, as well as customs brokers.

With the support of these logistics centres, the potential of rail, road, water, and air transport is used efficiently. They ensure smooth interaction between different modes of transport within European transport corridors, reduce traffic flows on major highways, and help minimise congestion in urban areas.

Border crossing points

General Lithuanian state border length is 1762 km (together with the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Poland and the Russian Federation, Kaliningrad Region). After Lithuania joined both the European Union on 1 May 2004 and Schengen Area document control was eliminated on the border with Poland and Latvia. Now there are established 37 border crossing points with external borders of the European Union: with Republic of Belarus – 19 (4 of them are international roads, 11 – local roads, 3 rails and 1 river) border crossing point. With Russian Federation – 10 (5 of them are international roads, 2 rails and 3 international rivers) border crossing points. There are established 4 international Seaport and 4 international airports border crossing points as well.

Development of border crossing points near external borders of the European Union is being implemented in accordance with Inter-institutional Action Plan for the development of Border crossing points, interests of national security, agreements with the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, passenger and freight traffic through the border crossing point statistics.

Lithuanian state border crossing online booking system

Directorate of border crossing infrastructure under the Ministry of Transport and Communications in order to ensure smooth access to border crossings had  launched  information system for vehicles waiting to cross the state border of the Republic of Lithuania in international road border crossing points.  The purpose of this information system is to implement the possibility to make online pre-booking to electronic border crossing queue on the websites (ltsiena)and (ltborder) and to handle technical means of the information system  which allows entry to the border crossing point such as barriers, stoplights, scoreboards, number plates recognition techniques, etc.

Advanced queue reservation allowes  to wait the border crossing time in the chosen place or to plan the trip in advance and thus significantly reduces the physical rows or abolish them at all. 

Comissions

• The commission for development border check points (activity – coordinates the development of border check points, considering investment projects for construction and recontruction of border check points, supervise the use of funds for construction and recontruction of border check points, initiates negotiations, discuss projects of international agreements and negotiating positions with the competent authorities of the neighbouring countries as well.