Essential services are an important part of regional policy in many European Union (EU) and OECD countries: although EU treaties ensure the free movement of people, in recent years there has been increasing talk about the “right to stay” – a person’s ability to access essential services where they live. Both business and public services can be recognized as essential – in which case the state undertakes to ensure their accessibility to everyone, regardless of place of residence, age, or financial situation, even when the service is not profitable.
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How Lithuania is managing this duty towards the country’s seniors was shown by the State Audit Office’s audit “Promoting Active Ageing.” The audit’s conclusion is that maintaining independence must be a guaranteed public service for every elderly person, not a “geographical lottery,” i.e., dependent on where a person happens to live.
Deputy State Controller Živilė Kindurytė, who shared the audit results in a discussion, said that essential services for seniors were planned and provided in only 14 municipalities.
“We are talking about transportation, essential home assistance if needed, social and psychological support. What the study showed specifically about this group is that almost a third of people feel lonely, almost a third do not have the opportunity to contact and receive certain services. It seems that this group of people has the hardest time accessing services,” Ž. Kindurytė said during the discussion held last week in Šeduva.
On the other hand, she said, inequality is visible not only among seniors but also among children with special educational needs – as shown by another new study on special education.
“We say that 90% of children with special educational needs can study in mainstream classes. It seems perfect. When we look realistically, about 50% of children receive those services because there are not enough specialists, and funding is insufficient. One municipality contributes 1 euro, another 700 euros. Accordingly, the services differ,” she said.
Residents need clarity, not a list
The discussion also raised the question of the possibilities to agree on what belongs to essential services. A few years ago, a survey conducted by the Ministry of the Interior (MoI) showed that what residents consider most essential and what they use daily are not the same. Respondents most often named primary health care, utility services, and public safety as the most essential services. However, the top three most frequently used services, besides utility services, were quite different: postal and parcel delivery services and hairdressers with beauty salons.
This gap was echoed by Merkinė resident and journalist Vytaras Radzevičius’s observation that in a town with a pharmacy, ATM, and school, what is most lacking is a hairdresser or “at least a barber” and a veterinary clinic.
Meanwhile, according to Ž. Kindurytė, the content of essential services is more important than a definitive list.
“We must very clearly <…> define for people what an essential service is. If I am talking about a critical, life-saving service, I must know it, and I must receive it. What I get, not that imaginary list that is somehow accessible only after traveling 30 kilometers, paying money, etc.,” she said.
According to Ž. Kindurytė, general criteria could be several: how quickly the service is received, whether it is affordable – including travel to it, whether there are alternatives for those who find it harder to access due to disability or place of residence, and whether the service is resilient.
In turn, Arvydas Nekrošius, mayor of Raseiniai district municipality, proposed a simple test – to distinguish what is vital and what can wait. For example, he emphasized that ATMs are not something significant because money can be withdrawn at terminals in rural stores. The mayor highlighted another example related to saving lives.
“The golden hour as an example, when after a stroke it is necessary to provide all essential medical services as quickly as possible. For example, in our district, out of 120 patients last year, 90% did not receive appropriate service within an hour. This is much more important than ATMs or other things. This is life. Life-essential services should be prioritized,” A. Nekrošius pointed out.
The need for a clear definition was also agreed upon by Maria-Varinia Michalun, head of the OECD Governance and Strategic Planning Division. However, in her view, there will be no one-size-fits-all: what is considered essential depends on the country’s traditions, and different services require different mechanisms.
“Yes, it is necessary to define what is considered an essential service. And it depends on the country we are talking about, on that country’s traditions. I think we handle banking issues differently than transportation issues – such services need to be managed and provided completely differently. Services are different, so different management mechanisms need to be applied,” said M.-V. Michalun.
Agreement instead of law
Some essential services are provided not only by the state – banks, stores, and pharmacies operate in a market that counts profitability. Therefore, the question arises whether the state should regulate services in these areas.
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Evaldas Ruzgys, a member of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania (BoL), gave an example in the discussion that softer measures also work. For example, he said, when ATMs began to disappear, the BoL brought commercial banks together to sign a memorandum – 100 additional ATMs appeared in remote areas, and now an agreement has been made for another 50.
“Legally securing the availability of a certain service is already an extreme measure. Our example, both regarding ATMs and now bank branches, shows that there are other measures,” said E. Ruzgys, adding that agreements have already been made with banks regarding physical service availability in ten municipalities where there is no longer a single bank branch.
According to him, much also depends on the municipalities themselves and residents. E. Ruzgys said banks engage in dialogue with administrations showing initiative, and people can show businesses through their behavior that the service is truly needed.
“If there is only one branch left, vote with your wallet, switch to another bank. But people do not want to change – they often just accept it,” said the BoL board member.
In turn, V. Radzevičius suggested looking at Denmark’s experience, where so-called folk schools for adults operate: abandoned manors and buildings in Lithuanian regions, in his opinion, could be activated as educational holiday places. However, he emphasized that business alone will not carry such projects.
“This requires government support, some benefits or subsidies. Those buildings are collapsing anyway, and if they remain unused, they will simply fall apart,” said V. Radzevičius.
However, as A. Nekrošius said, agreements have limits – sometimes a service lacks not money or premises but a person. According to the mayor of Raseiniai district municipality, some time ago residents of Šiluva requested a pharmacy, the municipality even offered premises for free, the network agreed to open it, but the most important figure – a pharmacist – did not appear.
“You can do whatever you want – nothing will happen. There is no one element, the leg on which the service stands, and the service will not exist,” summarized A. Nekrošius.
E. Ruzgys also mentioned this problem when talking about 10 municipalities where there is not a single bank or its branch. According to him, this problem can be solved without legislative initiatives.
“We have already agreed with banks that physical service availability must appear. <…> We have clearly identified this in our strategy that service availability in regions must be addressed. We show as an example that it can be solved not through legislative initiatives,” said E. Ruzgys.
However, the question was raised whether some distance problems could be solved by digital services. Still, Ž. Kindurytė said she believes that digital and mobile services, transportation, or other solutions can complement the physical service location. But the most important thing is to assess the result – whether a person can actually use the service they need. This is especially relevant for those whose ability to use digital services or independently travel to another city is limited.
Therefore, according to the deputy state controller, solutions need to be sought in various ways – from e-services to neighbor and community involvement, and they will be different for each municipality.
The participants did not find a clear answer to the discussion’s title question – what is optimal – since everything depends both on the area and the person. In some places, a specialist is missing, in others – incentives for business, and digital service may remain inaccessible altogether. However, the participants agreed on the direction: it is necessary to clearly define what a person must receive and prioritize what saves lives. And where services are provided by the market, regulation is not necessary – agreements, incentives, and community initiatives also work.
The “Regional Policy Forum 2026” took place on September 3, organized by the Ministry of the Interior together with the Public Institution “Central Project Management Agency” (CPMA).
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