International relations

Starting from the reestablishment, the State Labour Inspectorate actively tried to take up the working methods of the European countries, based on the provisions that in enterprises employers are primarily responsible for the establishment of the system ensuring occupational safety and health, its implementation, improvement, by identifying hazards at work as well as assessing risks, and ensuring the ongoing operation of this system. Therefore already in May 1993 the first training course was arranged, where lectures were given by the experts from the International Labour Organisation and Denmark. In the course of all the years of reestablishment of the State Labour Inspectorate, Lithuanian labour inspectors were widely and extensively trained under training programmes prepared by experts from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, France, United Kingdom and other countries as well as PHARE programme. The State Labour Inspectorate has covered a long and complicated road in the international activities – from the first seminar in 1993 till participation in the seminars and conferences organised by other countries: presentations delivered in Nicosia, London, Wroclaw, Stockholm, Paris, Tallinn, Riga, etc.
Before Lithuania entered EU, inspection visits to enterprises of Lithuanian labour inspectors were observed by the group of specialists from four countries, constituted by the Senior Labour Inspectors Committee, making the evaluation of labour inspection systems of candidate countries. Both the inspections and general activities were evaluated positively and it was stated that the State Labour Inspectorate of the Republic of Lithuania fully complies with the standards of labour inspectorates operating in the EU countries.
The State Labour Inspectorate is a member of the International Association of Labour Inspection (IALI) from 1994, and from 1995 – a member of Senior Labour Inspectors Committee (SLIC), and maintains contacts with analogous establishments and institutions from other countries. Cooperation agreements are signed with labour inspectorates of Poland, Latvia, and Estonia. 
With Lithuania‘s membership in the EU, according to the new status representatives of the State Labour Inspectorate are actively involved in the international working groups on concrete issues of occupational safety and health (,,Machinery“, ,,Enforcement“, ,,Common principles of inspection“, ,,European strategy. Activity programme project“, ,,Efficiency indicators of Labour Inspectorate“, ,,European construction campaign“, ,,Asbestos“, etc.), various campaigns, evaluation of inspection systems of other countries. Currently 14 specialists of the State Labour Inspectorate participate in the activities of various EU working groups.