On paper, an EU member state. In reality, a system that resembles the Soviet Union more than the European Union.
Lithuania Legal Watch documents a Lithuanian criminal procedure that froze €700,521.07 + PLN 12,945.32 of a Dutch-owned company's assets for over 18 months — without a formal charge, without effective judicial review, and in apparent breach of EU law, the ECHR and Lithuania's own Constitution.
Hero image
Editorial photograph: Vilnius Cathedral square at dusk with EU + Lithuanian flags, OR a documentary-style portrait of the protagonists with case dossier on table. Dark, cinematic, investigative-journalism tone.
What the file shows
+ PLN 12,945
Frozen since May 2025
Months of asset freeze
Documented legal violations
Legal costs since 2016
Formal charges filed
The contradiction at the heart of this story
Lithuania joined the EU in 2004, the eurozone in 2015, and rates highly on World Bank ease-of-doing-business indicators. Brochures aimed at foreign entrepreneurs promise rule of law, REACH-harmonised chemical regulation and a fair judiciary. The case file below tells a different story.
On paper
- • EU member since 2004, eurozone since 2015
- • REACH-harmonised chemical regulation
- • Top-tier World Bank ease-of-doing-business ranking
- • EU Charter of Fundamental Rights directly applicable
- • Independent judiciary, ECHR jurisdiction
In reality, on this file
- • Lithuanian Schedule IV diverges from EU REACH norms (Nov 2018)
- • €700,521+ frozen across multiple accounts for 18+ months without formal indictment
- • Goods never entered Lithuanian territory
- • EU-law arguments not engaged by national judges
- • Charges escalated after each appeal — no referral to CJEU
UAB Clean and Solve
The CLSO case is the first published file. More will follow.
Featured case visual
Image: laboratory chemical drum with REACH compliance label / OR generic cleaning-products warehouse. Editorial, desaturated.
Key dates on file
- Nov 2018Lithuania adds GBL to its national Schedule IV — diverges from EU REACH norms.
- 2019–2024UAB Clean and Solve trades GBL cross-border under EU rules; goods never enter Lithuania.
- 27 May 2025Vilnius prosecutor freezes €700,521.07 + PLN 12,945.32 of company assets across multiple currency accounts.
- Jul – Aug 2025First judicial reviews. Freeze upheld without engagement with EU-law arguments.
- Nov 2025Money-laundering charge added — still no formal indictment.
- May 2026Freeze extended to Nov 2026. Narcotic-precursor charge added.
Were you targeted in Lithuania?
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