Šilutė sets complaint procedure for waste levy and service quality

The Šilutė district council adopted decision No T1-1383E TARE TAR of 29 October 2026E TAR, approving rules for the out-of-court examination of disputes and complaints about municipal waste servicesE TAR. The rules cover two things: the assessment and calculation of the local levy for municipal waste management (vietinė rinkliava), including reliefs, and the quality of waste services — the organisation of service provision and the collection, transport, use and disposal of waste.E TAR

The rules apply to waste holders, the levy administrator (the Public Services Division, Viešųjų paslaugų skyrius), waste collection and transport providers, and the municipal executive institution or its authorised person. Complaints are examined under the principles of legality, objectivity, proportionality, transparency, completeness, efficiency and the right to be heard.

Only written complaints are examinedE TAR; oral approaches count as consultations and do not start a procedure. A complaint may be filed electronically, by post to Dariaus ir Girėno g. 1, LT-99133 Šilutė, or in person, including through a representative whose authority is confirmed as the law requires. A complaint filed after working hours or on a rest or holiday day counts as filed on the next working day. An electronic complaint must be a digital copy of the signed complaint or signed with a qualified electronic signature.

A complaint must state the addressee, the complainant's name and contacts, the specific infringement of rights or legitimate interests, the date it came to light, the demand, the supporting circumstances, whether court proceedings on the same matter are known to be pending, a list of attachments and the date of writing. It must be in the state language, with a certified translation of anything submitted in another language, and it must be legible, specific and understandable. Anonymous complaints are not examined unless the executive institution or its authorised person finds the information significant for the public interest or environmental protection.

Complaints about the levy assessment, calculation and reliefs go first to the levy administrator; complaints about service quality and organisation go to the executive institution or its authorised person. If a complaint is defective, the complainant is told of the defects within 5 working days and given at least 5 working days to cure them; otherwise the procedure ends and the complaint is returned unexamined, with notice within 3 working days. A complaint may also be left unexamined if it is not in the state language, is anonymous, illegible or unclear, duplicates court or decided proceedings without new facts, or is manifestly repetitive, abusive or insulting.

The decision on a complaint is taken within 20 working days of receiptE TAR, extendable by up to 10 working days for objective reasons such as the need to obtain documents or verify facts, with written notice of the extension and its reasons within 5 working days. A waste holder disagreeing with the levy administrator may turn to the executive institution or its authorised person, and then to the Lietuvos administracinių ginčų komisija (teritorinis padalinys – Klaipėdos apygardos skyrius) or the Regionų administracinis teismas under the Administracinių bylų teisenos įstatymas.E TAR Service-quality decisions follow the authorised person, then the executive institution, then the administrative court.E TAR Filing a complaint does not suspend enforcement unless the law provides otherwise. Personal data are processed under the GDPR and Lithuanian data-protection law.

Legal basis: Šilutės rajono savivaldybės tarybos 2026 m. spalio 29 d. sprendimas Nr. T1-1383, adopted under Vietos savivaldos įstatymo 15 straipsnio 2 dalies 28 punktas and Atliekų tvarkymo įstatymo 31(2) straipsnio 1 and 4 dalys.