"To ensure a smooth euro changeover in Lithuania, preparation for this step will be coordinated at the highest government level," the government said in a press release.
Key strategic decisions will be made by a commission headed by the prime minister. The finance minister will head a coordination group, which will coordinate proposals and activities of the ministers of economy, social security and labor, and justice, who will head separate working groups, and the foreign minister and the central bank's officials, it said.
With the working groups being headed by the ministers, they will be able to make decisions in a faster, easier, and more efficient manner, the government said.
Previously, such working groups were headed by deputy ministers.
As part of preparation for introducing the single currency in Lithuania, the working groups will look into how to help businesses get ready for the changeover, to protect consumers from possible abuses and to inform the public, etc.
The commission and the coordination group will be informed on a quarterly basis about whether Lithuania meets the Maastricht criteria for euro entry.
The country aims to join the euro zone in 2015.
