INFRINGEMENT IDENTIFIED BY THE COMPETITION COUNCIL MAY DETER ALMOST HALF A HUNDRED POTENTIAL VIOLATIONS
The Competition Council's activities bring not only direct but also indirect benefits to consumers. The latter manifest itself through the deterrent effect of the institution's decisions, when companies, aware of the investigations being conducted and possible sanctions, refrain from illegal actions or cease them. Surveys of businesses and...
PARLIAMENT APPROVES AMENDMENTS TO THE COMPETITION LAW
Today, the Seimas has adopted amendments to the Law on Competition related to the consultative function of the Competition Council and the procedure for the collection of fines and interest to the state budget in cases when the decision of the Authority is appealed to the court.
MM GRUPP MAY HAVE VIOLATED THE LAW BY TAKING CONTROL OF FORUM CINEMAS AND ITS CINEMAS WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THE COMPETITION COUNCIL
The Competition Council has completed its investigation into the implementation of an unnotified merger and has sent a notification of a possible infringement of the Law on Competition to the Estonian company MM Grupp .
COMPETITION COUNCIL RECOMMENDS WAYS TO PROMOTE COMPETITION IN THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING SECTOR
The Competition Council, after monitoring the electric vehicle (EV) charging sector, has issued recommendations to municipalities as well as the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Ministry of Energy on how to promote effective competition and avoid possible negative consequences for consumers in the future.
BUSINESS SURVEY: MOST COMPANIES ARE AWARE OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE LAW ON COMPETITION, BUT EDUCATION IS STILL NEEDED
A survey conducted by Spinter Research on behalf of the Competition Council reveals that more than two-thirds of Lithuanian businesses are aware of the main requirements of competition law, such as the prohibition to enter into anti-competitive agreements. Given the continuing need to raise awareness of competition rules, the Authority will...
THE COMPETITION COUNCIL IDENTIFIES FOUR SECTORS TO PRIORITISE THIS YEAR
Energy, defence, retail trade, and digital markets – these are the sectors that the Competition Council has designated as priorities for 2025. The Authority plans not only to monitor developments in these markets but also to take proactive investigative and preventive actions, conduct educational initiatives, and collaborate with other...
COMPETITION COUNCIL STARTS ITS SUPERVISORY FUNCTIONS FOR DIGITAL MARKETS
Following the entry into force of the Law on the Supervision of Online Intermediation Services and Online Search Engines, as of 1 January 2025, the Competition Council will take on new supervisory functions for online platforms.
RESTRICTED COMPETITION BETWEEN DISTRIBUTORS HAS PREVENTED CONSUMERS FROM GETTING CHEAPER HEAT PUMPS
The Competition Council found that Iglu Tech , a manufacturer of heat pumps, had restricted competition among its distributors by fixing the resale prices of its products to be charged to the end-users by the companies that distributed heat pumps throughout Lithuania. As a result, Iglu Tech and its holding company, Unit Invest , were jointly...
COURT: THE COMPETITION COUNCIL RIGHTLY DETERMINED THAT NOTARIES’ AGREEMENT RESTRICTED COMPETITION
The Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania (Court) confirmed the findings of the Competition Council’s investigation, establishing that the Lithuanian Chamber of Notaries restricted competition among notaries and violated both the Competition Law and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). An expanded panel of judges,...
THE UNDERTAKINGS' ANTI-COMPETITIVE AGREEMENT DENIED CONSUMERS LOWER PRICES FOR FOOD SUPPLEMENTS AND COSMETICS
The Competition Council found that Giantera , the official representative of the Dr. Ohhira brand in Lithuania, and 19 distributors of its products had agreed not to sell food supplements and cosmetic products at prices lower than the supplier's prices, and not to offer discounts and promotions to consumers. The companies were fined a total...
A HEAT PUMP MANUFACTURER IS SUSPECTED OF PRICE FIXING IN THE RESALE OF ITS PRODUCTS, THEREBY RESTRICTING COMPETITION BETWEEN DISTRIBUTORS
The Competition Council suspects that Iglu Tech , a manufacturer of heat pumps, has restricted competition among its distributors by fixing the resale prices of its products to be charged to the end-users by the companies that distributed heat pumps throughout Lithuania. The Statement of Objections (SO) was also sent to Axioma Servisas , which...
THE COMPETITION COUNCIL CHANGES ITS SANCTIONING PRACTICE FOR UNREPORTED BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS
A merger or acquisition transaction executed without the approval of the Competition Council is a serious breach of competition law, for which the company implementing the concentration is held liable. In order to ensure that the fines more proportionately reflect the financial capabilities of the offender benefiting from the unreported...