The Competition Council uses various instruments to safeguard effective competition for the benefit of consumers: it investigates infringements and monitors business mergers, engages in preventive activities with the business community, provides recommendations to lawmakers, and conducts market studies. Upon identifying a competition problem in the market, the Competition Council selects the most effective measure to resolve it – one that would deliver results promptly and ensure benefits for as many consumers and businesses as possible and thus serve the public interest.

The Competition Council monitors compliance with four laws:

• how business entities and public administration bodies comply with the requirements of the Law on Competition;
• how the five major retail chains comply with the requirements set by the Law on the Prohibition of Unfair Practices by Retail Enterprises and Article 4 of the Law on the Prohibition of Unfair Trading Practices in the Agricultural and Food Product Supply Chain, so as not to infringe upon the interests of suppliers of food products and/or beverages;
• how providers of online intermediation services and internet search engines comply with the requirements of the Law on the Supervision of Online Intermediation Services and Internet Search Engines.

In enforcing the aforementioned laws, the Competition Council:

• investigates whether the requirements of the law are being complied with in relation to:

- agreements that restrict competition among undertakings, cases of abuse of a dominant position, and unreported mergers

- actions and decisions by public administration bodies (municipalities, ministries) regarding potential breaches of competition law;

- prohibited unfair practices by retail companies toward suppliers;

- actions by providers of online intermediation services and internet search engines;

• examines notifications of business mergers (acquisitions) and assesses whether the transaction, if implemented, would create or strengthen a dominant position or significantly restrict competition in the relevant market;
• assesses whether legislation or other decisions adopted by public administration bodies comply with the requirements of the Law on Competition;
• coordinates the implementation of EU state aid rules in Lithuania;
• conducts market research and monitoring in various sectors and, where necessary, submits conclusions and proposals to the relevant authorities on how to create better conditions for effective competition in the market, thereby maximising benefits for consumers;
• carries out educational activities: strengthens the culture of competition and prevents infringements, consults business representatives and public administration institutions on procedures conducted by the Competition Council and matters within its scope of competence as defined by law.

More on the activities of the Competition Council: see FAQ and "Activities" section.

In performing the functions established by law, the Competition Council is guided by its Activity Priority, which enables the institution to allocate its resources in a manner that contributes as effectively as possible to the protection of competition and provides the greatest possible benefit to consumers.

When deciding which investigations to conduct and what actions to take, the Competition Council is guided by the following principles in each individual case:

• Impact on effective competition and consumer welfare
• Strategic importance
• Rational use of resources

Sectoral Priorities

The Competition Council also sets sectoral priorities annually. The institution seeks to direct its limited resources and take more active measures in those sectors of the Lithuanian economy that are significant and rapidly developing, and which offer products and services relevant to many consumers.

In priority sectors, the Competition Council not only monitors the situation but also takes active investigative and preventive measures. However, the setting of sectoral priorities does not in itself mean that the Competition Council will identify violations or make other significant decisions in those sectors.

2026 Sectoral Priorities: Digital Markets, Defence, Retail.

The Competition Council has been setting priority sectors since 2022.

Through its activities, the Competition Council creates both direct and indirect benefits for consumers.

Direct benefits for consumers are reflected in savings that are likely passed on to them through reduced or not increased prices as a result of the institution’s decisions – for example, by terminating anti-competitive actions of companies and public entities, prohibiting business mergers, or allowing them subject to commitments.

The institution aims to ensure that the ratio between the Competition Council’s average annual three-year budget and the average annual three-year direct expected benefit to consumers is no less than 1:5; that is, every 1 euro allocated from the state budget to the Competition Council’s activities should generate at least 5 euros in expected benefits.

In 2023–2025, the direct benefits to consumers generated by the Competition Council’s activities exceeded its annual budget by 6.3 times (direct consumer benefit amounted to EUR 21.3 million, compared to the Competition Council’s average annual budget of EUR 3.35 million in 2023–2025).

However, these figures do not reflect indirect benefits to consumers. These arise from the deterrent effect of the institution’s decisions, whereby companies, aware of ongoing investigations and potential sanctions, refrain from engaging in unlawful conduct or cease such actions. Surveys conducted in Lithuania among businesses and legal professionals revealed that the indirect benefits created by the Competition Council’s deterrent effect are likely to significantly exceed the direct benefits to consumers.

The average total (both direct and indirect) expected benefit in 2023–2025 may have reached up to EUR 209.3 million, meaning that 1 euro allocated to the institution’s activities may have generated up to EUR 62.4 in consumer benefits.

The calculations also do not reflect the Competition Council’s work in providing insights on legislation, its educational and preventive activities in strengthening a culture of competition in society, nor do they take into account the fines imposed (and collected into the state budget) for infringements of the Law on Competition.

December 2025. The Competition Council achieved the highest score among private and public sector organisations in the evaluation of the Equal Opportunities Benchmark created by the Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson, receiving 8.8 out of a possible 10 points.

May 2021. Having assessed its efforts in ensuring equal opportunities, the Competition Council received a high 9.4 rating out of 10 possible points. So far it has been the best result among private and public organisations, the evaluation of which is published by the Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson.

December 2019. The Competition Council received three Equal Opportunity Wings for its efforts in promoting equal opportunities in the authority. It is the highest possible acknowledgement provided for companies and organizations by the Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson and the Human Rights Monitoring Institute.

15 February 2018. The President awarded the Competition Council’s Deputy Chairperson Jūratė Šovienė the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas for outstanding performance in civil and public offices.

5 July 2017. The President awarded the Competition Council’s Chairman Šarūnas Keserauskas the Medal of the Order for Merits to Lithuania.

17 May 2016. The Competition Council’s Chairman Šarūnas Keserauskas received an award from the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists for his efforts in the field of competition, as well as for his active collaboration with social partners.

May 2026. The Competition Council’s monitoring of the electric vehicle charging sector and its efforts to prevent unfair practices in the warranty servicing of new vehicles were recognized in the Competition Advocacy Contest 2026, organized by the International Competition Network and the World Bank Group to promote a culture of competition, and ranked among the top three initiatives in the category “Embedding competition principles in the green and digital transitions.”

April 2018. The Competition Council‘s advocacy efforts received international recognition in the Antitrust Writing Awards. The Guidelines on Anti-Competitive Agreements and Bid Rigging in Public Procurement prepared by the Council‘s experts have been voted as one of the five Most Innovative 2017 Soft Laws in the world. In the category of the Best Soft Law awards were also given to the representatives of the Peruvian, Brazilian, Austrian, Canadian competition authorities.

March 2017. In Antitrust Writing Awards 2017 the Competition Council’s guidebook “Cooperation with public institutions: how to reduce the risks of competition law infringement?” received an award for the most innovative soft law in the cross-border category.

In the 2024 survey of employees’ opinions within central-level public administration institutions of the European Union, conducted by the Ministry of the Interior, the Competition Council was recognised as a leading public sector employer in Lithuania: 88 per cent of our institution’s employees (22 per cent more compared to the overall public sector) were generally satisfied with their work and proud to be part of an organisation they consider transparent, efficient, and innovative.

April 2016. The World Bank Group and the International Competition Network announced the Lithuanian Competition authority among the winners of the Competition Advocacy Contest. The Competition Council won the first place for embedding competition principles in public and industrial policies through advocacy. According to the Wold Bank, Lithuania undertook comprehensive, targeted advocacy campaign involving stakeholder engagement as well as media outreach to address municipalities’ repeated breaching of competition rules.

• Citizens’ perception about competition policy – Eurobarometer survey, 2022
• SMEs' expectations for an effective competition policy – Eurobarometer survey, 2022
• Citizens’ perception about competition policy – Eurobarometer survey, 2019
• Citizens’ perception about competition policy – Eurobarometer survey, 2014