1 EURO ALLOCATED TO KONKURENCIJOS TARYBA BROUGHT 8 EUROS OF DIRECT EXPECTED BENEFITS TO CONSUMERS

Having conducted the annual impact assessment of its activities, the Lithuanian competition authority Konkurencijos taryba calculated that direct expected benefits to consumers over the period of 2018–2020 amounted to an average of EUR 19.3 million per year and exceeded the authority’s annual budget 8 times.

Being responsible for state competition policy and supervision of competition in the markets, Konkurencijos taryba bases its work on the criteria of consumer benefits and aims to maximise the direct expected economic benefits to consumers. The ratio between this size and the authority’s annual budget is the main performance indicator which has been calculated since 2011.

Konkurencijos taryba seeks to create consumer benefits which would exceed the authority’s budget five times, meaning that 1 euro allocated to its activities would bring at least 5 euros of expected benefits. In 2018–2020 the average annual direct expected benefits to consumers was EUR 19.3 million, while the ratio between the average annual budget and consumer benefits – 1:8.

As in the previous years, the impact assessment was based on the methodology proposed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The calculations reflect consumer savings that are likely to result from the authority’s actions terminating anti-competitive practices by companies and public entities, abuse of a dominant position, and prohibiting mergers or clearing them subject to remedies.

The assessment does not include the fines imposed (collected) by Konkurencijos taryba or certain aspects of its work – in most cases it does not reflect the authority’s proposals concerning legal acts, as well as advocacy activities in strengthening competition culture among the society. Besides, the assessment does not take into account the indirect benefits of the decisions adopted by Konkurencijos taryba, for instance, deterrent effect and increased competition in the markets.