JSC LUKOIL BALTIJA COMPLAINT ABOUT THE COMPETITION COUNCIL‘S ACTIONS WAS GROUNDLESS

The Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania (the Court) overturned the part of the ruling by Vilnius Regional Administrative Court that limited the possibilities for the Competition Council (the KT) to continue the investigation on 16 non-notified mergers implemented by JSC Lukoil Baltija.

The Court held that Vilnius Regional Court had not properly evaluated case circumstances, and ruled that JSC Lukoil Baltija request to suspend the KT‘s actions in the investigation on a suspected infringement of the Law on Competition was groundless. The Court noted that JSC Lukoil Baltija request would limit disproportionally the KT‘s competition enforcement actions and highlighted the significance of the investigation to the public interest.

“The ruling by the Court has once again confirmed that the public interest, i.e. consumer welfare, not the interests of individual companies is of utmost importance. I hope that private as well as public companies suspected of competition law infringements will collaborate with the KT rather than procrastinate investigations by procedural means.“ – says Šarūnas Keserauskas, the Chairman of the KT.