KONKURENCIJOS TARYBA HASN’T SPOTTED ANTI-COMPETITIVE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN CONSTRUCTION, REPAIR AND HOUSEHOLD PRODUCT MANUFACTURERS AND SELLERS

Konkurencijos taryba has terminated investigation into the alleged anti-competitive agreement among 7 Lithuanian and Latvian companies engaged in the production and sales of construction, repair and household goods.

During the investigation, which was launched on 17 April 2018, the authority sought to find out whether UAB Tikkurila, SIA Tikkurila, UAB Kesko Senukai Lithuania, UAB Kesko Senukai Digital, UAB Ermitažas, UAB DAW Lietuva and UAB Topcolor had been coordinating product prices or performed other actions which might have restricted competition and infringed the Law on Competition, as well as the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

After analyzing information obtained during the inspections and subsequently collected during the investigation, the experts of Konkurencijos taryba did not find any circumstances allowing to conclude that the aforementioned companies had entered into anti-competitive agreements. Therefore, the investigation was terminated. At the same time, the authority acknowledged that there are no reasonable grounds for suspecting the infringement of the provisions of the TFEU.

Upon the occurrence of new circumstances, the investigation may be renewed.

The Law on Competition prohibits all agreements which have the purpose of restricting competition or which restrict or may restrict competition, including agreements to set (fix) prices of certain goods and services, share the product market on a territorial basis, according to groups of buyers or in any other way, agreements to fix the production or sales volume for certain goods, as well as to restrict technical development or investment.

The TFEU prohibits all agreements between undertakings, decisions by associations of undertakings and concerted practices which may affect trade between Member States and which have as their object or effect the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition within the internal market.