For the first time in Lithuania: national court imposes sanctions on managers of firms for their involvement in the breach of competition law

The Lithuanian Competition Council found that in 2011 and 2012, the firms coordinated their actions by agreeing in advance, who would win the public procurements for the purchase of construction works, and that the remaining bidders would only imitate competition.

By upholding the Competition Council’s decision, the court satisfied the Council’s request and sanctioned the managers of the firms involved. The sanctions restricted the rights of the managers of the firms to be managers of a public and/or private legal person, members of the collegial supervisory and/or governing body of a public and-/or private legal entity for four years.

This first-time instance demonstrates the applicability and enforceability of the provisions in the Lithuanian Law on Competition setting forth sanctions not only for the breaching firms, but also for their managements.