Vilnius, January 8, 2025 – The Lithuanian Competition Council has announced its priority sectors for 2025, focusing on energy, defense, retail, and digital markets. The Council aims to ensure fair competition through active investigations, preventive actions, and collaboration with other institutions.
Strategic Focus Areas
1. Energy
With ongoing changes in renewable energy markets and infrastructure, the Council will prioritize competition in this critical sector. Current efforts include:
- Finalizing an analysis of the electric vehicle charging market.
- Addressing restrictive practices, such as a heat pump manufacturer’s resale price fixing uncovered last year.
2. Defense
Geopolitical developments have elevated the importance of competition in defense procurement. The Council will work with the Ministry of National Defense to ensure fair practices in public procurement and the optimal use of state resources.
3. Retail
Retail remains a priority due to its impact on consumers. Key initiatives include:
- Investigations into potential violations in consumer goods and beverage sales.
- Monitoring vertical agreements in e-commerce, following significant cases in 2023 and 2024 involving price-fixing agreements.
4. Digital Markets
Recognizing the growing role of digital markets, the Council has been tasked with supervising compliance with the Regulation on online intermediation services. It plans to build on its electronic marketplace monitoring efforts and e-commerce guidelines issued last year.
Broader Goals
The Council’s activities aim to foster innovation, promote consumer welfare, and create a favorable business environment. Chairwoman Jolanta Ivanauskienė highlighted that these priorities will enable the institution to detect and address competition restrictions in sectors vital to Lithuania’s economy and security.
The Council emphasized that while sectoral focus areas have been identified, actions will depend on specific circumstances and their potential to contribute to fair competition. The data collected this year will also guide future assessments of competition conditions.
