On December 23, 2025, the Lithuanian Seimas adopted significant amendments to the Law on Competition, which will reduce the base amount of fines imposed on offenders by 50%. This change was prepared in collaboration with business organizations.

The new law stipulates that the base fine calculated after the first stage will be halved from the maximum fine that can be imposed for breaches of the Law. While the Competition Authority can still consider mitigating and aggravating circumstances in the second stage of fine calculation, the maximum limit of 50% can only be exceeded under specific conditions, such as the presence of aggravating circumstances or in cases of cartel deterrence.

However, the Competition Council expressed concerns that this reduction in fines for serious violations, such as retail price maintenance agreements and cartel agreements, would hinder its ability to impose effective deterrent sanctions as required by EU law. The Council warned that the amendments could weaken consumer protection and the overall deterrent effect against competition law violations.

The European Commission also weighed in, indicating that the proposed legal changes would prevent the Competition Council from adequately assessing the severity and duration of infringements, thus impacting the proportionality of sanctions.

Despite the Government's proposal to ensure that the basic amount of fines does not exceed 100% of the maximum allowable fine, which aligns with EU regulations, this suggestion was rejected by the Seimas Economic Committee. The amendments are expected to come into effect on May 1, 2026, pending the President's signature.