A survey conducted by Spinter Research for the Lithuanian Competition Council reveals that over two-thirds of businesses in Lithuania are aware of the main requirements of competition law, particularly regarding anti-competitive agreements. The survey included 317 companies from various sectors, highlighting a general understanding of prohibitions against practices such as price-fixing and sharing sensitive information.

Specifically, 74% of respondents recognized that competitors cannot agree to set the same prices, while 73% understood that coordinating commercial offers in public procurement is illegal. Additionally, 77% were aware that the law prohibits suppliers from enforcing resale price maintenance, and 71% acknowledged that agreeing with competitors not to sell to the same customers constitutes a breach of competition law.

Interestingly, large companies with revenues exceeding EUR 10 million were found to be more knowledgeable about these legal requirements. The survey also revealed that 65% of companies are aware that a merger between two large firms requires permission from the Competition Council, and half of the respondents correctly stated that holding a dominant market position is not illegal.

Despite this relatively high level of awareness, Chairwoman Jolanta Ivanauskienė noted that many companies remain uninformed about the leniency program, which allows firms to report anti-competitive agreements in exchange for reduced fines. Only 43% of respondents were aware of this possibility, and just 25% knew about the potential reward of up to EUR 100,000 for providing evidence of such agreements.

The Competition Council plans to enhance its educational efforts to help businesses better understand competition law and the associated risks of anti-competitive behavior. The survey also indicated a need for companies to invest in training their employees, as only 17% reported that their staff had received training on competition law enforcement in the past two years.