The Supreme Administrative Court of Finland evaluated the legality of joint offers made by bus companies in the Turku region's public transport procurement processes. The court found that these joint offers, submitted during the Föli tendering processes in 2013, 2014, and 2016, constituted a violation of competition law.

According to the court's ruling, the joint offers were likely to restrict price competition among the companies, aiming to maintain or increase their market shares in the transport services sector. The court noted that the bus companies had opportunities to compete independently for the contracts, which further emphasized the illegality of their actions.

This ruling marks a significant assessment of joint offers at the highest judicial level in Finland, as such collaborations between competing companies are generally prohibited. Each company is expected to independently determine its competitive strategies.

However, the court acknowledged that joint offers could be permitted under exceptional circumstances if they demonstrate efficiency benefits that outweigh the competition restrictions. The burden of proof for such benefits lies with the companies making the joint offers.

The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority had initially proposed penalties of approximately €1.9 million for the involved bus companies. Ultimately, the Market Court imposed a total of €1,535,000 in penalties on several companies, including Jalon Liikenne Oy and Linjaliikenne Muurinen Oy, among others. The Supreme Administrative Court upheld this decision, leaving the penalties unchanged.