Advising AB ORLEN Lietuva on a significant and complex competition case in Lithuania

Advising AB ORLEN Lietuva on a significant and complex competition case in Lithuania. An investigation conducted by the Lithuanian competition authority in 2004–2005 resulted in imposition on AB ORLEN Lietuva (oil refinery, oil pipeline and offshore terminal complex operator) of a record fine of approx. EUR 9 million for abuse of a dominant position. The company was accused of discriminatory and exclusionary pricing and non-pricing practices in petrol and diesel markets. The company won the case. In 2008 the courts annulled the decision of the competition authority and ordered the authority to perform additional investigation which is still being conducted. It was the first case in the Baltic region when national competition authority applied EU competition rules together with national competition law (Lithuania)