The Lithuanian Competition Authority reaffirms its earlier findings of abusive pricing by the incumbent in the postal sector (Lietuvos Paštas)

On 27 September 2007 the Lithuanian Competition Council reaffirmed its earlier findings in Lietuvos Paštas case by issuing a new decision condemning pricing practices of the state-controlled postal company AB Lietuvos paštas (LP) and imposing a fine of LTL 80,000 (approx. EUR 23,170). The new decision came after the NCA had been forced to reinvestigate LP's behaviour following the 22 December 2006 annulment by the Lithuanian Supreme Administrative Court (LSAC) of the NCA's original infringement decision, adopted in January 2006 (the “2006 decision”). As reported earlier in this newsletter, the 2006 decision dealt with the participation of LP - a provider of universal postal services - in a tender, announced by the Lithuanian energy company UAB Vilniaus energija, for the procurement