Latvia’s Competition Council (CC) has fined SIA Burde BV €24,199.25 for abusing its dominant position by charging excessive prices for software licences needed to operate speed cameras used by the Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD).
In a decision adopted on 22 January 2026, the CC found that between September 2022 and July 2023 Burde applied licence prices that significantly exceeded an economically justified level, in breach of Latvia’s competition rules.
The case concerns Gatso RT4 speed cameras, which require specific software licences from the manufacturer, Sensys Gatso Netherlands BV, to function. During the infringement period, Burde was the only authorised distributor of these licences in Latvia, leaving CSDD with no alternative supplier. The CC therefore concluded that Burde held a dominant position in the relevant market.
While distributors are allowed to apply a reasonable mark-up to cover costs and earn a profit, the CC found that Burde’s pricing went far beyond this. Licence prices increased from €75 per month in August 2022 to €270 by January 2023, a rise of 260% in six months, without objective justification such as higher costs or innovation.
According to the CC, Burde’s mark-up reached 20 times the manufacturer’s price in late 2022, and rose further in 2023 to 30–40 times. As the distributor added little economic value beyond administrative services, the authority concluded that the prices were excessive.
The CC also warned public authorities about procurement risks in markets with limited competition, noting that separating equipment purchases from indispensable licences can create long-term dependency on a single supplier and enable abusive pricing.