The Lithuanian Competition Council has found that two vehicle spare parts suppliers, Manado and the small partnership Parts Ready, engaged in cartel conduct by coordinating their participation in public procurement procedures for vehicle spare parts. The authority concluded that the companies infringed the Law on Competition by aligning their commercial offers and agreeing in advance on the outcome of tenders organised by Vilniaus viešasis transportas. Following their admission of the infringement, both companies benefited from a 15 percent reduction in fines.
The case concerns public procurement procedures conducted between May and October 2025 for the purchase of spare parts intended for the repair of public transport vehicles. In two tenders, Manado and Parts Ready failed to submit independent bids. Instead, they coordinated their actions, including the pricing of spare parts, prepared commercial offers for one another, submitted bids from the same computer, and agreed in advance which undertaking would be designated the winner of each procedure. The Competition Council determined that such conduct amounted to a prohibited agreement restricting competition.
Jolanta Ivanauskienė, Chairwoman of the Competition Council, stressed that public procurement procedures lose their purpose when participants merely imitate competition. In her view, fair and genuine competition in public tenders is essential to ensuring the efficient use of public funds. She noted that, absent the coordination between the two suppliers, Vilniaus viešasis transportas could have received more competitive offers and potentially procured spare parts at lower prices.
The authority also highlighted the important role of contracting authorities in detecting possible collusion. In this case, Vilniaus viešasis transportas identified indications of irregularities and brought them to the attention of the Competition Council. According to the Chairwoman, early signs of coordination can often be detected by organisations conducting tenders, and timely cooperation with the competition authority is crucial in safeguarding the integrity of procurement procedures.
Taking into account the companies’ acknowledgement of the infringement under the settlement procedure, the Competition Council reduced the imposed fines by 15 percent. Manado was fined €17,950, while Parts Ready received a fine of €23,130. The decision may be appealed to the Regional Administrative Court within one month from its delivery or publication on the authority’s website.
This decision marks the second consecutive investigation concluded through a settlement procedure in which all undertakings under investigation admitted the infringement and received reduced fines. In December of the previous year, companies providing electronic diary and digital learning platform services similarly benefited from a 15 percent reduction in fines after acknowledging prohibited agreements.
The Competition Council has observed an increasing willingness among undertakings to cooperate with the authority and make use of the Leniency and Settlement Programs. During 2024 and 2025, financial penalties were reduced by between 15 and 90 percent for a total of 17 companies. According to the Chairwoman, this development reflects not only efforts by businesses to mitigate financial liability through amicable resolution, but also a strengthening culture of competition compliance.