Court repeals Latvian Competition Council’s record fine

The Administrative Regional Court has repealed the Competition Council’s EUR 7.4 Mio fine on the distributors of VW cars represented by VILGERTS.

This was the highest fine ever imposed by the Competition Council on one group of companies. In the judgment of 22 November, the court found that the Competition Council had failed to prove its case, given, among other things, that the sanctioned actions have not been established as harmful to competition in the case law of the EU courts.

VILGERTS Partner Debora Pāvila: “There is hope now for Latvian competition law. Up to date the decisions of the Competition Council were virtually untouchable. Law cannot develop in such circumstances.”

The Moller group companies were represented by the VILGERTS competition team: Debora Pāvila, Jūlija Jerņeva, Jānis Sarāns and Katrīne Pļaviņa. VILGERTS teamed up with the remarkable economist the late Alfrēds Vanags.