Competition policy institutions in transition economies: the EC competition status of the Republic of Lithuania
Competition policy institutions in transition economies: the EC competition status of the Republic of Lithuania

Summary/Abstract: COMPETITION POLICY INSTITUTION IN TRANSITION ECONOMIES: THE EC COMPETITION STATUS OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA The article analyzes the situation with the competition law in Lithuania, and its inter-relationship with approaches and legal requirements to the competiton in the EC and some other countries. The brief comparative review of the EC competition law is meant to show its highly elaborative status, in relationship to which the situation in this area in Lithuania, coupled with the phenomena of government bureaucracy, corruption and organized crime, characterisitc to the countries of the former Soviet Union, exchibits deficiences and requires improvements. Among deficiencies, observed and analyzed in this article, are time-consuming court processes, problems in the areas of restrictive agreements and state aid, lack of authorities that can effectively monitor state aid and restrictive agreements, lack of resources, asigned to the enforcement agencies, working in the area of the competition policy. The article suggests that new competition laws in transition countries, including Lithuania, should be implemented in phases. It should begin with construction of the new agency, including its physical location and staffing. It should include training of judges, and education of consumers, business operators and government officials in the traditions of the law and content of the antitrust statute. Only then should the second phase begin, to pursuing an enforcement agenda that concentrates on addressing the readily proven, publicly-imposed impediments to rivalry.

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