On January 13, the Lithuanian Association of Pharmacies (LAP) and eight of its members appealed against millions of euros in fines slapped on them by the Competition Council in December 2022.
One lawsuit was filed by Limedika and Gintarine Vaistine, and the second by Euroapotheca-controlled Eurovaistine, EVD, EVRC and Siromed Pharma. The LAP said it had filed a separate appeal. Benu and Tamro also confirmed that they had challenged the fines.
On December 9, 2022, the Competition Council slapped fines totaling around 72.6 million euros on the LAP and eight pharmaceutical wholesale, retail and consultancy companies for their alleged illegal agreement on markups for reimbursable medicines.
The fines include 27.5 million euros on Eurovaistine, 2.7 million euros on EVD, 1.27 million euros on EVRC and 11,200 euros on Siromed Pharma. The four companies are part Euroapotheca, the owner of pharmacy chains and wholesale pharmaceutical operations in the Baltics and Sweden and the e-commerce company Azeta.
Limedika and Gintarine Vaistine, a company controlled by Limedika, were fined 7.4 million and 16.7 million euros, and Tamro and Benu, a company controlled by Tamro, were fined 9.2 million and 7.7 million euros, respectively. The LAP was fined 7,400 euros.
Ynder the Competition Law, the companies must pay the fines within three months, until March 9, despite the appeals.
According to Audris Kutrevicius, spokesman for Vilnius Regional Administrative Court, the companies are asking the court to annul the competition authority’s decision of December 9, 2022, or at least reduce the fines.
“If the court does not agree that the Competition Council’s decision is manifestly unlawful, they ask for the matter to be referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union for a preliminary ruling,” he said. (LRT/Business World Magazine)