Within the framework of an investigation, on October 2, 2025, the Competition Council (CC) carried out procedural actions provided for in Article 9, Part Five, Point 4 of the Competition Law in several companies and locations operating in the funeral services market.
The Competition Council (CC) has obtained information suggesting that at least eight companies may have exchanged commercially sensitive information, unlawfully agreed on participation terms, and submitted coordinated bids in public procurements for funeral services, as well as for related services and specialized transport procurements. This conduct would constitute a violation of the prohibition on agreements set out in Article 11, Part One of the Competition Law.
Horizontal restrictive agreements, or cartels, in public procurements are among the most serious infringements of competition law. Therefore, for committing such an infringement, market participants may face fines of up to 10% of their net turnover from the previous financial year (but not less than EUR 700 each). In addition, cartel participants are prohibited from participating in public procurements for three years after the CC’s decision enters into force.
The purpose of the CC’s procedural actions is to determine whether the suspected infringement has occurred in the activities of the specific market participants under investigation, by obtaining the necessary information and evidence during the procedural actions. The CC emphasizes that an infringement can only be established at the end of the investigation process, once all information gathered during procedural actions and any additional information obtained by the CC has been compiled and evaluated.
The CC does not rule out that other market participants, who are not currently under investigation, may also be involved in the alleged infringement. Accordingly, during the investigation, the CC may expand or narrow the circle of persons subject to the proceedings. Therefore, the CC encourages market participants involved in a potential breach of the Competition Law to make use of the Leniency Program by reporting the infringement and thereby becoming eligible for full exemption from fines or a significant reduction of the fine.
Report an infringement: https://www.kp.gov.lv/en/reporting-violation
Leniency Program: https://www.kp.gov.lv/en/leniency-programme
If you have information that may relate to the mentioned infringement, please contact the CC using the contact details provided on its website or through the reporting options listed above.
Information for the press:
At this stage, the CC cannot provide more detailed information about the scope of the case, including the companies where procedural actions were carried out, as this information is restricted and disclosure could interfere with the effective progress of the investigation.