Gas, Legislation, Lithuania, Russia

The fine was imposed on the Russian supplier in 2014 for refusing to sign a natural gas swap deal with Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba (Lithuanian Energy Production), formerly known as Lietuvos Energija (Lithuanian Energy), and thus breaching a 2004 agreement.

Bailiffs have already received the Competition Council's resolution on the enforced recovery of the fine and interest, confirmed Marija Grumbliene, the anti-trust body's spokeswoman.

Sarunas Keserauskas, chairman of the Competition Council, told earlier this year that the Russian company had until Mar. 22 to pay the fine.

The competition watchdog imposed the 35.651-million-euro fine, the largest anti-trust fine ever levied in the country, in October 2014. The Lithuanian Supreme Administrative Court upheld the fine on Dec. 22, 2016.

The Competition Council stated in June 2014 that Gazprom's refusal to negotiate with LEG on a natural gas swap deal in 2013-2015 prevented the Lithuanian company from purchasing cheaper gas from another supplier and thus breached conditions tied to the regulator's 2004 approval of the Russian company's acquisition of a 34 percent stake in the-then Lietuvos Dujos (Lithuanian Gas).

It was said at that time that such a deal would have helped to bring down the company's natural gas costs and, consequently, electricity prices for its customers. Lietuvos Energija proposed to exchange natural gas purchased in European countries for gas supplied to Lithuania by Gazprom Export.