EU – Baltic States, Legislation, Lithuania, Markets and Companies

In its January 17 ruling on an appeal filed by Mano Aplinka, a company of the Icor Group, the Vilnius Regional Court said the local authority's decision to name the consortium the winning bidder breached the law. 

The three-year contract is to be terminated in early April, rather than immediately, to ensure continuation of public services. 

Povilas Poderskis, Vilnius' municipal administration director, told the city would appeal the regional court's ruling to the Lithuanian Court of Appeals. 

VSA Vilnius and Dolmans Landscaping Group offered to supply cleaning and maintenance services in the neighborhoods of Lazdynai, Karoliniskes and Pilaite for 5.246 mln euros, well below the 10.28-mln-euro offer by Mano Aplinka, the runner-up bidder. 

The court was not convinced by VSA Vilnius' arguments that the low price estimate was based on standards applied in the Netherlands and adapted to Vilnius. 

The court has no grounds to believe VSA Vilnius has a very economical way of providing these services or a know-how allowing it to sharply increase the productivity of workers, according to the ruling.

With a bid worth 11.251 mдn euros, VSA Vilnius and Dolmans Landscaping Group have also won a contract for services in the neighborhoods of Naujoji Vilnia, Rasos, Naujininkai, Vilkpede, Paneriai and Grigiskes. 

They outbid a consortium of Stebule and Grinda, whose offer amounted to 21.468 mln euros. 

Stebule CEO Stanislovas Tamulevicius said the company had contested the results of the bidding, but later withdrew its action.  

The services under the contracts include sanitation services, maintenance of green areas, sweeping and maintenance of sidewalks, paths and stairs, lawn mowing and leaf collecting, etc.