Konkurences padome

What Konkurences padome does

Konkurences padome (the Competition Council of Latvia) is a direct administration institution of the Republic of Latvia, established by the Cabinet of Ministers in 1991 and institutionally supervised through the Minister of Economy. It is the sole national authority responsible for enforcing the Competition Law, the Advertising Law, and the Prohibition of Unfair Trading Practices Law, with statutory powers to investigate prohibited agreements (including cartels), monitor abuse of dominant position, control market participant mergers, supervise public entities for competitive neutrality, and issue binding decisions and sanctions. Its enforcement remit extends to cooperation with the European Commission on the Digital Markets Act and the Foreign Subsidies Regulation, and it participates in the European Competition Network and OECD Competition Week as part of its international coordination mandate.

The Council's operational portfolio comprises regulatory services rather than commercial products: prohibited agreements enforcement, merger control, market surveillance and sector inquiries, abuse of dominant position monitoring, public entity supervision, advertising law monitoring, unfair trading practices regulation, a leniency programme, a whistleblowing mechanism, a reliability restoration programme for sanctioned firms, and self-assessment compliance tools for businesses and procurement organisers. It also runs free seminars, podcasts ('Par konkurenci'), and stakeholder webinars, including collaborations with Riga Graduate School of Law, PwC Legal, and the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LTRK) for legal education and outreach.

As a state-funded entity operating under the Latvian state budget, Konkurences padome does not generate commercial revenue and provides its services free of charge to the public. Its headquarters are located at Brīvības iela 55, Riga, and it is led by Chairwoman Ieva Šmite with Executive Director Māris SpiĆds and a Council comprising Kārlis Piģēns, Deniss Šēulovs, Ēriks Kristiāns Selga, and Inese Druviete. Department heads oversee Legal, Cartel, Competition Promotion, Economic Analysis and Mergers, Market Surveillance and Research, Administrative, and Communications functions. The institution has no subsidiaries, no external funding rounds, and no listed equity.

Name

Konkurences padome

Legal name

Konkurences padome

Website

https://kp.gov.lv

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Konkurences padome is Latvia's state regulatory authority for competition law, established in 1991 under the Cabinet of Ministers. It enforces prohibited agreements, merger control, dominant position abuse, advertising law, and unfair trading practices, serving Latvian businesses, consumers, and public entities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Riga

HQ country

Latvia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Konkurences padome is the Latvian national competition authority that enforces the Competition Law, Advertising Law, and Unfair Retail Trade Practices Prohibition Law. Its core activities include detecting and prosecuting prohibited agreements (cartels), reviewing mergers, monitoring abuse of dominant market positions, supervising public entities for competitive neutrality, and enforcing unfair trading practices in supply chains. Services are provided free of charge under the oversight of the Cabinet of Ministers.

Product overview

Konkurences padome (Competition Council of Latvia) is a direct administration institution under the Cabinet of Ministers that operates as a regulatory and enforcement authority, not a commercial product company. Its 'products' are regulatory services mandated by the Competition Law and related legislation. The portfolio includes enforcement of prohibited agreements (cartels), merger control, market surveillance, abuse of dominant position monitoring, unfair trading practices regulation, public entity supervision, Digital Markets Act support, Foreign Subsidies Regulation cooperation, and advertising law monitoring. Additionally, the authority provides educational services including free competition law seminars, self-assessment tools, whistleblowing mechanisms, damages compensation guidance, leniency programmes, and reliability restoration programmes for companies. The organization functions as a regulatory body under the Ministry of Economy, not as a technology product vendor.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Prohibited Agreements Enforcement
• Merger Control
• Abuse of Dominant Position Monitoring
• Public Entity Supervision
• Unfair Trading Practices Regulation
• Advertising Law Monitoring
• Market Surveillance and Research
• Leniency Programme
• Whistleblowing Services
• Reliability Restoration Programme
• Competition Law Seminars
• Self-Assessment Tools
• Damages Compensation Support
• Digital Markets Act Support
• Foreign Subsidies Regulation Support

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• European CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKonkurences padome cooperates with the European Commission on competition policy enforcement, foreign subsidies regulation, Digital Markets Act implementation, and EU competition law matters. The Commission provides guidance and the CC implements EU regulations.
• European Competition NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKonkurences padome is part of the European Competition Network for cooperation between EU competition authorities in enforcing competition law across member states.
• OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKonkurences padome representatives participate in OECD Competition Week and discussions on Latvian competition policy development. Joint training programs on cartels in public procurement with OECD, Czech Republic, France, Ireland, Portugal, and Poland.
• ZAB PricewaterhouseCoopers Legal (PwC Legal)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with PwC Legal and Riga Graduate School of Law to organize a scientific paper competition in competition law, supporting and encouraging creative legal thinking among competition law students.
• Riga Graduate School of LawminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in organizing scientific paper competitions in competition law to promote legal education and research in competition law.
• Latvijas Tirdzniecības un rūpniecības kamera (LTRK - Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLTRK collaborates with Konkurences padome to organize webinars for LTRK members on topics including merger control basics, prohibited agreements, and competition law fundamentals.
• Consumer Rights Protection Centre (PTAC)minorOthersReferral relationship for cases involving consumer rights violations rather than competition law violations. The Competition Council directs consumers to PTAC for consumer rights protection matters.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• International Competition Network (ICN): A global network of national competition authorities that facilitates convergence on enforcement best practices. Comparable as a forum of peer regulators that Konkurences padome engages with alongside ECN and OECD work.
• OECD Competition Division: The Competition Division of the OECD, with which Konkurences padome regularly cooperates on policy development and joint training. Not an enforcement peer but a key institutional partner in shaping Latvian competition practice.

Direct peers

• Competition and Markets Authority (UK): The UK's principal competition regulator, handling cartels, merger review, market investigations, and consumer enforcement. Comparable enforcement toolkit and institutional remit despite post-Brexit framework differences.
• Bundeskartellamt (German Federal Cartel Office): Germany's federal competition authority, a reference national competition regulator with extensive powers over cartels, dominant platforms, and merger control. Functionally equivalent mandate at larger scale, often a comparator on case-law depth.
• Autorité de la concurrence (French Competition Authority): France's national competition authority responsible for anti-competitive practices, merger control, and consumer-protection adjacent enforcement. Closely comparable statutory structure and investigative powers.
• Konkurrensverket (Swedish Competition Authority): Sweden's national competition authority enforcing prohibitions on anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominance, and merger review. Comparable in being a single-jurisdiction competition regulator embedded in the EU/EEA framework.
• Konkurentiamet (Estonian Competition Authority): Estonia's national competition regulator, the third Baltic peer. Operates the same competition and merger-control functions under EU framework rules, making it a close functional and structural analogue to Konkurences padome.
• Konkurencijos taryba (Competition Council of Lithuania): The national competition authority of Lithuania, a fellow Baltic state with a near-identical mandate covering prohibited agreements, merger control, and abuse of dominance. Directly comparable in scale, statutory remit, and EU/OECD cooperation profile.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Federal Trade Commission: The US federal competition and consumer-protection agency. Operates a substantially broader portfolio and resources than Konkurences padome but enforces overlapping concepts of anti-competitive conduct and merger review.
• European Commission DG COMP: The EU-level competition directorate that Konkurences padome directly cooperates with on cross-border cases, the Digital Markets Act, and Foreign Subsidies Regulation. Operates a broader, supranational mandate over the same subject matter.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KPgovLV
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCM0Kmm9jhoNz1w6gaCdFQjQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/KPgovLV
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/latvian-competition-council-kp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Konkurences padome