Sorainen
5 Experts
3 Contributions by Sorainen
PRACTICE NOTES
A discussion with Kaupo Lepasepp, partner, and Piibe Lehtsaar, counsel at the Tallinn office of regional law firm Sorainen, on key issues in Estonian merger control.
NOTE – for guidance on whether notification thresholds in Estonia and worldwide are triggered, consult Where to Notify.
1. Have there been any recent developments regarding the Estonian merger control regime and are any updates/developments expected in the coming year? Are there any other ‘hot’ merger control issues in Estonia?
The Competition Authority has, from time to time, signalled an intention to pursue changes to the merger control rules so that it could compel notification of a transaction even where the relevant thresholds are not met.
Its 2024 annual report, published in May 2025, once more cited the November 2022 proposal to the Ministry of Justice, requesting several merger control‑related revisions to the Estonian Competition Act, such as:
Competition
PRACTICE NOTES
Note—see Where to Notify to check whether notification thresholds in Latvia and worldwide are met.
1. Have there been any recent developments regarding the Latvian merger control regime and are any updates/developments expected in the coming year? Are there any other ‘hot’ merger control issues in Latvia?
Latvia’s merger control rules have seen no substantive change since 2016. Since 2023, the Latvian Competition Council (Competition Council) has not issued any merger control decisions that would qualify as ‘landmark’. Looking ahead, the Competition Council has flagged upgrades to the regime among its 2025 priorities. The planned measures are designed to make filing merger notifications easier and to expand the range of deals suitable for a shortened procedure. As part of this programme, the Competition Council also intends to roll out an electronic system for submitting notifications.
2. Under Latvian merger control law, is the control test the same as the EU
Competition
PRACTICE NOTES
A conversation with Linas Petronaitis, senior associate in the Vilnius office of regional law firm Sorainen, on the key issues on merger control in Lithuania.
NOTE—For guidance on whether Lithuanian and worldwide notification thresholds are reached, refer to Where to Notify.
1. What recent shifts have occurred in Lithuania’s merger control framework, and what is anticipated over the next year? Are there any other pressing themes? Across 2024 and 2025, the standout issue is so‑called ‘gun‑jumping’—putting a deal into effect before clearance. Two gun‑jumping probes are under way. On 16 January 2023, the Competition Council launched proceedings against MM Grupp OÜ concerning its purchases of cinemas in Vilnius and Kaunas previously owned by Forum Cinemas Lithuania. On 7 April 2023, the Council also ordered interim measures against MM Grupp OÜ, barring any further acquisition of Forum Cinemas Lithuania’s assets. That case remains active and is
Competition
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