Prosecutors in Estonia suspect fuel retailer Olerex and its co-owner, Andres Linnas, of submitting false information to the Estonian Environmental Board (Keskkonnaamet), ERR reports, citing Eesti Päevaleht. Prosecutor Gerd Raudsepp said that Linnas had ordered Olerex employees to submit false information on a diesel fuel shipment to Estonia in December 2022. The company claimed that…
Latvia’s Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP) has informed 3,541 Russian citizens that their Latvian residence permits expired on 2 September 2023, LSM reports. The persons have failed to submit applications to obtain long-term EU residence permits or retake language exams as required. The Russian nationals will therefore have to leave Latvia by 30…
Lithuania’s Competition Council has blocked All Media Lithuania’s acquisition of several local radio stations, BNS reports. All Media Lithuania, part of Baltic media group TV3 Group, planned to acquire 100% of shares in three companies that operate radio stations Laluna, Lietus, M-1, M-1 Plius, and Raduga, as well as advertising agency Reklamos Ekspertai. The Competition…
Estonia’s central bank, the Bank of Estonia, opposes the government’s plan to replace Estonia’s self-imposed budgetary discipline rules with the EU’s less stringent budget rules, ERR reports. Ülo Kaasik, vice-president of the Bank of Estonia, insisted that changing the rules simply because of an inability to meet them was never a good idea. He warned…
The financial intelligence units (FIU) of the Baltic States have conducted a first joint study of cash flows in the region, BNS reports. The study showed that the risks and vulnerabilities related to the flow of cash have changed in the region in 2019-2022. While there is a significant flow of cash from all three…
The European Commission (EC) demands hundreds of thousands of euros in fines from Estonia for late implementation of two EU directives, ERR reports. Estonia has failed to transpose the so-called whistleblower directive into national law by December 2021. Also, the EC has initiated infringement procedures against Estonia over the European Competition Network (ECN+) directive, which…
Lithuanian mobile operators criticised the government’s plan to introduce mandatory registration of prepaid SIM cards as of 2024, LRT reports. The government argues that mandatory registration is necessary due to phone fraud and other criminal activity. Vytautas Bucinskas, head of business assurance at Telia Lietuva, pointed out that prepaid SIM cards were often used by…
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics called for a review of existing electricity distribution tariffs, LSM reports. Speaking after a meeting with Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins, Rinkevics said that the behaviour of the market regulator, the Public Utilities Commission (SPRK), was “unacceptable.” He insisted that the increase in electricity tariffs was “disproportionate.” The new tariffs came into…
The Estonian Competition Authority (Konkurentsiamet) has approved Finnish meat processing group HKScan’s sale of its Baltic businesses to Estonia’s Maag Grupp, LSM reports. However, Maag Grupp will have to sell two of its major food brands, Rannamõisa and Rannarootsi Lihatööstus, ERR reports. Under the deal signed in December 2022, Maag Grupp will acquire HKScan’s Rakvere…