The Latvian Competition Council's 9th Lawyers Forum discussed the prevalence of prohibited agreements as the most common and severe competition law violation in Latvia, despite an increase in public awareness of competition law breaches.

During the forum, competition experts from the Competition Council, law firms, and companies deliberated on current issues surrounding market participants' understanding of prohibited vertical agreements and their rights not to testify against themselves in competition law in Latvia.

Additionally, the forum introduced industry professionals to planned guidelines that would allow market participants to rectify identified competition restrictions through written commitments, avoiding formal infringement decisions and fines by the Competition Council.

Legal professionals at the forum addressed the potential criminalization of competition law violations, the effectiveness of such measures, and the issue of restoring companies' credibility after involvement in anticompetitive practices.

The forum serves as a platform for the Competition Council to engage with legal practitioners, judges, and assistants to discuss theoretical and practical aspects of competition law application and interpretation, aiming for a more consistent and transparent enforcement of competition rules.