VILNIUS, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Lithuania is no longer a cheap country as regards food prices, Irma Gudziunaite, Lithuania's vice minister of justice, said on Thursday while presenting results of a comparison-based analysis of food prices in 12 different EU member states.
"The main conclusion is that comparison of international brands products' prices sold in the EU countries showed that Lithuania is no longer a cheap country. For many products of popular brands we pay nearly as much as in Western Europe, while some products are more expensive in Lithuania," Gudziunaite told reporters at a press conference.
During the analysis, the most popular and the most important product groups, such as meat, fish, soft drinks, sauces of international brands, sold in e-shops of 12 EU countries were compared, she said.
The comparison was carried out by Lithuania's Justice Ministry and the State Consumer Rights Protection Authority (VVTAT) and implemented by Lithuanian price comparison portal Pricer.lt.
"The highest prices were recorded in Ireland, while most of the lowest prices were recorded in Poland. The price differences can be rather drastic," Neringa Ulbaite, the head of VVTAT, said.
"For example, mineral water San Pellegrino is the cheapest in France where it costs 0.56 euro, while in Ireland 2.77 euros and in Lithuania 1.39 euros," Ulbaite added.
Altogether 40 products' prices were compared in e-shops of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
The Lithuanian government recently pledged to implement certain measures in order to enhance competition in the country's retail market and reduce food prices.
