Bulgaria Considers Re-Opening Gazprom Antitrust Probe

Because of Bulgaria’s discontent, Gazprom risks re-opening the antitrust case the European Commission had led against the Russian gas export monopoly over suspected abuse of its dominant position in the Eastern European gas market, EURACTIV.bg reported.

The Case AT.39816 – Upstream gas supplies in Central and Eastern Europe is very likely to become part of the new Commission’s agenda.

According to Euractiv, Bulgarian state-owned gas supplier Bulgargaz is preparing to ask the Commission to resume antitrust proceedings against Gazprom because of the Russian company’s failure to fulfil one of its key promises.

It concerns Gazprom’s commitment to adjust Russian gas prices to average market prices in the EU, which had allowed the European Commission to drop the case.

On May 24, 2018, the European Commission, led by the Vice-President for Competition Policy, Margrethe Vestager, closed its antitrust investigation against Gazprom. The case lasted seven years and ended without a fine, but with important conditions; the Russian company was to slash down prices and stop efforts to prevent competition from accessing the Eastern European market.

The probe concerned Gazprom’s alleged abuse of its dominance in the gas markets in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia.

Full Content: EurActive

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