Spain: Ciudadanos party speaks out in defense of CNMC

The Ciudadanos parliamentary group in Spain’s Congress of Deputies has presented a motion urging the Government to turn back on their decision, taken only a few days ago, to take away several powers and responsibilities from the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC).

The Council of Ministers approved a royal decree in mid-October, by which the State Ministries for Energy and Information Society and Digital Agenda will take over some functions previously handled by the CNMC . These include carrying out inspections and liquidations, supervision of the liquid hydrocarbon sector, managing the system for certification of biofuels and Merger control.

The Royal Decree gives the Secretary of State for Energy authority for setting tariffs and access tolls to the country’s grid, despite the fact that the European Commission (EC) has initiated procedures against Spain over this. These procedures may still lead to sanctions, as EU rules state that such tariffs and price levels must be set by an independent regulator.

Full Content: La Vanguardia

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