EU may start new antitrust probe against Gazprom

Bulgaria's state-owned gas supplier Bulgargaz is preparing to ask the European Commission to resume antitrust proceedings against Gazprom because of the Russian company's failure to adjust its gas prices to average market levels in the EU.

This was reported by NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine's press service with reference to Euractiv.

The press service also mentioned that in 2018 Gazprom promised the European Commission to work in keeping with market-oriented conditions, observing the principles of competition and openness. After that, the antitrust investigation, which began back in 2015, was terminated. Gazprom had been accused of abuse of dominance in the markets of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia.

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As UNIAN reported earlier, the European Commission sent Gazprom a claim notification in April 2015.

In May 2018, the European Commission identified a number of preconditions for antitrust violations in the natural gas markets of Central and Eastern Europe and obliged Gazprom to ensure a competitive price for consumers in the region and remove limitations on gas sales.

As a result of the investigation, it was concluded that Gazprom's dominant position in the markets of Central and Eastern Europe had created an opportunity for the company to set higher prices for gas in Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland than in the competitive market in Western Europe.

By its decision, the EC imposed the following obligations on Gazprom: the Russian company had to remove any restrictions for customers, including a ban on the resale of gas; Gazprom was required to remove barriers to gas flows to isolated markets (in particular for Bulgaria and the Baltic countries); the Russian monopolist had to ensure prices that would reflect the cost of gas in the competitive markets of Western Europe, especially at gas hubs.