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Reuters: EU antitrust regulators raid Romania's Romgaz, Transgaz
EU antitrust regulators have raided Romanian state-owned gas producer Romgaz and gas pipeline operator Transgaz on suspicion that the companies may be illegally blocking gas exports to other EU countries, Reuters says quoted by dailymail.co.uk.
The European Commission said the raids took place on Monday but did not name the companies in line with its usual policy.
Romgaz and Transgaz said they were raided.
The EU competition enforcer charged Gazprom last year with a similar offence, a case which the Russian gas giant is trying to settle with concessions to avoid a possible billion-euro fine.
Allowing cross-border gas sales is a cornerstone of the Commission's strategy of creating a single energy market in the 28-country bloc.
"The Commission is investigating potential anticompetitive practices in the transmission and supply of natural gas in Romania, in particular relating to suspected anticompetitive behaviour aimed at hindering natural gas exports from Romania to other member states," the EU executive said in a statement on Tuesday.
There is the EC statement:
„Antitrust: Commission confirms unannounced inspections in the natural gas sector Brussels, 7 June 2016 STATEMENT/16/2133 European Commission - Statement
The European Commission can confirm that on 6 June 2016 its officials carried out unannounced inspections at the premises of several companies active in the supply and transport of natural gas in Romania.
The Commission has concerns that the companies involved may have violated EU antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices and/or the abuse of a dominant market position (Articles 101 and 102 respectively of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union).
The Commission is investigating potential anticompetitive practices in the transmission and supply of natural gas in Romania, in particular relating to suspected anticompetitive behaviour aimed at hindering natural gas exports from Romania to other Member States.
The Commission officials were accompanied by their counterparts from the Romanian competition authority. Unannounced inspections are a preliminary step into suspected anticompetitive practices. The fact that the Commission carries out such inspections does not mean that the companies are guilty of anticompetitive behaviour nor does it prejudge the outcome of the investigation itself.
The Commission respects the rights of defence, in particular the right of companies to be heard in antitrust proceedings. There is no legal deadline to complete inquiries into anticompetitive conduct. Their duration depends on a number of factors, including the complexity of each case, the extent to which the undertakings concerned co-operate with the Commission and the exercise of the rights of defence.”
Romgaz, one of two major gas producers in Romania, said it was one of the targets of the raids.
"We confirm the inspection. It is ongoing and as a result we cannot comment over the motives," the company said.
State-owned Transgaz also confirmed the EU raid.
Romania is one of the EU's least energy dependent states. It produces the bulk of its gas locally and imports up to 8 percent of its needs from Russia.
However, its interconnections aren't fully developed, meaning Romania can import significantly more than it can export. Its investment in making interconnections work both ways has been lagging.