Six European gas companies confirm EC competition raids

London (Platts)--17May2006

Company spokesmen for Gaz de France, Germany's E.ON Ruhrgas and RWE,
Belgium's Distrigas and Fluxys and Austria's OMV Gas all confirmed Wednesday
that their companies were being investigated by staff from the competition
department of the European Commission, as part of its ongoing inquiry into
competition in the energy sector. They gave few other details concerning the
raid.
The EC said it had visited gas companies in five member states,
unannounced, to investigate whether "the companies concerned may have violated
EC-treaty anti-trust rules that prohibit restrictive business practices and/or
abuse of a dominant market position." It did not say whom it had visited or
how many companies were involved.
A spokeswoman for E.ON-Ruhrgas said their visitors arrived Tuesday at
E.ON Ruhrgas offices in Essen, Germany, and were still present Wednesday
afternoon.
"It is correct that representatives of the EU Commission were in our
office," spokeswoman Astrid Zimmermann told Platts, adding that a few
investigators were still on its premises, possibly for a few days. "This
concerns additional examinations related to the sector enquiry, which we fully
support," she said.
Austria's OMV Gas, a 100%-owned subsidiary of OMV, said it was inspected
Tuesday morning by EC officials and that it would cooperate fully, the same
response as GDF's. Belgium's gas supplier Distrigas and transmission system
operator Fluxys also confirmed they were both inspected on Tuesday. Distrigas
said that the latest investigation was separate from the statement of
objection, which the EC sent to it May 10.
Italy's largest gas company Eni was unable to confirm immediately if they
were visited by the investigators. "There is nothing to go on yet," an
official at Eni told Platts.

 

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