Bulgaria anti-monopoly watchdog raids more oil firms in fuel inquiry
22/04/2016 10:43
SOFIA, April 22 (Reuters) - Bulgaria's anti-monopoly
watchdog said it had raided the offices of Eco Petroleum, part
of Hellenic Petroleum HEPr.AT , and Shell Bulgaria, owned by
Royal Dutch Shell RDSa.L , as part of an investigation into
possible cartel agreements.
The inquiry follows complaints by Bulgarians over high fuel
costs despite a plunge in global oil prices and a call by Prime
Minister Boiko Borisov for the competition authority to hasten
checks on the fuel sector.
"Employees of the Commission for Protection of Competition
are carrying out surprise checks on site at the offices of Eco
Bulgaria and Shell Bulgaria," the commission said in a statement
on Friday.
Shell and Eco Petroleum were not available for comment but
the Bulgarian Petrol and Gas Association, of which all of the
companies being investigated are members, has said there were no
cartel agreements between any of its members.
The latest raids follow others earlier this month on the
Bulgarian offices of Russia's Lukoil LKOH.MM and Romania's
Rompetrol RORRC.BX .
In February, the watchdog began investigating the four
companies, as well as the offices of OMV OMVV.Vi , Nis Petrol,
controlled by Russia's Gazprom Neft SIBN.MM and Bulgarian
Petrol 5PET.BB over possible price fixing. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N1644LC
It has also launched a probe into the Lukoil Neftochim
Burgas oil refinery over possible breaches of competition rules
related to the sale of its fuels on the local market.
(Reporting by Tsvetelia Tsolova and Angel Krasimirov; Editing
by Alexander Smith)
((angel.krasimirov@thomsonreuters.com; +359 888 695 510;))
Keywords: BULGARIA FUEL/PROBE