EU antitrust regulators raid Romania's Romgaz, Transgaz (updated)
07/06/2016 16:37
* Firms suspected of blocking gas exports to other EU
countries
* Gazprom charged with similar offence a year ago
(Adds Romgaz, Transgaz comments)
By Foo Yun Chee and Luiza Ilie
BRUSSELS/BUCHAREST, June 7 (Reuters) - EU antitrust
regulators have raided Romanian state-owned gas producer Romgaz
ROSNG.BX and gas pipeline operator Transgaz ROTGN.BX on
suspicion that the companies may be illegally blocking gas
exports to other EU countries.
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.
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.
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Adrian Croft)
((foo.yunchee@thomsonreuters.com; +32 2 287 6844; Reuters
Messaging: foo.yunchee.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
Keywords: EU ROMANIA/GAS