site.btaEC Continues Probe into Suspected Abuse of Dominant Position on Bulgaria's Natural Gas Market

Brussels, November 27 (BTA correspondent Nikolay Jeliazkov) - The European Commission is pressing on with an investigation, launched two years ago against the Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH) and its subsidiaries over suspected abuse of their dominant position on the natural gas market in Bulgaria, a spokesperson for the Commission said on Monday. He added: "We sent a statement of objections in this case but I cannot at this moment announce any further steps."

In March 2015, the European Commission sent a statement of objections to BEH, informing it of the Commission's preliminary view that BEH may have breached EU antitrust rules by hindering competitors access to key gas infrastructures in Bulgaria. The statement of objections was also addressed to BEH's gas supply subsidiary Bulgargaz and its gas infrastructure subsidiary Bulgartransgaz.

The Commission has concerns that BEH and its subsidiaries may be preventing competitors from gaining access to the infrastructure they need in order to successfully compete on gas supply markets in Bulgaria. If the concerns are justified this behaviour would have reduced and continues to reduce competition in gas supply markets in Bulgaria.

The fine that the EC may impose in the case may reach 330 million euro. This transpired from a Bulgarian National Radio interview Sunday with Energy Minister Temenouzhka Petkova.

The interview came a couple of days after the national Parliament adopted a resolution requiring of the government to reject a deal with the European Commission, which would have slashed the fine by up to 30 per cent.

In exchange for the reduced fine, Bulgaria had to admit wrongful practices in the past and accept partial denationalization of Bulgartransgaz.

The government was in favour of a deal but the legislature voted a resolution which rejected this option and instructed the ministers to appeal to the end.