EC Undaunted by Putin's Intervention in Gazprom Probe

European Commissioner for Competition Joaquin Almunia. Photo by EPA/BGNES

The European Commission's investigation against Gazprom over suspected obstruction of competition is a case like any other despite the intervention of the Russian government, EU Commissioner for Competition Joaquin Almunia has declared.

The European Commission is fully aware of the geostrategic importance of gas supply in Europe, said the Commissioner, noting that 25% of the gas consumed in Europe comes from Russia, as cited by BGNES.

"But our responsibilities within the single market, within the boundaries of the 27 Member States of the European Union, are to enforce competition rules regardless of who are the shareholders of companies, or sector concerned," he stressed.

The European Commission opened on September 4th a formal investigation against the Russian gas giant since it suspects three types of breach competition rules in many countries in Central and Eastern Europe highly dependent on Russian gas supplies.

According to the EC, Gazprom may be fragmenting the internal market and charging different prices in different EU countries.

Gazprom is also suspected of imposing conditions in its contracts may excluding competitors from the market, and raising gas prices by tying them to oil.

Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to the initiation of the EC investigation by deciding to place under the protection of the Russian state strategic companies in the country

"We continue our procedures and investigations without any special limitation in the case of Gazprom," said Almunia insisting that it is a case from the point of view of the rules of the competition, like any other.

"Decisions that have been taken so far and those we should take in the future will be based exclusively on the analysis from the point of view of competition," he insisted.

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