EU aims for end in Gazprom antitrust probe
THE EUROPEAN Commission expects to wrap up an investigation by the spring into suspected anti-competitive market practices by Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom, the EU energy commissioner said yesterday.
The Commission’s action against Gazprom is likely to ratchet up the tension between Europe and Russia, which has criticised EU attempts to boost competition in the energy market and reduce its reliance on Russian supplies.
“I would say spring next year. We need some more months for investigation on an expert level,” European energy commissioner Guenther Oettinger said.
Gazprom has said the investigation is a politically motivated attempt to bring down EU gas prices.
“It’s an investigation by our experts and it’s an objective investigation and not a political investigation,” Oettinger said.