Press Release: Antitrust: Commission opens German gas market to competition by accepting commitments from RWE to divest transmission network

The European Commission adopted a decision that renders legally binding commitments offered by RWE to address concerns raised in the course of an investigation under EC antitrust rules. The Commission had concerns that RWE may have abused the dominant position on its gas transmission network to restrict its competitors' access to the network, thereby violating Article 82 of the EC Treaty. The Commission's suspicion related to a possible refusal to supply gas transmission services to other companies and to behaviour aiming at lowering the margins of RWE's downstream competitors in gas supply ('margin squeeze'). In reaction to the Commission's concerns, RWE offered to divest its entire Western German high-pressure gas transmission network. In the light of RWE's commitments, the Commission closed its investigation.