Competition Commissioner Karel Van Miert has written to Belgian utility company Electrabel

Date: 14/03/1996

seeking information on its long-term contracts with local governments. Electrabel has offered Belgium's regional and local power distributors the option of acquiring 5&percent; of the company's capital in return for long-term supply contracts. Van Miert has questions concerning the duration of the contracts, the share offer and the manner in which the contracts were drawn up.