Press Release: Antitrust: Commission market tests proposed commitments by EDF to increase competition in the French electricity retail market

The European Commission invited comments from interested parties on commitments offered by the French energy company EDF which seek to address the Commission's concerns that EDF may be abusing its dominant position in France and therefore infringing Article 82 of the EC Treaty. The Commission is concerned that EDF may hinder through its contracting practices the entry and expansion of competitors on the market for retail supplies of electricity to large industrial users. EDF's contracts also contain provisions which may constitute illegal resale restrictions. If the market test indicates that EDF's proposals would remedy the Commission's competition concerns, the Commission may adopt a decision under Article 9 of Regulation 1/2003 making the commitments legally binding on EDF. Together with the reform of the regulated electricity market being implemented by the French Government, the commitments in this case have the potential to constitute an important step towards a fully competitive electricity market in France.