Press Release: Competition: Commission seeks interested parties’ comments on ALROSA and De Beers commitments

The European Commission was asking interested parties for comments by 3 July 2005 on commitments offered by ALROSA and De Beers in a case under EC Treaty rules outlawing cartels and abuse of monopoly power (Articles 81 and 82) involving the market for rough diamonds. The Commission had preliminary concerns that the volume of ALROSA rough diamonds purchased by De Beers might both enhance De Beers market power and eliminate ALROSA as an alternative source of supply. The commitments proposed by the parties purported to address these concerns by reducing the amount of diamonds purchased by De Beers from ALROSA.