Press Release: Competition: energy sector inquiry confirms serious problems and sets out way forward

The European Commission on 16 February 2006 published a preliminary report on the findings of the energy sector inquiry launched in June 2005. The report was based on responses from the energy industry and customers. Interested parties were invited to comment on the preliminary report during a two month consultation period. As a result of the findings in the report the European Commission announced that it would pursue investigations under EC Treaty anti-trust rules into specific cases of closing off gas and electricity markets by means of long-term downstream contracts and of restricting access to gas and electricity transport infrastructure and storage capacity. The Commission was also planning to consider competition and regulatory remedies to a number of other serious malfunctions in the energy sector that have been confirmed in the preliminary report.

• Primary Source

European Commission: DG Competition: Sector Inquiries - Energy http://ec.europa.eu/competition/sectors/energy/overview_en.html

BBC News: EU to crack down on energy sector, 16.2.06 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4718776.stm

European Commission: Memo: MEMO/06/78, Energy sector competition inquiry – preliminary report – frequently asked questions, 16.2.06 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/06/78&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=fr

European Commission: Speech: SPEECH/06/94, The situation of Internal Markets in Gas and Electricity, 16.2.06 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/06/94&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: Speech: SPEECH/06/92, Towards an Efficient and Integrated European Energy Market – First Findings and Next Steps, 16.2.06 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/06/92&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: Speech: SPEECH/06/97, Why are Competitive Electricity and Gas Markets Good for Environment? 16.2.06 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/06/97&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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