European Commission accepts Transgaz proposal to boost gas exports

The European Commission said on Friday it had accepted the commitments of Transgaz to boost natural gas exports in particular to Hungary and Bulgaria.

In June 2017, the European Commission opened an official investigation procedure to assess whether the Romanian operator of the natural gas transmission system, Transgaz, prevented the export of natural gas from Romania to other EU member states.

“This will promote the free flow of gas at competitive prices in South East Europe and is an additional step towards a single European energy market,” EU Antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.

Transgaz informs that today, March 6th, 2020, the European Commission issued a press release announcing the adoption of a Decision approving the commitments proposed by the company in the investigation no. AT. 40335, to address the Commission’s competition concerns relating to a possible violation of Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which prohibits the abuse of a dominant position. This Decision confirms that the concerns of the European Commission regarding a potential abuse of a dominant position carried out by Transgaz for the period and the activity under investigation have been solved and puts an end to the investigation of the European Commission, without finding any violation of antitrust rules by the company and, thus, without applying a fine.